Hollywood aside, Japanese anime has explored the ideas of robots, cyborgs and androids far more successfully than many mediums, and in some cases, have been influential on some of our favorite movies and franchises.
Rules of the Reader Poll: Everyone may participate, readers and contest participants, alike. Each poller chooses his or her top three micro-shorts, listed below. The stories are in no particular order.
The plot is tight and suspenseful; the style is simple and not detracting; the characters are realistically drawn and motivated; the dojo setting is vivid; the overall reading experience compelled me to keep reading. Minor characters can be flat at times—for instance, Nick’s company partner Flash is a stereotypical (but loveable) computer geek who saves the day. I thought the major themes, conflicting love and the ethics of chi manipulation, traditional but polished.
In writing, Baum tried to remove both the violence and emphasis on morality characteristic of children’s literature of his time, an endeavor other writers would later join him in. Even as a child, Baum had criticized fairy tales for their violent, often horrifying nature. He also removed romance, believing that it did not interest young children. He believed deeply in the power of children’s literature…
All the same, the reveal and subsequent transformation of Tip back into Ozma—described in glittery detail, complete with an illustration of the newly restored Ozma all tarted up like JonBenet doing Stevie Nicks—can’t help but resonate with transgendered people. And by resonate, I mean “feel like a kick in the teeth.” In a good way. Reading it now for the first time at thirty-five, a decade after I began my own considerably slower and less glittery transition from male to female, it’s powerful stuff.
So, insofar as license-able properties go for videogames, this thing is pretty much clad in 24 carat. Most likely not so expensive as to suck all the funding out of the actual game itself, but with a massive fan base already installed and hungry for more. Oh, and it’s got ninjas in it…
Though not prolific, it is hard to deny that the writing of Peter S. Beagle is, as Neil Gaiman puts it, “the gold standard of fantasy.” The Hugo and Nebula award winning author Gaiman praises so highly has collected some of that gold standard into a new collection, We Never Talk About My Brother.
A few precious moments linger in one’s life, the still frames that define us, or perhaps, define a portion of us previously out of focus. These moments, sometimes, are experiences one might expect: birth of a child, diploma day, loss of virginity, a first fiction sale. Sometimes the experiences come later in life, unexpectedly sweet. Yes, my friends, I have experienced my first con.
You are my prisoner, and it is useless for you to struggle any longer,” said Glinda, in her soft, sweet voice. “Lie still a moment, and rest yourself, and then I will carry you back to my tent.”
This week, we revisit the borgs with Blog for a Cyborg. Among the below cyborgs (or add one of your own picks), which is your favorite and why?
