EP417: Southpaw

[rlzack]

I'm not going to add anything that hasn't been said. I am not normally a fan of alternate history stories - they usually require some obscure knowledge of actual history. In this case, not so much (who doesn't know that Fidel Castro has been the leader of Cuba for the last 50+ years?).

In this case, it is not obvious that Cuba would not become communist just because Castro was not the leader. OK, that sentence has too many negatives - without Castro, is it really clear that Cuba would not have become communist? Was he absolutely essential to that process? The story even notes that there is a revolution. Couldn't the current leader of that revolution have brought the country to communism just as easily? And perhaps with an even worse outcome? Granted, a short story can't necessarily answer all these questions. But in my mind, there was still too much up in the air.

Loved the reading, Bdoomed!!

[knigget]

I read the notes, they were interesting, but they didn't alter my basic opinion of the story.  I get the idea that "A solid contract and a good woman have been the ruin of many a good revolutionary," the anesthetizing power of wealth, imparting political acumen to celebrities, and all that. 

That's plenty; we get way too much romanticizing of revolutions in speculative fiction, and not enough informed contempt.

[Devoted135]

Throughout the story I kept feeling like I was missing veiled references and in-jokes that referred back to the real Castro. Is that true, or was I just imagining that there must be such things? Having never gotten much past WWII in any history class that I took, I know only the very barest of bones about Castro in particular, and the Cuban Revolution in general. Honestly, I think my favorite part of the story was the references to I Love Lucy; my aunt was crazy for that show when I was growing up.

[CryptoMe]

I think I have to agree with the bulk of people here. Fidel the baseball player has a pretty dull life, and without more information on how his dull life affects the reality that I know, that's all it is.

Awesome reading, though, Bdoomed.

[hardware]

I liked it, it was well written, understated look at how someone who we have a very static image of might have turned out to be someone quite different, at least from an outside perspective. You could have done a similar story where Hitler was accepted to Art school I (and probably someone did). The lack of exploration of the big geopolitical changes was actually a strength in my eyes, and I guess that those changes were just about to take place (or not) anyway, and so we can ask ourselves if he still has a role to play, or if he remains pacified by consumer culture.   

[Unblinking]

You could have done a similar story where Hitler was accepted to Art school I (and probably someone did).

Brings to mind "Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky":
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/scholes_11_07/
I don't recall if Hitler was an art student in that, but along the general idea of what Hitler might've been like if he hadn't become a genocidal maniac dictator.

[Bdoomed]

You could have done a similar story where Hitler was accepted to Art school I (and probably someone did).

Brings to mind "Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky":
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/scholes_11_07/
I don't recall if Hitler was an art student in that, but along the general idea of what Hitler might've been like if he hadn't become a genocidal maniac dictator.

Also see EP187

[SonofSpermcube]

I was mostly indifferent to this story, but the thing I liked most about it was that IT WAS NOT ABOUT HITLER.  That's one thing the alternate history subgenre needs absolutely no more of. 

[Unblinking]

You could have done a similar story where Hitler was accepted to Art school I (and probably someone did).

Brings to mind "Summer in Paris, Light From the Sky":
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/scholes_11_07/
I don't recall if Hitler was an art student in that, but along the general idea of what Hitler might've been like if he hadn't become a genocidal maniac dictator.

Also see EP187

Ah, I was thinking it had been on one of the EA casts, but my Google Fu led me to Clarkesworld first.
Here's the EP link for the lazy:
http://escapepod.org/2009/02/07/ep187-summer-in-paris-light-from-the-sky/

[luka datas]

not so much SF as WTF

[eytanz]

Moderator note

not so much SF as WTF

Not so much an acceptable comment as an unacceptable one.

Luka, let me remind you of the forum's one rule. Criticism is welcome. Insults and negative snipes, especially contentless ones, are not.

[luka datas]

since You have given me a warning regarding all my recent comments and I have agreed not to say anything more I wont say anything in my defense because I already have. A defense which you rejected concerning the use of the actual f word within the podcast itself I will say nothing and leave you the last word. As a gentleman must.

[Bdoomed]

since You have given me a warning regarding all my recent comments and I have agreed not to say anything more I wont say anything in my defense because I already have. A defense which you rejected concerning the use of the actual f word within the podcast itself I will say nothing and leave you the last word. As a gentleman must.

I have no idea what you just said here.  None.

[Scattercat]

He's trying to take his private beefs public in the hopes of garnering sympathy.

You know. 

Like a gentleman.

[eytanz]

I will say nothing and leave you the last word.

Potato

(I figured that since I got the last word, I should make it one I enjoy)

[luka datas]

being a gentleman is hard.

[Unblinking]

I will say nothing and leave you the last word.

Potato

(I figured that since I got the last word, I should make it one I enjoy)

Rutabaga! 

It's much more fun to say than potato.

Also, susurrus!

[Fenrix]

I will say nothing and leave you the last word.

Potato

(I figured that since I got the last word, I should make it one I enjoy)

Rutabaga! 

It's much more fun to say than potato.

Also, susurrus!

I like a good atlatl preferably in an atlatl battle.

[EosTwelve]

I just finished this one last night. The story was kind of bland. Out of all the possible life lines, why this one? Why a baseball player? Why not a hockey player, tennis player, an actor, a chef? I think I would have been more interested in another life line hopefully. Alternate life lines in SF I get - this story should have been sent back and reserected along a different life. I liked the way the author put everything together, and the reading was good, I just feel it has the potential to be so much better! This is one of those stories I would love to see in a rewrite.

[Tarragon]

I assuming the author went with this timeline because Fidel Castro actually played baseball and there is a long standing, but false, story that he tried out with an american team.  
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Fidel_Castro

[Unblinking]

I assuming the author went with this timeline because Fidel Castro actually played baseball and there is a long standing, but false, story that he tried out with an american team.  
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Fidel_Castro

Yeah, I think that's the reason why baseball.  I agree it wasn't very interesting, but the reason of "why baseball?" seems pretty clear.

[EosTwelve]

So, I have been thinking on this one, and I believe the reason why it didn't sit right with me was because I have become so use to the authors of these types of stories to go for the more exciting, exotic scripts. When I look at it like that, then I have come to realise that this wasn't such a bad story after all. Hence I recind my "bland" comment with all apologies. I still don't like the baseball thing though. Should have made Castro an enforcer on a death hockey team...sorry, just a suggestion  *sigh - scurries back to the dark corner*

[Unblinking]

sorry, just a suggestion  *sigh - scurries back to the dark corner*

No need to apologize, nor to scurry back to the dark corner.  Or at least, if you're going to hang out in that dark corner, you don't have to feel like you can't participate in the conversation anyway. 

[EosTwelve]

No worries! I tend to hide in dark corners, then dart out to post every once in a while. Besides, I'm still trying to get caught up on my listening 

[Unblinking]

No worries! I tend to hide in dark corners, then dart out to post every once in a while. Besides, I'm still trying to get caught up on my listening 

Feel free to comment on old stuff, even the oldest stuff--threadomancy is welcome here.