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Off Topic / Re: What are we Reading Now: Conan the Librarian
« Last post by Triptych on Today at 13:08:28 »Claiming that both Wells and PKD are the same because they're both atheists is just silly, and I'll leave it at that.
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Off Topic / Re: What are we Reading Now: Conan the Librarian
« Last post by Zematus737 on Today at 12:52:37 »A excerpt from his Exegesis: 'My novels, for example. They are said by readers to depict the same world again and again, a recognizable world. Where is that world? In my head? Is it what I see in my own life and inadvertently transfer into my novels and to the reader? At least I’m consistent, since it is all one novel. I have my own special world. I guess they are in my head, in which case they are a good clue to my identity and to what is happening inside me: they are brain prints. This brings me to my frightening premise. I seem to be living in my own novels more and more. I can’t figure out why. Am I losing touch with reality?'
These are his own words. As for being a futurist, the book is not so much about apprehension of the future as it is about struggling to interpret an abnormal experience that revealed to him the health condition of his daughter through a vision. Like HG Wells, Dick was also militantly atheist and mocked religion in many of his works. In this, and in my opinion, they are the same. Except that it is worse for Dick, as he had an authentic experience that he did his best to say was a localized unconscious self inflection of presentiment or inspiration. Rather than just accept the gift for what it was, he did his utter most to write what is possibly his largest labor, to disavow that it could have been received from a higher, separate, intellect. As separate as God can be from the work of His hands is another matter for discussion entirely. Carl Jung (if you read his Red Book, the translations of which have made an enormous impact on the world) made the same mistakes and attributed inspiration to a universal shared unconsciousness. It was a cheap move and it was very sad to see how he misinterpreted almost every "dream" he had experienced. Just as sad that he (Jung) did not have the guts to admit he was experimenting himself with psychedelics to achieve these altered states.
These are his own words. As for being a futurist, the book is not so much about apprehension of the future as it is about struggling to interpret an abnormal experience that revealed to him the health condition of his daughter through a vision. Like HG Wells, Dick was also militantly atheist and mocked religion in many of his works. In this, and in my opinion, they are the same. Except that it is worse for Dick, as he had an authentic experience that he did his best to say was a localized unconscious self inflection of presentiment or inspiration. Rather than just accept the gift for what it was, he did his utter most to write what is possibly his largest labor, to disavow that it could have been received from a higher, separate, intellect. As separate as God can be from the work of His hands is another matter for discussion entirely. Carl Jung (if you read his Red Book, the translations of which have made an enormous impact on the world) made the same mistakes and attributed inspiration to a universal shared unconsciousness. It was a cheap move and it was very sad to see how he misinterpreted almost every "dream" he had experienced. Just as sad that he (Jung) did not have the guts to admit he was experimenting himself with psychedelics to achieve these altered states.
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Fan Articles / Re: Mech of the Week: HEL Helios
« Last post by SteelRaven on Today at 12:29:08 »Fasa needed to fill those TRO pages with something.
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Off Topic / Re: NHL 2023-2024 Vegas Edition: Mojave, Mo' Problems
« Last post by rebs on Today at 12:07:22 »Yzerman was a #4 pick as well. In his year the #1 was Matt Lawton, "THE LAW". No one has even heard of him and I only remember because comedy value.
I would already agree Makar was the steal of the draft, even at #4.
I would already agree Makar was the steal of the draft, even at #4.
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Novel and Sourcebook Reviews / Re: Without Question
« Last post by Swankmotron on Today at 12:03:18 »Got it this morning, finished it. Thought it was a lot better than A Question of Survival, which was really brought down by both Star Colonel Hall (who, quite frankly, came across as being heavily incompetent at nearly everything thanks to his massive losing streak and really not having a valid reason to accept Jiyi's batchall). And also because Without Question moved out to where it was establishing new events rather than just telling the story of things that had already been printed in Tamar Rising.
I can't tell you how freeing and exciting it was to write events beyond the sourcebooks again.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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Ask the Writers / Re: Shrapnel Submission Cover Letter
« Last post by Swankmotron on Today at 11:59:30 »Hello!
In general, cover letters for short stories are short and sweet. They might relay a little bit of information about why you are submitting or love the property, but should be no longer than a paragraph or two.
Here's an example of one I tend to use:
We asked Phil about this, too, who is the editor of Shrapnel and he said that sometimes he likes to see why people love BattleTech or how they got into it or that personal connection to the universe, but a bad cover letter isn't going to get a good story rejected any more than a good cover letter is going to get a bad story accepted.
So, make sure it has relevant information to the editor so they know who you are and which story is yours and then really focus on making the writing shine.
In general, cover letters for short stories are short and sweet. They might relay a little bit of information about why you are submitting or love the property, but should be no longer than a paragraph or two.
Here's an example of one I tend to use:
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Hello,
My name is Bryan Young and I've been publishing stories professionally for the last two decades. My last novel is BattleTech: Without Question, an important novel in a licensed universe. I'm pleased to submit "STORY NAME" to you. It's about 5k words long and tells the story of QUICK ONE SENTENCE EXPLANATION. It involves X FACTION, as they navigate X REGION, in the X ERA.
I have revelant personal experience with the subject <insert the experience>. I'm looking forward to your response to the story!
Thanks so much!
Bryan
We asked Phil about this, too, who is the editor of Shrapnel and he said that sometimes he likes to see why people love BattleTech or how they got into it or that personal connection to the universe, but a bad cover letter isn't going to get a good story rejected any more than a good cover letter is going to get a bad story accepted.
So, make sure it has relevant information to the editor so they know who you are and which story is yours and then really focus on making the writing shine.
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BattleTech Game Errata / Re: Master Unit List (MUL) Feedback Thread IV - READ THE FIRST POST
« Last post by Gribbly on Today at 11:53:31 »The LRM and SRM variants of the 'Goblin Medium Tank' are available to IS General, Periphery General and Mercenary in the Star League era. Should the base Goblin also have IS and Periphery availability in the SL period?
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BattleTech Miniatures / Re: Clan Hell's Horses Alpha Galaxy painting log.
« Last post by willydstyle on Today at 11:28:26 »I have no idea if anyone except for me can tell the difference, but I wasn't happy with how sloppy the cockpit windows and a lot of the highlight layers were so I went back and cleaned this up quite a bit.
I also like the basing here better than the painted on sand dunes, so I'm thinking of going back and doing the whole force like this.
Does anyone have any feedback on what effect the base of the Gargoyle looks like? I have an idea of what I was trying to achieve but I wonder of it translates.
I also like the basing here better than the painted on sand dunes, so I'm thinking of going back and doing the whole force like this.
Does anyone have any feedback on what effect the base of the Gargoyle looks like? I have an idea of what I was trying to achieve but I wonder of it translates.
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General BattleTech Discussion / Re: Upcoming Releases XXIX: First Annual 29th Birthday
« Last post by I am Belch II on Today at 11:08:07 »My delivery date got pushed back from Fri to Mon. That really sucks.
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Off Topic / Re: What are we Reading Now: Conan the Librarian
« Last post by Triptych on Today at 11:02:21 »The book store will never carry his Exegesis, while some of his lesser known works like the tripple stigmata of palmer eldritch or Valis will be harder to come by. Try your county library and save a buck. When my family grew more accustomed to using the request features and how accessible the online library sites are, it becomes very easy to get a book from a neighboring stock brought in. To say nothing of the amount of money you save if your children are also devouring books.I live full time overseas as an expat, and books are an easy, minimal expense.
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As much as I loved PKD as a teenager and in my early 20's, he did a lot of harm to the Science Fiction community with an elitist type mindset for American authors in creating a group mind that should or shouldn't approve who is acknowledged or not by "the best" in the genre. And that goes a long way for a person who is just plainly an author and story weaver. He's a product of his time with space flight and "martian canals" being discovered and the heavy psychotropic scene exploding. In the end, he was never honest with the vision he was given and this caused as much consternation in him personally that he became a facsimile of many of his protagonists. He was very much like HG Wells.I disagree. PKD wasnt a planned futurist like Wells was. The former had mental issues (no doubt exacerbated by his drug taking), and he wrote about his fears and paranoia. Its somewhat coincidental that his anxieties with technology, and the stuff he wrote about them has actually come true, much like George Orwell and his warnings of an all-powerful surveillance state in 1984 also became real.
