Author Topic: EP117: Reggie vs. Kaiju Storm Chimera Wolf  (Read 38617 times)

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Reply #50 on: September 10, 2007, 10:12:46 PM
I rather liked the notion that giant monsters were such a commonplace occurance that they had a routine response to them, like an oil spill crew or fire brigade, yet it wasn't totally satire.

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Reply #51 on: September 19, 2007, 08:08:40 AM
I really liked this one.  I'm a huge fan of this sort of 'Our world but to the left' story and like others have already said, the idea that the Kaiju's are so common that there's built in containment procedures for them is fascinating.  Plus there's some gorgeous attention to detail here, especially the stepquakes and the combination of the blase and blank terror that the survivors have.
   Oh and as has already been said, this would be a fantastic roleplaying background.



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Reply #52 on: September 20, 2007, 12:07:12 PM
It was a slow build up, and I got quite lost for most of the story because it didn't grab me. Halfway I was saying out loud "Give me the monsters!!".

I love the idea
I rather liked the notion that giant monsters were such a commonplace occurance that they had a routine response to them, like an oil spill crew or fire brigade, yet it wasn't totally satire.

Gotta love that - Big Fat Scary Monsters beat Zombies every time!

The ending was pretty cool. I didn't expect that, and it left me thinking about what sort of powers Reggie must have somehow.

I like Scott Sigler's reading - the emotion and big voices are all part of the package. I enjoyed them in Infection and I liked them in this story too.


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Reply #53 on: October 02, 2007, 06:39:49 AM
Like many here, I was left confused and disappointed by this story. I thought I may have missed something (What was Reggie's purpose there? What is this Figuroa thing? Touched by a Monster? Huh?). I also felt that the story had too long of a build-up for the crescendo, which was still confused. The description of the swath of destruction needed to be punctuated more by the ongoing violence.

Nuggets of charm: The step-quakes and the roar of the monster were good; I like the concept of a monster-telepath; and I like the fact that the story didn't devolve into a Godzilla comic satire.

There were just too many loose ends for me to enjoy it. I'm guessing that this was a first-run at the City Crushing Monster genre. If so, try again please! There's not enough of these stories around here.

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Reply #54 on: October 14, 2007, 10:55:02 PM
I have really enjoyed all the Escape Pods I have listened to but this one just seemed a little lost. I would like to read/hear more from this author because I feel that there is a possibility of some original ideas waiting in his mind. This one just seemed like it was not fully conceived.

I do not know if he did the reading but it was distracting for me and it violated a lot of the rules of voice acting and doing voice overs. I hope that is not insulting it is not meant to be. If the author wants I would be perfectly willing to do his next short story for him. I think he will get a better result that enhances his story telling.

Keep on creating.

Jeff



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Reply #55 on: December 24, 2007, 07:32:29 PM
I liked this story - until the end.

I felt like we got this exciting build up and then - what? The monster was after Reggie why? How? Huh?

I felt completely deflated at the way this story ended.

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Reply #56 on: December 24, 2007, 09:39:10 PM
I liked this story - until the end.

I felt like we got this exciting build up and then - what? The monster was after Reggie why? How? Huh?

It's been a while, but I don't think the monster was after Reggie - IIRC, Reggie created the monster (unintentionally) to go after his ex and her boyfriend. He just happened to put himself in the line of fire by going to her place. But yeah, the later part of the story is a muddle so I'm not surprised you got a different idea.



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Reply #57 on: January 02, 2008, 04:13:47 PM
I liked the concept of this but i think it had the same problem as most short stories, it felt like the first chapter in a novel and not a complete story in itself



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Reply #58 on: January 04, 2008, 05:00:09 AM
This was an interesting story for sure.  ...you ever notice how relationships among young adults always have such larger-than-life proportions?  It just kind of follows that one day they would end up destroying cities.

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Reply #59 on: January 08, 2008, 03:07:13 AM
The discussion of real world military hardware vs. absurd megafauna is rocking my world... keep it coming!  It's going to be very useful for future stories in this world... though the possibility might make some of you cringe..!   ;D

Like many, I found the ending to this story a bit muddled, but liked the idea of monster incursions as "routine emergencies."   And I like the idea of fighting imaginary monsters with real weapons myself...

As another poster said, one of the big problems is that the real heavy-hitting stuff tends to assume a stationary target.  Note that in the Wikipedia article on the "Daisy cutter" accurate placement and navigation is stressed repeatedly.  Tough break when the target is trucking along at 30 mph or so. 

Bio-weapons fail for the same reason they never get used against anything else -- you can't control where they'll go or what they'll become once you turn them loose.  Not to mention they're way to slow.  Though there might be an interesting story in a monster-control virus mutated into a poodle-killer or something.   

I'm thinking the way I'd approach this would be with heavy anti-tank weapons and very good target assessment.  Have remote sensing gear that lets you get a good look at the creature's joints and other weak spots, then focus fire on those areas.  I might have a group like snipers or forward air controllers deployed close to the creature, using laser homing beacons and other targeting gear to direct fire from aircraft and artillery further away. ("I need a cranial-thickness scan now goddamnit, we've got aircraft in position...")

Anyway, my 2 cents...


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Reply #60 on: January 08, 2008, 09:32:17 AM
The discussion of real world military hardware vs. absurd megafauna is rocking my world... keep it coming!  It's going to be very useful for future stories in this world... though the possibility might make some of you cringe..!   ;D

Like many, I found the ending to this story a bit muddled, but liked the idea of monster incursions as "routine emergencies."   And I like the idea of fighting imaginary monsters with real weapons myself...

As another poster said, one of the big problems is that the real heavy-hitting stuff tends to assume a stationary target.  Note that in the Wikipedia article on the "Daisy cutter" accurate placement and navigation is stressed repeatedly.  Tough break when the target is trucking along at 30 mph or so. 

Bio-weapons fail for the same reason they never get used against anything else -- you can't control where they'll go or what they'll become once you turn them loose.  Not to mention they're way to slow.  Though there might be an interesting story in a monster-control virus mutated into a poodle-killer or something.   

I'm thinking the way I'd approach this would be with heavy anti-tank weapons and very good target assessment.  Have remote sensing gear that lets you get a good look at the creature's joints and other weak spots, then focus fire on those areas.  I might have a group like snipers or forward air controllers deployed close to the creature, using laser homing beacons and other targeting gear to direct fire from aircraft and artillery further away. ("I need a cranial-thickness scan now goddamnit, we've got aircraft in position...")

Anyway, my 2 cents...



We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.



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Reply #61 on: January 08, 2008, 01:27:39 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.




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Reply #62 on: January 08, 2008, 01:37:30 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.



I'm a little iffy on the eagle.  The monsters hit populated areas as a rule and I'd like something a little slower.  The AC130 gunship is an excellent choice, but I don't know if we really have enough of them stationed around the country to be effective everywhere.  I think the decision between the A-10 and the AC130 would simply be based on which was closer and could be on the scene faster.

If the monster is in the boondocks, just send out the eagle with some ground piercing laser guided munitions.  It's OK if it takes a couples of tries to hit 'em, when they're not in populated areas.



Windup

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Reply #63 on: January 08, 2008, 02:48:12 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.

Actually, I think lack of speed might be a problem for both the A-10 and the AC-130.  Assuming the creature breathes fire/atomic gas/extreme bad breath, slow-moving aircraft coming relatively close would be in considerable jeapordy. (Titanium "bathtub" for the A-10 crew notwithstanding.) Though the combination of the F-15E and a ground control team would be formidable, though of course the ground-control team is always at risk in these scenarios.

"My whole job is in the space between 'should be' and 'is.' It's a big space."


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Reply #64 on: January 08, 2008, 04:19:35 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.

Actually, I think lack of speed might be a problem for both the A-10 and the AC-130.  Assuming the creature breathes fire/atomic gas/extreme bad breath, slow-moving aircraft coming relatively close would be in considerable jeapordy. (Titanium "bathtub" for the A-10 crew notwithstanding.) Though the combination of the F-15E and a ground control team would be formidable, though of course the ground-control team is always at risk in these scenarios.

Low speed means 200 MPH and close in means a quarter mile.  Not much risk of being hit by a monster's weapons.  They can also be much further off.  A quarter mile is just the most effective range for the A-10's cannon.  The Hellfire missiles are good for a few miles.



Windup

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Reply #65 on: January 08, 2008, 05:07:25 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.

Actually, I think lack of speed might be a problem for both the A-10 and the AC-130.  Assuming the creature breathes fire/atomic gas/extreme bad breath, slow-moving aircraft coming relatively close would be in considerable jeapordy. (Titanium "bathtub" for the A-10 crew notwithstanding.) Though the combination of the F-15E and a ground control team would be formidable, though of course the ground-control team is always at risk in these scenarios.

Low speed means 200 MPH and close in means a quarter mile.  Not much risk of being hit by a monster's weapons.  They can also be much further off.  A quarter mile is just the most effective range for the A-10's cannon.  The Hellfire missiles are good for a few miles.

OK, A-10's it is then.  "Praise the Lord, and pass the depleted uranium..."  Though I guess Matthew does get to make the final call on this one, seeing how he is the author and all...  :)

Imagine the nose-art possibilities for a special-purpose, Kaiju-busting wing of aircraft...
« Last Edit: January 08, 2008, 07:26:58 PM by Windup »

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Russell Nash

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Reply #66 on: January 08, 2008, 07:47:08 PM
Quote
We already have the perfect hard hitting flying asset for the job. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is more affectionately called the Warthog, because it is so damn ugly.  It has been scheduled for decommisioning for years, but everytime we get into a little scrape in a desert, we realize how important it is. 

It is a tank killer.  Can carry basically any type of bomb including laser guided.  Carries hellfire missles which are armor piercing.  It is also built around the legendary 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun, the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United States military.  This cannon can shoot 3900 rounds a minute and can puncture 3 inches of armor from a quarter of a mile away.  The A-10 also has excellent low speed and altitude capability.  A squadron of these would make mince meet of any creature.

Ah, the area of my specialty when I served with the USAF  ;D
The A-10 would be the best pick, due to the low-speed/altitude capabilities you mentioned, but the F-15E would make a great choice as well.  They don't get much use, but gun pods can be placed on the aircraft wing stations, in your choice of calibur, from .30 all the way up to 30mm (not the same as the GAU-8).  The Strike Eagle can carry a lot more guided ordinance than the A-10, with an on-board Whizzo to run the works.  Engagement distance for stationary ground targets can exceed 50 miles, shorter, I'm sure, for moving targets, but still long.
Also, don't discount the M61 20mm Vulcan.  Not as much punch as the GAU-8, but same range, and a much higher rate of fire (6000-7200 rounds per minute, depending on the aircraft it's mounted in).
The AC-130 would be brutaly effective: 2 x 20mm Vulcan, a 40mm Bofors gun, and a 105mm howitzer, all radar directed.  Other configurations are extant, but this is the one I'm most familiar with.

Actually, I think lack of speed might be a problem for both the A-10 and the AC-130.  Assuming the creature breathes fire/atomic gas/extreme bad breath, slow-moving aircraft coming relatively close would be in considerable jeapordy. (Titanium "bathtub" for the A-10 crew notwithstanding.) Though the combination of the F-15E and a ground control team would be formidable, though of course the ground-control team is always at risk in these scenarios.

Low speed means 200 MPH and close in means a quarter mile.  Not much risk of being hit by a monster's weapons.  They can also be much further off.  A quarter mile is just the most effective range for the A-10's cannon.  The Hellfire missiles are good for a few miles.

OK, A-10's it is then.  "Praise the Lord, and pass the depleted uranium..."  Though I guess Matthew does get to make the final call on this one, seeing how he is the author and all...  :)

Imagine the nose-art possibilities for a special-purpose, Kaiju-busting wing of aircraft...

I got to see an A-10 after the first Gulf War.  The kill stickers on the side were different depending on the target: tanks, artillery, etc..  It would be really funny to see what the sticker looked like for a Monster.



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Reply #67 on: September 21, 2010, 04:36:23 PM
This one was really disappointing.  As others said, much of that was because of the title implying some kind of actual faceoff between Reggie and the monster.  Also, when I read a monster story, I want the monster to actually show up.  The connections between everything were way too muddled--how is this monster related to the Berlin monster?  Why does Reggie have monster summoning powers? 

I'd really like to see a daikaiju story that is about daikaiju.



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Reply #68 on: December 15, 2015, 04:53:52 PM
The intro on this one was amusing. It's like Steve was talking directly to me about how weird it would sound in a few years. Only two (Facebook/Twitter) of the long list of sites / social media outlets seem to be functional eight years later. Livejournal was also mentioned, but that thing is limping along. Does it even still count? 

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


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Reply #69 on: February 08, 2016, 03:59:14 PM
Social media of choice for a lot of authors, weirdly. I loathe it with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns but it works for a lot of folks.



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Reply #70 on: February 08, 2016, 04:16:28 PM
Social media of choice for a lot of authors, weirdly. I loathe it with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns but it works for a lot of folks.

Yeah, I still know quite a few fiction writer on LiveJournal, but I don't think I know a single person who is not a fiction writer on there anymore.