Author Topic: EP205: Requiem in D-minor (for prions, whale and burning bush)  (Read 17972 times)

Talia

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I would totally buy aliens coming to Earth to save the whales if I were given that kind of rationale.  But without it I strongly suspect it's because the author thinks whales are groovy.  I think whales are groovy too, but I don't think aliens would.

Ahh.. but how do you know what aliens think. Do they HAVE to think different from humans in that regard? Is that a mandate for them to qualify as "alien"? :)

(not flaming, just sayin!)

I'm personally of the opinion that aliens arent necesarily all that different from ourselves.. or rather that they dont have to be.



izzardfan

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I had trouble with this one in audio, so I went and found the print version on the author's website.  I read it afterwards and it helped some.  I hadn't thought of the genetic mutations as what was being done by Kevin that was illegal until I read it in print.

I also agree that, while I adore hearing Frank Key read, this should have been read by someone else.  Maybe Ray Sizemore or Steve Anderson or Wilson Fowlie.



Doom xombie

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I would totally buy aliens coming to Earth to save the whales if I were given that kind of rationale.  But without it I strongly suspect it's because the author thinks whales are groovy.  I think whales are groovy too, but I don't think aliens would.

Ahh.. but how do you know what aliens think. Do they HAVE to think different from humans in that regard? Is that a mandate for them to qualify as "alien"? :)

(not flaming, just sayin!)

I'm personally of the opinion that aliens arent necesarily all that different from ourselves.. or rather that they dont have to be.

Yah and now everyone expects them to be something unexpected. Which means that people really expect them not to be human and thats really all they expect. Which i think is somewhat of a contradiction in some way... People used to think that they'd even look like us. People decided that was wrong and then had to find ways to make them different but i think sometimes the first instinct is best.

Look its a signature! And a dragon!





kibitzer

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K, only just heard this one so here's some late and probably echo-ey thoughts.

I really did not like this one. I understand the Star Trek references but to me it was merely a twist on "The Sentinel" and "2001", and highly derivative at that. And the narration... left something to be desired. It sounds to me like Frank is an Aussie and being one myself, I feel he could have put a bit more "obvious Aussie" into the main character guy. And possibly read it through beforehand -- he stumbled over some words with which he wasn't familiar.

Disappointing.


JoeFitz

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Reply #29 on: August 23, 2009, 12:02:52 PM
I fairly enjoyed the use of prions in this type of story. The derivative elements (aliens like whales, cut off space, etc.) detracted enormously, but did not quite ruin it. But there was a clear tension between the hard and soft SF that I feel ultimately took a lot away from a compelling story.

The "failed thesis" plot was very bizarre as I agree with the poster above that something so clearly out of the mainstream would not have made it to the stage of defense, and a defense would not have been staged so publicly.

I found myself reacting most negatively to end of the story with the line of something like "it was very difficult to think down to the level of needing a name." That seemed to come out of left field; as did the exposition of the whale's decision to stay and watch humanity evolve.



Clive

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Reply #30 on: September 01, 2009, 09:35:24 AM
I recently watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and that was in the forefront of my mind through the whole story. Overall, I thought it was just okay. I agree with the above posters that the narration did not fit the story.

Also, Hi everybody, I've been meaning to post on the forums for a while. Have been lurking for months. Don't know why I chose this one to finally register, but here we are. I'll probably be posting much more.



kibitzer

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Reply #31 on: September 01, 2009, 11:07:56 AM
A lurker!!! Well... glad you uncloaked. Hiya!


Russell Nash

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Reply #32 on: September 01, 2009, 12:31:49 PM
A lurker!!! Well... glad you uncloaked. Hiya!

Kibitzer has been recently promoted to Greeter.



Jason M

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Reply #33 on: September 01, 2009, 12:41:44 PM
A lurker!!! Well... glad you uncloaked. Hiya!

Kibitzer has been recently promoted to Greeter.

But he has no title!



Russell Nash

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Reply #34 on: September 01, 2009, 02:34:17 PM
Of course he does.



kibitzer

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Gamercow

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Reply #36 on: October 12, 2009, 07:26:59 PM
I liked this one, but somehow it seemed to fizzle out, like there could have been more there.  And I'm not talking more exposition or explanation, just more story, more substance.  And I teared up with the image of the cow with BCE, but not at the human with C-J, so that must say something about me.  6/10

The cow says "Mooooooooo"


Unblinking

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Reply #37 on: April 30, 2010, 05:03:04 PM
I gave it fifteen minutes.  The first few were a ripoff of Star Trek IV.  And the next few after that helped differentiate it, but only through a massive and dull infodump.