A question asked on the conculture mailing list: How do our various cultures — especially the non-human ones, and also especially the non-terran ones — view this Problem of Evil? Or do they even recognise it as a principle? Or do they see Good as the Problem…? Also, is Evil a “real
In other news, I’m spending some time this week polishing a manuscript containing close to 45,000 words of my short fictions and metafictions, mostly from here but also some other stuff, for actual e-book publication. Exciting!
Dream Weaver: Not actual dreams – well, not usually, although specially tuned slinky equipment can be used for lucid dreaming – but the title “dreamweaver” is used for composers of slinkies and virtual novels. Also, the oneiri of the Transcend, which subroutines organize the dreamscapes where the collective hyperconsciousness dreams the dreams
Dreaming of Things to Come: The Transcend often communicates this way, by way of passing along a more or less subtle hint that will be absorbed thoroughly by the recipient. It’s also relatively subtle, and the Transcend likes subtle. Usually.
The Dreaded: Various in history, but most prominent in recent years is Admiral Caliéne Sargas “the Worldburner”, for actually pulling the trigger on the Worlds’ single use of a strangelet bomb in the Burning of Litash, and the ensuing multi-megadeaths. (Somewhat unfairly, since the Stellar Council and the Lords of
Galch (Vanguard Reaches) a.k.a. K-11/54 (Vonis 36) [DISPUTED] Demilitarized Border Zone “Unknown ship, we have you on our screens. Identify. Over.” “Republic vessel at 220 asc 14, nineteen-point-three light-minutes, confirm identity. Over.” “Imperial vessel, this is our space. We say again, identify. Over.” “Republic vessel of approximate
Dramatic Gun Cock: Modern personal weapons don’t actually need cocking (just flip the arming switch to Unsafe, and you’re done, to the accompaniment of no more than a little electrical hum or capacitor-charging whine). On the other hand, since they fold up very nicely into a more convenient
Don’t You Dare Pity Me!: As you might have expected from various commentary on both pride and charity, mercy, etc., pity is also something that is not looked upon well in Imperial culture. Played very straight, by almost everyone.
The following, as were the preceding three (1,2,3) and will be the other five entries in the series, are extracts from the Word of the Flame, the record of the seeress Merriéle’s visions that is also the primary text of the Church of the Flame, the mainstream
Makes about 20 appetizers. Ingredients 1 jar seawater-cured ilist leaves. 1 large onion ½ hand fresh sevet herb-mixture, adjusted seasonally 1 hand golden sun-dried Veilyns grapes ½ hand petals, flowers of pencail 1 hand mixed sweet nut paste 2 breasts of reshkef reshkef broth table spices and citrus juice to taste Preparation
Don’t Think, Feel: No, think. Always think, then think again, think some more, and implant a few co-processors to help you think. That, or find yourself beaten by someone who paid more attention to their talcorĂĂ«f.
The little sphere, whip antennae flying free, drifted slowly up from the nest of packaging it came in. “Hello! I’m your new Xinalath Eye-on-Stuff model 2.7 searchbot! May I have access to your local dataweave, please?” I gestured assent. “Thank you! Based on your configuration, this appears to