[Story] A switch in time
lis_m...@msn.com
Ok here's the story I've been wanting to publish for ages. It's rather long
(6865 words precisely, so Word says :-)), so I'm posting it in 3 sections,
hopefully leaving a cliffhanger interesting enough at the end of each that
people will actually want to read the next bit <eg>. Excuse the terrible pun
in the title- I couldn't resist.
The story is a bit different to other ones that have been posted- more
philosophical, and more like sci fi than fantasy. It's about norns, but
mainly about grief, tragedy and love. One last note before I stop driveling:
When the Hand is referred to in the third person, the pronoun (is it called a
pronoun anyway?) used is It.
A Switch in Time.
Prologue: Earth, 2020AD.
"Hey look at this!"
In an attic of an old, 20th century house, a man, whose name is not
important, was clearing away a few old cardboard boxes. Dust hung thick in
the air, and covered everything in a grey layer. Flat desiccated spiders
decorated the floor.
In one of the boxes, he found a smaller box that seemed to intrigue
him. He wiped away the grime of over 20 years.
Just visible beneath the dirt, the single word ‘Creatures’ Further
down on the box, he could just make the words ‘Win 95’ and ‘Mac’.
The man heaved a sigh of satisfaction, picked up the box and headed
for his computer. Not his new Heptium 6000, but the shabby old thing lying in
the corner of the room, quietly mouldering away….
Chapter 1: Leaving Home.
Albia, Version 6.
Annie the norn crept up behind her partner, and rubbed his shoulders.
"I don’t know what you see in that maths," she said, "Come on, you’ve
done enough work for today."
Chris, sat at the desk, took off his glasses, rubbed them, and put them back
on again, in an habitual gesture Annie had always found endearing.
"This calculus the Hand wanted me to do is impossible… I’ll finish it
eventually! I promised It I would"
"You didn’t promise tonight though did you?" Annie persisted. She
glanced outside. A forlorn Cloud Butterfly fluttered past in the gathering
twilight. As she watched, a bat swooped down and deftly caught the
unfortunate insect.
"I’ve never drawn a Cloud Butterfly.. I ought to try sometime. I
wonder if the Hand would like it?"
"Yes I’m sure" said Chris, buried again in his beloved equations.
"Oh come on! Leave that alone, now! It’s your turn to make dinner.",
Laughing, she dragged him away from his calculations by one arm. Chris was
stronger than she, but she managed to drag him ‘unwillingly’ just the same.
"Just as long as it’s not carrots again!"
"But I like carrots…"He protested.
Laughing and kissing, they wandered into the garden.
High above them, in the clear, dark air, the Hand watched. Annie saw It, and
waved cheerily. Chris looked up, and smiled weakly, and then waved shyly. The
Hand made a decision. Annie would be the one. She was best suited. It had
raised Annie Itself, and she was the only norn, out of the 40 in Albia, who
was truly comfortable around the Hand. More importantly, she had an
incredible thirst for knowledge- and the brains to find out things for
herself when she wanted.
The Hand thought back to the incredible conversation of a few days earlier.
No other norn had ever asked It what Annie asked that day…
"Hand, can I ask you something?" She had enquired. They had been walking in
the Flower Meadow east of Norntown, where most of the norns lived in a warren
of interconnected rooms and gardens. Not all norns lived there; some chose to
throw their lot in with the Ettin, on the archipelago of islands, far away on
the other side of the world. The fragrant wind blew her waist length white
hair.
"Of course not. Go ahead." The Hand floated in the air just above the norn.
It spent a lot of time with Annie when It could spare it. Somewhat
arrogantly, she wondered if there was something special about her.
"What are you?"
There was silence in the meadow for a few minutes, except for the cries of
distant birds.
"I’m sorry", said Annie, hesitantly. "Was that tactless of me?" Sometimes
even she had problems telling the Hands emotional state- most other norns
didn’t even realise it had emotions, but then, her mother (so she’d been
told) died shortly after her birth, and she had been raised by the Hand
exclusively. In the middle of the night, she wondered though. None of the
other norns knew who had been her mother, and she had heard whisperings
behind her back of ‘test tube norns’- norns with neither mother nor father.
"No…It’s just I have never been asked that before. I’m trying to think of an
answer you’d comprehend." It replied. Annie felt slightly nettled at Its easy
assumption that she wouldn’t understand.
"You know that I neither eat nor drink?"
"We all talked about that! We wondered if you did it in private."
"Doesn’t that strike you as odd? After all, a norn that doesn’t eat, dies."
"Umm.. not really. You’re just the Hand, not a norn. You’ve always been
there, like the sky and the ground."
"There is a reason. I don’t really live in this world, but in another. We
call it Earth. There are many other Hands there. More than 40. Many, many
more,"
Annie waved a bee away from her face. "Another world? But how come I can see
you?"
"What you see of me…." It trailed to a halt. It seemed to think for a few
minutes, then continued. "What you see of me is a projection. A presence."
Shaking her head bewilderedly, Annie said "No, I don’t understand."
"Ah I know- think of it like this: Imagine there was a figure of you on your
television in your house, and imagine you could move it about at will-the
figure that is, not the television. That is the way Albia appears to me."
"What? You surely don’t think we’re just pictures on a television screen!
Television has no life, or soul…."
"No, no, no." the Hand interrupted her angry outburst. "I’m not saying you
aren’t alive. It was just a comparison. I live on Earth, but I also exist on
Albia. I have a presence here."
"I see.. I think. Where is your other world?"
"It surrounds this one," the Hand said, adding as Annie started glancing
around, "You can’t see it, but it is similar to Albia. However, we are life
of a very different kind to you. On Earth, for instance, we cannot just walk
forward and backwards, or go up and down in lifts or movers. We can go
another way as well. We say we have three dimensions, not just two like
Albia."
"I don’t understand that. You can’t go any other way- there are no other ways
to go!"
"Neither do I! Trust me, though, it’s true." The Hand was beginning to
realise just how different Albia was; that perhaps the barrier between
artificial life, and biological life would never be fully broken. "There is
another difference too. We are not an algorithmic life form."
"Algorithmic life the only kind of life their is!" Annie was beginning to
wonder if the Hand was just spinning a fanciful yarn.
"Not me. We are made up of tiny particles that interact with one another. I
can’t explain that better. I’m a computer programmer not a biologist. No,
never mind what a biologist is, it doesn’t matter" It added, seeing the
question forming on Annie’s face.
"These little particles… are they like pixels?"
The Hand gave up. "Yes, they are similar." Annie could tell an outright lie
when she heard it. Sometimes she doubted the Hand’s intelligence- it seemed
unable to answer the simplest questions.
"So you have computers in your world too?" Somehow the thought of tiny, baby
Hands being taught at a computer was funny…
"You could say that." It sounded amused, though Annie could not see what was
so humourous.
"We live far longer than norns too. I’ve been in the world always, since the
first norns. There are vast numbers of us, living for years."
"What’s a year?" Annie asked.
"A long time. 365 days."
"You live a that long? That’s tens of lifetimes!"
"We live many years. I can remember when Albia first appeared, 20 years or
more ago."
Annie silently shook her head. The Hand could tell some stories! It obviously
didn’t want to part with Its secrets. She remember some of the other fanciful
stories it had told her: computers are intelligent, why It floated and didn’t
fall down, that her world had been ‘written’. Written? How in Albia could you
‘write’ a world, as if it was an equation on a piece of paper?
"No you’re making it all up! You just like being mysterious!" Annie giggled,
and pulled one of the Hand’s fingers as she had when she was little. It
rewarded her with a tickle.
"It does sound rather farfetched, doesn’t it?" The Hand suddenly held one of
her favourite plants, a parsley, which she contentedly ate, before lying back
in the long fragrant grass to watch the ever present butterflies flit
overhead in the sunshine…
Yes, Annie was the most intelligent of the norns, although Chris came close.
Chris however, had always seemed nervous around the Hand, more nervous than
most norns- as if he expected to be told off for something. More importantly,
Annie was insatiably curious. The Hand remembered, nostalgically, how
difficult it had been to keep her in one place as a child! Always roaming
free.. well she got that from her father. Well, now she was going on a trip
of a lifetime, though she didn’t know it yet. It hoped that she would accept
the challenge.
"Chris, can I have a word with Annie for a second?" The Hand asked. It had
risen straight up through the floor of their house, as it often did when it
wanted something. Chris started guiltily at being addressed.
"Of course!" he said, and ran away in haste. Annie turned to face It, a
puzzled expression on her pretty face.
"I’ve got an interesting job for you, Annie. How would you like to travel
back in time? To the prehistoric Albia of the first norns?"
"You can do that?" she exclaimed, amazed.
"I can now. I have found… a way. I am interested to see how you’d get on with
the norns of that time. They are very different to you."
"A kind of experiment you mean?"
"Just that. I can export you from here and take you there."
"Interesting…"Annie mused. She could just imagine, in her mind’s eye, meeting
the ancient norns, talking to them, learning their language… or teaching them
hers. A thought occurred to her.
"Will I be able to come back?"
"Any time you wish. I shall keep an eye on you as much as I can, and if
anything untoward happens, I shall return you at once to present day Albia."
"What will it be like?"
"I could tell you- but I’m not going to," the Hand sounded smug, "I want you
to discover for yourself. There is one problem though: What about Chris?"
Annie looked baffled. "What about him?"
"Do you want to tell him before you go?"
"Why should I want to do that?" Annie asked. The Hand had some funny ideas
sometimes!
The Hand mentally shook Itself. One thing It always forgot about norns was
their startling (and often incestuous) promiscuity. Although they often did
stay with one mate for a while- as Annie was staying with Chris- there was no
such thing as a long term relationship, and adultery was not frowned upon, or
even noticed. It’d also taken the Hand a long time to come to terms with the
norn’s total selfishness. If a norn nearby was hurt, they would not lift a
finger to help, simply because it would not occur to them to do so.
Eventually, It had managed to accept that they were just built like that.
"Won’t Chris miss you?"
"Miss me?" she looked blank.
"Ah, never mind!" It replied. "You better get ready to go; eat and drink
plenty won’t you? And make yourself nice and warm…"
"Yes yes yes!" Annie replied. "You don’t half fuss sometimes!"
"Well someone has to make you norns eat." It sounded amused.
The Hand hovered closer to Annie and tickled her nose. She giggled. It was so
nice when It did that. She sometimes felt that she would do anything, just to
have the Hand tickle her again. It wasn’t just the pleasant sensation; there
was a deeper feeling that she’d done something right.
Chris sat in the one roomed house that he and Annie currently shared. He was
a very striking norn; with yellow-blond fur and green eyes, although those
eyes often held a solemn, secretive look that Annie had accepted was just
part of him. Like a lot of norns in Albia, he was fond of mathematics. Norns
seemed to have a natural aptitude for the subject. Annie had never been able
to fathom the subject, preferring drawing, but she was an exception rather
than the rule. The Hand made use of his abilities now and again, when it had
the need. As he thought of the Hand, its silvery voice, heard but not heard,
attracted his attention.
"Can I have a word?" It said, softly. Chris turned in his seat. Though he had
always been in awe of the mysterious creature, he sometimes sensed a kindred
spirit behind It. Even with the powers it could wield, it was, at times, only
nornish.
"Go ahead" He said, with a shrug.
"Annie will be going away for a while. She is helping me with an experiment.
I thought you’d like to know." The Hand briefly explained the expedition It
had planned.
Chris felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. Once again, he cursed this
strange perversion, as he saw it. He kept his expression carefully blank. No
one must know, he told himself.
"It’s not up to me to care or not care" he said airily, smugly acknowledging
his good acting. "It’s not any of my business." There was a lump in his
throat, but he tried not to swallow nervously- it’d give the game away.
"She’ll be back soon I promise." It hesitated slightly, swooped in to tickle
his nose, then suddenly winked out of existence.
The tickling did nothing to remove the cold lump of fear Chris felt.
Something bad was going to happen, he was sure. But there was nothing he
could do about this feeling- not without giving away his best kept secret,
and possibly with it, his life.
**End of section 1**
The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1, norns,
will be posted tomorrow!
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
slink
On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
<snip great story>
>
>**End of section 1**
>
>The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1, norns,
>will be posted tomorrow!
>
>
>
Great stuff. I'm curious though why you think computers will only be
to 80786 in 20 years?
--
Sandra -> http://www.netins.net/showcase/slink/
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Sparrow
>Quit nitpicking! It was good! Maybe the guy's computer was old.
Like that XT of ours that we never use.. back in the days when a 30MB
hard drive was huge...
--
-Sparrow
ICQ: 6501378
"flame no"
Remove "BOINGY" from my address to E-mail me
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Faction Info:
-------------
Leader of the BUG and maintainer of the SPFRBW
The BUG are allied with the NORN
-Like ketchup and Cheerios, two things that just don't go together.
Military Head and NORN diplomat: DAL
Board of Advisors:
Lead Advisors: Roy G. Biv, DAL, and my Hamster
Advisors: Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor,
Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, Advisor, and
Advisor
Heh, heh.. I'm goin' for a long sig too, I guess...
Visit Active Worlds: http://www.activeworlds.com
YEE HEE! I'm addicted to that, too!
Mike Davisson
Quit nitpicking! It was good! Maybe the guy's computer was old.
want I'll email them to you.
I think all of Jessie (Ma G) stories are on a website but I forgot which.
Her stories are very good.
slink <sl...@netins.net> wrote in article
<352e7926...@news.netins.net>...
> On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>
{snip}
>
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <352e7926...@news.netins.net>,> <snip great story>> >
> >**End of section 1**
> >
> >The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1,
>
norns,
> >will be posted tomorrow!
> >
> >
> >
>
> to 80786 in 20 years?
Hehehe.. I don't :-) The thing is, how many people know what the extension
(or is it a prefix?) hept- means anyway... what if I go higher? To Nonium,
Dodecium, sesquicentium etc etc....? I want this story to still be
understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take it
all back...
Btw I see on deja that the story arrived in four parts... This is not all of
the story, just the first section which for whatever reason got split up...
Ah well, glad you like it so far....
Lis, without a sigfile.
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <352e7926...@news.netins.net>,
sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>
> On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>
> <snip great story>> >
> >
> >The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1,
>
norns,
> >will be posted tomorrow!
> >
> >
> >
>
> to 80786 in 20 years?
Hehehe.. I don't :-) The thing is, how many people know what the extension
(or is it a prefix?) hept- means anyway... what if I go higher? To Nonium,
Dodecium, sesquicentium etc etc....? I want this story to still be
understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take it
all back...
Btw I see on deja that the story arrived in four parts... This is not all of
the story, just the first section which for whatever reason got split up...
Ah well, glad you like it so far....
Lis, without a sigfile.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
slink
On 11 Apr 1998 01:00:32 GMT, "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
>Quit nitpicking!
You don't seem to read my posts very well, Mike.
>It was good!
I said it was great stuff. READ, Mike.
>Maybe the guy's computer was old.
"his new Heptium 6000"?
>
>slink <sl...@netins.net> wrote in article
><352e7926...@news.netins.net>...
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>>
>{snip}
>>
>> Great stuff. I'm curious though why you think computers will only be
>> to 80786 in 20 years?
>>
>>
slink
On Sat, 11 Apr 1998 02:56:29 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>In article <352e7926...@news.netins.net>,
> sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>>
>> <snip great story>> >
>> >**End of section 1**
>> >
>> >The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1,
>>
>norns,
>> >will be posted tomorrow!
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Great stuff. I'm curious though why you think computers will only be
>> to 80786 in 20 years?
>
>
>Hehehe.. I don't :-) The thing is, how many people know what the extension
>(or is it a prefix?) hept- means anyway...
<grin>
>what if I go higher? To Nonium,
>Dodecium, sesquicentium etc etc....? I want this story to still be
>understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take it
>all back...
8015086 ? A bit too high for 20 years, I think. <g>
>Btw I see on deja that the story arrived in four parts... This is not all of
>the story, just the first section which for whatever reason got split up...
It arrived as one post of 242 lines here. Perhaps dejanews breaks it
up for their own purposes?
>Ah well, glad you like it so far....
I do, as I said. :) Despite my hecklers who seem to be unable to
understand simple phrases. <g>
>Lis, without a sigfile.
>
>-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
>http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Posted twice, even . . . :)
Mike Davisson
Sorry. I DID read, but maybe I wasn't thinking clearly. Haven't felt well
the last couple of days. Is that my excuse?
Maybe the Heptium 6000 was new for him. Maybe he bought a used computer.
Also, "Heptium" sounds like it would be the name of a futuristic drug.
slink <sl...@netins.net> wrote in article
<353163dd...@news.netins.net>...
> On 11 Apr 1998 01:00:32 GMT, "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
> >Quit nitpicking!
> You don't seem to read my posts very well, Mike.
> >It was good!
> I said it was great stuff. READ, Mike.
> >Maybe the guy's computer was old.
> "his new Heptium 6000"?
> >
> >slink <sl...@netins.net> wrote in article
> ><352e7926...@news.netins.net>...
> >> On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 13:21:56 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
> >>
> >{snip}
> >>
> >> Great stuff. I'm curious though why you think computers will only be
> >> to 80786 in 20 years?
lis_m...@msn.com
> >>
> >> <snip great story>> >
> >> >**End of section 1**
> >> >
> >> >The next instalment, in which Annie meets the Prehistoric, version 1,
> >>
> >norns,
> >> >will be posted tomorrow!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> Great stuff. I'm curious though why you think computers will only be
> >> to 80786 in 20 years?
> >
> >
> >Hehehe.. I don't :-) The thing is, how many people know what the extension
> >(or is it a prefix?) hept- means anyway...
>
> <grin>
>
> >what if I go higher? To Nonium,
> >Dodecium, sesquicentium etc etc....? I want this story to still be
> >understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take it
> >all back...
>
> 8015086 ? A bit too high for 20 years, I think. <g>
>
I think you'll find it's 8016086... I hope so, anyway :-) How about dodecium?
<g>
> >Btw I see on deja that the story arrived in four parts... This is not all
of
> >the story, just the first section which for whatever reason got split up...
>
> It arrived as one post of 242 lines here. Perhaps dejanews breaks it
> up for their own purposes?
>
> >Ah well, glad you like it so far....
>
> I do, as I said. :) Despite my hecklers who seem to be unable to
> understand simple phrases. <g>
>
Hhehehehe... that comment about heptium sounding like a drug.. I thought
computers were a form of addictive drug...
> >Lis, without a sigfile.
> >
> >-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
> >http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
>
> Posted twice, even . . . :)
>
Yeah I know.. the first time, the confirmation thing didn't come up.. so I
pressed again- twice- before it did. I thought i may have posted it multiply,
but that;s better than not at all!
Lis, without a sigfile.
slink
On Sat, 11 Apr 1998 11:14:31 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>> >understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take it
>> >all back...
>>
>> 8015086 ? A bit too high for 20 years, I think. <g>
>>
>
>
>
>I think you'll find it's 8016086... I hope so, anyway :-) How about dodecium?
><g>
>
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd ed
sesquicentennial, the anniversary or celebration of the anniversary of
an event which occurred 150 years ago. We had one recently in Iowa, I
think.
What's Oxford's say?
Dodecium would be good :) 801286. Yup, sounds good. <g>
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <3531ab3f...@news.netins.net>,
sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>
> On Sat, 11 Apr 1998 11:14:31 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
> >> >understandable <g> If you do know what a sesquicentium would be, I take
it
> >> >all back...
> >>
> >> 8015086 ? A bit too high for 20 years, I think. <g>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >I think you'll find it's 8016086... I hope so, anyway :-) How about
dodecium?
> ><g>
> >
>
> Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd ed
>
> sesquicentennial, the anniversary or celebration of the anniversary of
> an event which occurred 150 years ago. We had one recently in Iowa, I
> think.
>
> What's Oxford's say?
hehehe I stand corrected.. I wasn't entirely sure anyway... sesqui sounds
like six doesn't it? I'm sure oxford's says the same thing :-)
Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story at all, so ner <g>
Lis, without a sigfile.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
slink
On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 04:59:10 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>>
>> What's Oxford's say?
>
>
>hehehe I stand corrected.. I wasn't entirely sure anyway... sesqui sounds
>like six doesn't it? I'm sure oxford's says the same thing :-)
>Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story at all, so ner <g>
>Lis, without a sigfile.
No, it doesn't. Which is why I said the story was great, and then
asked you as an aside why you had a Heptium 6000 as the latest
technology 20 years from now. I was curious whether you had some
technological reason in mind. :)
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <3530babc...@news.netins.net>,
sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>
> On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 04:59:10 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
> >>
> >> What's Oxford's say?
> >
> >
> >hehehe I stand corrected.. I wasn't entirely sure anyway... sesqui sounds
> >like six doesn't it? I'm sure oxford's says the same thing :-)
> >Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story at all, so ner <g>
> >Lis, without a sigfile.
>
> No, it doesn't. Which is why I said the story was great, and then
> asked you as an aside why you had a Heptium 6000 as the latest
> technology 20 years from now. I was curious whether you had some
> technological reason in mind. :)
Hehehe nah.. I may use technology, but that doesn;t mean I have any idea what
I'm doing.. reassuring for the people with grorns eh? <g>
slink
On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 10:34:31 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>In article <3530babc...@news.netins.net>,
> sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>>
>> On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 04:59:10 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>> >>
>> >> What's Oxford's say?
>> >
>> >
>> >hehehe I stand corrected.. I wasn't entirely sure anyway... sesqui sounds
>> >like six doesn't it? I'm sure oxford's says the same thing :-)
>> >Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story at all, so ner <g>
>> >Lis, without a sigfile.
>>
>> No, it doesn't. Which is why I said the story was great, and then
>> asked you as an aside why you had a Heptium 6000 as the latest
>> technology 20 years from now. I was curious whether you had some
>> technological reason in mind. :)
>
>
>Hehehe nah.. I may use technology, but that doesn;t mean I have any idea what
>I'm doing.. reassuring for the people with grorns eh? <g>
>
Well you do better than some of the more obscure sci-fi writers I've
read. One tried to sound futuristic when he didn't have the slightest
idea what he was talking about. He had this war being carried out
with nanogram atomic bombs. OW! You blew off my hangnail! <grin>
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <3530f9af...@news.netins.net>,
sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
>
> On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 10:34:31 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>
> >In article <3530babc...@news.netins.net>,
> > sl...@netins.net (slink) wrote:
> >>
> >> On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 04:59:10 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> What's Oxford's say?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >hehehe I stand corrected.. I wasn't entirely sure anyway... sesqui
sounds
> >> >like six doesn't it? I'm sure oxford's says the same thing :-)
> >> >Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story at all, so ner <g>
> >> >Lis, without a sigfile.
> >>
> >> No, it doesn't. Which is why I said the story was great, and then
> >> asked you as an aside why you had a Heptium 6000 as the latest
> >> technology 20 years from now. I was curious whether you had some
> >> technological reason in mind. :)
> >
> >
> >Hehehe nah.. I may use technology, but that doesn;t mean I have any idea
what
> >I'm doing.. reassuring for the people with grorns eh? <g>
> >
>
> Well you do better than some of the more obscure sci-fi writers I've
> read. One tried to sound futuristic when he didn't have the slightest
> idea what he was talking about. He had this war being carried out
> with nanogram atomic bombs. OW! You blew off my hangnail! <grin>
Sounds a kewl idea to me.. homeopathic warfare :-) Sounds like he'd heard of
atomic bombs and nano technology, and decided to include them both... yawn!
My fave sci fi authors are those two greats- Arthur C Clarke and Isaac
Asimov.. mind you have you ever read asmiov's forwords? The mans's head must
have been ten foot wide!
lis, without a sigfile...
Mike Davisson
I read every word by Asimov I see. I don't always 100% agree with him, but
he's usually very close to what I think is right.
In any event, it's so interesting how he can usually make his non-fiction
as interesting as his stories.
The only reason I haven't been reading him lately is because I have too
much stuff to do. :(
I HATE REAL LIFE!
lis_m...@msn.com wrote in article <6gr9cd$850$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
{snip}
>
> Sounds a kewl idea to me.. homeopathic warfare :-) Sounds like he'd heard
of
> atomic bombs and nano technology, and decided to include them both...
yawn!
> My fave sci fi authors are those two greats- Arthur C Clarke and Isaac
> Asimov.. mind you have you ever read asmiov's forwords? The mans's head
must
> have been ten foot wide!
> lis, without a sigfile...
>
HowardT979
Really great story!!!!
David
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <01bd667f$f35733a0$f68c...@inlink.com>,
"Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
>
> I read every word by Asimov I see. I don't always 100% agree with him, but
> he's usually very close to what I think is right.
>
> In any event, it's so interesting how he can usually make his non-fiction
> as interesting as his stories.
I've never read any of his non-fiction actually... worth it is it? What's it
about? He's a physicist isn't he?
> The only reason I haven't been reading him lately is because I have too
> much stuff to do. :(
>
> I HATE REAL LIFE!
LOL don;t we all!
Lis without a sigfile.
slink
On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 15:49:16 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>Sounds a kewl idea to me.. homeopathic warfare :-) Sounds like he'd heard of
>atomic bombs and nano technology, and decided to include them both... yawn!
>My fave sci fi authors are those two greats- Arthur C Clarke and Isaac
>Asimov.. mind you have you ever read asmiov's forwords? The mans's head must
>have been ten foot wide!
>lis, without a sigfile...
>
He was a sharp man. I've read all of his fiction, all of the fiction
that he cited as formative to his taking up sci-fi writing as a
career, and very little of his non-fiction. He was a biochemist, I
think.
Mike Davisson
His degree was in chemistry, I think. I think he had a doctorate in
biochemistry.
But he had studied so many other things on his own that he could write
about just about any subject, at least at an undergraduate level of
understanding,
plus makes it easy to understand.
He also made some pretty keen observations.
He once had an interesting idea about spelling. He believed that the words
rough, through, though, and cough should be spelled
ruff, throo, thoh, and cawf.
Basically, that words should be spelled the way they sound. I would agree,
except the change should have taken place before the 20th century. It
would
be a nightmare to change all the spellings of words on all electronic
media.
slink <sl...@netins.net> wrote in article
<3531fcf...@news.netins.net>...
Matthew Lawrenson
Mike Davisson wrote in message <01bd66d8$c27a3580$6e8d...@inlink.com>...
>He once had an interesting idea about spelling. He believed that the words
>rough, through, though, and cough should be spelled
>ruff, throo, thoh, and cawf.
>Basically, that words should be spelled the way they sound. I would agree,
>except the change should have taken place before the 20th century. It
>would
>be a nightmare to change all the spellings of words on all electronic
>media.
Benjamin Franklin tried something similar in the 18th Century, and he didn't
get very far. Eg 'changes' and 'chinese' became 'tseendsez' and
'tsuiniiz'. So now you know why he didn't get very far.
Matthew 'The Cat' Lawrenson - Ich Bin Ein Norn
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/xjx69/ichbin.shtml
slink
On 13 Apr 1998 11:57:24 GMT, "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
>He once had an interesting idea about spelling. He believed that the words
>rough, through, though, and cough should be spelled
>ruff, throo, thoh, and cawf.
>Basically, that words should be spelled the way they sound. I would agree,
>except the change should have taken place before the 20th century. It
>would
>be a nightmare to change all the spellings of words on all electronic
>media.
Not to mention spelling everything with a New York accent. <g>
slink
On 13 Apr 1998 01:21:56 GMT, "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
>I read every word by Asimov I see. I don't always 100% agree with him, but
>he's usually very close to what I think is right.
>
>In any event, it's so interesting how he can usually make his non-fiction
>as interesting as his stories.
>The only reason I haven't been reading him lately is because I have too
>much stuff to do. :(
>
Not to mention that he is dead!!
lis_m...@msn.com
In article <6gtbjg$vp$1...@plug.news.pipex.net>,
"Matthew Lawrenson" <xj...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
>
>
> Mike Davisson wrote in message <01bd66d8$c27a3580$6e8d...@inlink.com>...
>
> >rough, through, though, and cough should be spelled
> >ruff, throo, thoh, and cawf.
> >Basically, that words should be spelled the way they sound. I would agree,
> >except the change should have taken place before the 20th century. It
> >would
> >be a nightmare to change all the spellings of words on all electronic
> >media.
>
> get very far. Eg 'changes' and 'chinese' became 'tseendsez' and
> 'tsuiniiz'. So now you know why he didn't get very far.
I think we ought to spell things really properly: run should be spelt ChnZyo
for instance, and food is really doh-ra-doh yes? <gg>
Lis, without a sigfile.
Sir Ghoul
Just jumping in with an aside - Try the book "isaac asimov GOLD"
Basically a summation of his philosophy (I think, some of it was over my head), and some of his
short stories.
On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 05:43:55 -0600, lis_m...@msn.com wrote:
>In article <01bd667f$f35733a0$f68c...@inlink.com>,
> "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
>>
>> I read every word by Asimov I see. I don't always 100% agree with him, but
>> he's usually very close to what I think is right.
>>
>> In any event, it's so interesting how he can usually make his non-fiction
>> as interesting as his stories.
>
>
>I've never read any of his non-fiction actually... worth it is it? What's it
>about? He's a physicist isn't he?
>
>> The only reason I haven't been reading him lately is because I have too
>> much stuff to do. :(
>>
>> I HATE REAL LIFE!
>
>
>LOL don;t we all!
>Lis without a sigfile.
>
>-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
>http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Sir Ghoul.
America's FIRST Breeder.
Whose resemblance to the Grendel is absolutely uncanny.
Check out the FAQ page at http://www.annapolis.net/members/trissy/creatures to find, (among other things), excellent advice on the game 'Creatures'.
To find out more about Geek-codes, (and avoid becoming flambe' for asking......) check out http://www.geekcode.com
Check out Slink's Burrrow, home of a great deal of fascinating information about Creatures!!
http://www.netins.net/showcase/slink/ By one of the world's PREMIERE COB programmers
MacBreeders - You now have a home of your own - MacNorns - http://www.crosswinds.net/brussels/~rajamaki
"Would you like fries with that MacNorn???"
Brad Fermanich
> >In article <01bd667f$f35733a0$f68c...@inlink.com>,
> > "Mike Davisson" <mi...@inlink.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> I read every word by Asimov I see. I don't always 100% agree with him, but
> >> he's usually very close to what I think is right.
> >>
> >> In any event, it's so interesting how he can usually make his non-fiction
> >> as interesting as his stories.
> >
> >
> >I've never read any of his non-fiction actually... worth it is it? What's it
> >about? He's a physicist isn't he?
> >
He was basically a physicist, but he wrote about everything. I read
dozens of his essays when I was in highschool. One I read was called "If
I Could Design a Woman". The forward to that was pretty amusing. He was
asked to write the article by some women's group or another...
He asked the leader: "Do you want it funny or serious?"
She replies: "What do you mean?"
Asimov says: "Well...If you want funny...I would design her with the
breasts on the back to make it more fun dancing!"
Leader: "Serious please."
--
Brad.
EagerBevar Hunter of Sarcastica,
First to Answer, Last to be Heard!
ICQ: 5690051
http://rw1.rworld.com/brf/index.htm
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS/M d-(++) s-:+ a C++$ !UC-(--) P? L--?>--- E--? W++>$ N++ o--? K--?
w+$ !O--->---- !M-- V+++$ PS+() !PE Y? PGP-? t+>+++ !5- !X(+) R+>+++$*
tv+ b++ DI++(++++)>$ !D----> G?>+ e++ h---- r+++ y++++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Daniel Silverstone
In article <3539c270....@news.erols.com>
sirghoul(at)erols(dot)com "Sir Ghoul" writes:
> Just jumping in with an aside - Try the book "isaac asimov GOLD"
>
> Basically a summation of his philosophy (I think, some of it was over my head),
> and some of his
> short stories.
>
wow! I bought that book when I was in wales and it was fantastic...
I recommend it also...
--
Daniel Silverstone (Kinnison (at) farstar.demon.co.uk) of NORN
ICQ#: 5356528 Site -> http://www.farstar.demon.co.uk/creatures/
C-ADD-BLOCK: 1.2g: AST/CS/AI d+() s:+>: a---,09/04/1980 y~
gQ++/W1,2---,3+,4++,5-,6+ W+ P++>++$ Gd:,/s--:,/p*:/o*: t:+ C+
rC/c/B--/N-/E1++,2++,3,4++,5++,6++,7++,8++,9++/O---/o+:, A S-
mae...@nospam.demon.co.uk
>He was basically a physicist, but he wrote about everything. I read
>dozens of his essays when I was in highschool. One I read was called "If
>I Could Design a Woman". The forward to that was pretty amusing. He was
>asked to write the article by some women's group or another...
LOL!
I loved the essays too. That forward you mention reminds me of a
little ditty that he composed, which somehow seems very appropriate
for this group ;^) :
-------------------------------------------------------------
(To the tune of "Home on the Range"):
Oh give me a clone, a clone of my own
With its Y chromosome changed to X
Oh give a clone, a clone of my own
With its Y chromosome changed to X
Clone, clone of my own
With its Y chromosome changed to X
And when we're alone
Just me and my clone
We will talk about nothing but... sex.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Loved his sense of humour! :^)
Mae Tang
(replace "nospam" with "nu-it" for a valid e-mail address; thanks for
the tip, Nutter! :^))