DISCUSSION THREAD, June 2019 75-Word Writing Challenge

[Luiglin]

Also there a few others in running, you know how quickly the lead can change.

Of course, as I said, use your vote wisely.

Make Chrons great again.

Sorry, couldn't resist that.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

What does this mean?

If you are referring to my post, it means, as others have pointed out, I thought your entry was one of the better ones at fulfilling the challenge. In my humble opinion it met the criteria of theme and genre and told a story.

Or, somewhat facetiously, if I may be so bold

this
pronoun, plural these [th eez] /ðiz/.
(used to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time, remark, etc., as present, near, just mentioned or pointed out, supposed to be understood, or by way of emphasis):This is my coat.
(used to indicate one of two or more persons, things, etc., referring to the one nearer in place,time, or thought; opposed to that):This is Liza and that is Amy.
(used to indicate one of two or more persons, things, etc., implying a contrast or contradistinction; opposed to that):I'd take that instead of this.
adjective, plural these [th eez] /ðiz/.
(used to indicate a person, place, thing, or degree as present, near, just indicated or mentioned, or as well-known or characteristic):These people are my friends. This problem has worried me for a long time.
(used to indicate the nearer in time, place, or thought of two persons, things, etc.; opposed to that).
adverb
(used with adjectives and adverbs of quantity or extent) to the extent or degree indicated:this far; this softly.

 

[Luiglin]

Top five to cyberdrive

@Garfunkel - it went splosh!
@Culhwch - paranoia overdrive
@Daysman - on the AI beat
@Ivy Moser - kids these days... to come
@Perpetual Man - intelligence breeds feelings

And the hacked up, jacked up vote goes to @Culhwch

Thanks to @Peter V , @Daysman , @Ian Fortytwo , @L.L.Lotte , @J.C. Scoberg for the votes and for the mentions.

 

[Ivy Moser]

THANK YOU so much @johnnyjet and @elvet and @Luiglin for the mentions!!! I’m so glad you liked Nostalgia Hacked. I loved your stories, too!
Some of my other favorites were the stories playing on the idea of noise or silence as an addiction, especially those by:
@L.L.Lotte ADDICTION SOCIETY
@Luiglin Hooked
@M. Robert Gibson The Perfectest Herald Of Joy

Also enjoyed:
@Garfunkel Splash, Splish
@Cat's Cradle Underground I'm Charming
@Peter V There’s a Kind of Hush
@mosaix A Quiet Day on the Beach
@Robert Mackay Signal To Noise
@David Evil Overlord The Opera Is Not Over Until The X23B Excavator Sings

Short listing:
@MikeAnderson Banshee (yikes!!)
@Culhwch White Noise (Prend?)
@Hugh .... Not Your Usual Succubi (So scary, but so good!)

Vote:
@Victoria Silverwolf Boy Meets Girl (It’s so clever and so Cyberpunk—I like it more each time I read it!)

Thank you Victoria and @Parson for the reviews! I don’t know how you two do this month after month!

 

[L.L.Lotte]

Thanks, Ivy, for the mention. I was actually surprised how many of us went there with that concept of addiction. When you look at it, there are more than just us three which play with the idea, or at least hint at it.

I think cyberpunk leans a lot towards addiction because the punk side of if is associated with drugs.

 

[mosaix]

I have a stealth vote from Chris! Many thanks.

 

[chrispenycate]

I have a stealth vote from Chris!

It wasn't meant to be stealth! I just wanted to make sure it was in before starting my notes.

My short list consisted of:- dannymcg, mosaix, Perpetual Man, Tywin and Victoria Silverwolf. Thanks to Robert Mackay and Starbeast for the mentions, And thanks (as always, but I don't always remember to say it) to Victoria and Parson for the commentaries.

See? I can achieve incomprehensibility even without the rhymes.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Enjoyed reading the stories; a lot of really nice ideas came from Shyrka's choices.

Shortlist:
Culwch, elvet, elanvitalseries, Tywin, L.L.Lotte, M. Robert Gibson, David Evil Lord

Finalists:
Victoria Silverwolf, Robert Mackay, Shyrka

Vote:
Victoria Silverwolf
I read this story soon after it went up, and loved it immediately. I think sometimes, when I really-really dig one of the very early stories, it's hard for a later one to supplant it in my favor. But even reading them all again now, there was something about this terrific story, and the great use of the genre that really stuck with me. Well done, Victoria, and well done all. Good month.

Thank you Starbeast, Parson, Robert Mackay, and Ivy Moser for the listings. And a big thanks to elvet, for the vote! Good luck to all in the voting - plenty of time left, CC

 

[Ivy Moser]

Thanks, Ivy, for the mention. I was actually surprised how many of us went there with that concept of addiction. When you look at it, there are more than just us three which play with the idea, or at least hint at it.

I think cyberpunk leans a lot towards addiction because the punk side of if is associated with drugs.

Interesting observation! I definitely have a better handle on Cyberpunk after reading all the entries this month!

 

[Luiglin]

To me, cyberpunk is a mixture of grime, biotech and society's dark underbelly. Anything chrome, current tech and good is not cyberpunk in my view.

 

[elvet]

@Cat's Cradle Thanks to you, too, for the mention on your shortlist.

 

[Garfunkel]

This was a good batch of stories.

Ones I particularly liked are:

- Boy Meets Girl by @Victoria Silverwolf
- Thank you for the music by @Marvin
- Nostalgia Hacked by @Ivy Moser
- The Whole E-Mail by @J.C. Scoberg
- Ex Vitro by @Shyrka
- Unsound Engineering by @Ursa major
- The Perfectest Herald Of Joy by @M. Robert Gibson (I voted for this one)
- The Opera Is Not Over Until The X23B Excavator Sings. by @David Evil Overlord

Also, thank you so much @nixie, @Karn's Return, @Elanvitalseries and @Laura R Hepworth for the votes, and @Parson, @Luiglin and @Ivy Moser for the mentions. I'm really glad you enjoyed the story!

 

[Ursa major]

Many thanks for the stealth vote, @David Evil Overlord .

 

[MikeAnderson]

Appreciate the shout outs. Everybody that contributed did an excellent job.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

I'm off to look up the technical definition

The best, most succinct, definition I found was "High tech, low life"

 

[Abernovo]

It came to a toss-up between Victoria Silverwolf and Culhwch. Both great stories, but Cul's story just edged it in being more to my taste. There was little else between them.

The Dusty Zebra came in close behind them.

One Honourable Mention, purely down to my taste: Laura R Hepworth's entry wasn't quite as 'punky' as my top three, but I liked the twisting of the fairy tale, and love the idea of a longer cross-genre story, mixing fairy tale and tech.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Thanks to all those who mentioned my story.

Especially Tywin for the vote.

 

[Ursa major]

Sounds as if the Ursa jury has come to its decision -- to which I can only say, "Hear! Hear!" -- and they say that the race for the top spot was, well, quiet close....

The following are in posting order within the categories:


Honourable Mentions:

• Thank you for the music by Marvin
• PAID ATTENTION by elvet
• A Quiet Day on the Beach by mosaix
• Signal To Noise by Robert Mackay

Runners Up:

• White Noise by Culhwch
• The Last Bard on Earth and the Ballad of the Hive Mind by Tywin
• The Opera Is Not Over Until The X23B Excavator Sings. by David Evil Overlord

Winner:

• Viva las Maquinas by Mr Orange

​

 

[Ursa major]

The poll has now closed and we have a winner:

Congratulations, Victoria Silverwolf!​

​

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Goodness. I am more honored than I can say, given the high quality of fiction offered by the many talented folks hereabouts.

Allow me to extend my own congratulations to Luiglin for the silver medal.