Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #1

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Thanks Gary - thought for a moment there you were going to get 'behind' with the voting... but also many thanks to RSliwinski (there's an Ursa pun, just in that name!) for your vote. Very humbling to have such support from such excellent writers...

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I would never want to intentionally make an "ass" of myself

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Restraining myself from replying to such a tempting straight line.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Restraining myself from replying to such a tempting straight line.

Go on, I don't mind - honest!

 

[Culhwch]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I was thinking of a name with the letter "C" ... but rather fewer English vowels.

I suspect said individual just registered his votes...

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

The need for sleep has beaten me. Votes cast, all the oldies get my vote. Not because they are old but because I liked their stories the best.

I know, your going to say Boneman isn't old, but he's a time traveler so there's your answer.

Nighty, night.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Only minutes to go ...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

... and we have a winner for the first 300 Word Challenge. (Am I sensing a pattern here?)

Congratulations, Boneman!

 

[Culhwch]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I know, your going to say Boneman isn't old, but he's a time traveler so there's your answer.

I've only been dipping into this thread every now and then, but every time I do it seems you are talking about Boneman, Gary. Are you stalking him or something? Does he need to take out a restraining order?

Congrats on the win, Boneman! Me and mosaix were pacing you there for awhile but you finished too strong.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congratulations, Boneman! Excellent job, all!

And thank you to all my voters -- I think Chel is the only one I haven't thanked already, but what a terrific collection of people voted for me (of course, I could say that no matter which ones they were). I'm jumping up and down with joy at having 5 votes!

 

[Talysia]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congratulations, Boneman, and well done to everyone - that was a great contest!

Thanks to Allanon, Boneman, Moonbat, TheDustyZebra and alchemist for the honourable mentions , and to Platty and Cul for their two votes - you've made my morning.

 

[alchemist]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Many congratulations Boneman. A very worthy winner.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congratulations Boneman.

A great story and a worthy first winner.

and congratulations to everyone, it was a fantastic first challenge, everyone excelled themselves.

 

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Thank you all so very much. It feels absolutely wonderful to have won, but I did think a three-way tie would develop. Tenterhooks were gripped into me for days. And there were so many stories that were so good...!

Congratulations to the Moderators for running the two challeneges so fantastically - I cannot imagine the amount of work that has to go into setting it up, especially the poll.

... and we have a winner for the first 300 Word Challenge. (Am I sensing a pattern here?)

Yup, I tend to win the first 100 metres at a sprint, and then plod on as others overtake...

Thanks once again to everyone for all the votes and the mentions. As I've said before, to come first against such august company is humbling, because the level is so high. And, just like the 75 worder, it will get higher and higher - I'll probably rest on my laurels for the next three years.

An incredible way to start the day. Thank you all.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congratulations, Boneman.



And thanks for the vote, Harebrain.

 

[alchemist]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Good grief, I got another two votes. It must have been very last minute. Many thanks to RSliwinski and HareBrain.

Just as a matter of interest, did anyone see the incestuous Chrons references in my story? Nobody mentioned it, so either it was too subtle (unlikely) or it was seen as a shameless attempt to pull votes (which it was ).

 

[mosaix]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congrats Boneman, a worthy winner amongst some excellent entries. And well done Cul, I just caught you at the last for joint second.

Many thanks to all who voted for me.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Just as a matter of interest, did anyone see the incestuous Chrons references in my story? Nobody mentioned it, so either it was too subtle (unlikely) or it was seen as a shameless attempt to pull votes (which it was ).

Yes, I noticed, but it was a very minor part of the story, and didn't count for or against, for me. (Though the images it evoked were interesting!) What counted more were its plot and pacing.

Congrats, Boneman! Yes, those laurels look miiiiiighty comfy, just the sort of thing a writer could have a good, long sleep on. And with plenty of room, too. Maybe you should invite several of the other high-scorers to join you ...

 

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Resting may definitely be in order, especially on laurels...

And a final thank you to Gary, whose threat may well have swayed a lot of voters. Interesting, that, with that in mind, The End Is Nigh voted for you, Gary... Thanks for your campaign - I'm thinking of standing for politics; are you available as my campaign manager?

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Shouldn't that be a "Behind: the scenes" manager?


Okay, it's time I mentioned some of the thinking behind () my entry. As usual, it was all very simple: two artificial intelligences having a meeting in Prague (Praha) where one tells the other that they are being allowed to complete their project (having an AI present at the end of the Universe or as close as possible to that event), but explaining that it has to be a solo mission. What gave me the idea (apart from Mouse's excellent photograph) was the thread, http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/531346-pre-egypt-technology.html, where some wondered why the Egyptians went to all the trouble to build those enormous pyramids. The AIs' project was similarly pointless (or not, depending on your point of view), but they were doing it because they could and because they wanted evidence of themselves to persist for as long as possible. (An example of pride, if you like).




As to the various references and allusions:

• Václavské náměstí is Wenceslas Square (which is anything but).
• Josef Čapek invented the word, robot, which his brother Karel Čapek used in his play, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots); this hints at the AIs' nature.
• Moyses Baruch Auerbach (aka Berthold Auerbach) wrote the novel, Spinoza, which contains the story of the golem.
• The word, emet (אמת, "truth" in the Hebrew language), is said to be written on a golem, and thus further suggests that a goem is present.. Removing the aleph (א) gives ת, (met = "dead"), which is said to switch off the golem.
• Pražský orloj is the local's name for the Astronomical Clock;
• Emm and Bea could be short for Emma and Beatrice, but are intended to suggest M and B, more hinting that the characters are not human and may be non-biological. And as we find out, Emm is actually short for Emet (golem).
• A golem is device constructed for one purpose. Emm is thus not the AI she thinks she is, but an instrument created by the AIs for their time-spanning project.
• There is, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, a play on words where the word itself isn't actually present (in both senses of that word, as it happens). Auerbach's story of the golem is set in the Prague of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who was interested in alchemy and other semi-occult sciences. One of the people who went to Prague at that time was John Dee, whose surname also serves as the name of a letter of the alphabet, like Em and Be.

As far as I can tell, I haven't referenced anyone from the Chrons; at least, not consciously.

So, another of my simpler stories.