How about Rumblybottom?
:-)
101 2025-01-07 22:45:48
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
102 2025-01-07 22:44:15
Re: To all those I still owe reviews (24 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Hey Dirk,
Sorry to hear that. Get better. Perhaps eat chicken soup. I'll try to add a chapter to your workload. Mental exercise is good right?
George FLC
103 2025-01-07 16:30:16
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I checked and found a Reginal Rumblebottom.
Does that matter? I'm not a pro with copyright.
104 2024-12-31 20:49:08
Re: Happy New Year! (11 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Yeah Randall. Well done. The best to you and yours. And Happy New Years.
105 2024-12-28 14:35:45
Re: word limit (17 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I aim for 1500 words but at times need more. I try to have a ceiling at 2000 words. Commuters who have a train ride to works or people with a short lunch hopefully can read a shorter chapter. Or right before going to bed. Of course, if it's a thriller or horror story maybe not before you go to bed.
106 2024-12-27 16:17:21
Re: paragraph question (7 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Okay Dirk, have some eggnog that is spiked heavily and try again. :-)
107 2024-12-26 18:24:59
Topic: Robots, drones, and AI (2 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
A few days ago, Ukraine launched an attack with unmanned vehicles and drones against Russian forces. So, in the year 2024 we have now seen a robotic battle at least from one side. What will battles look like in the year 2500, or 3000 or beyond? And I have to wonder if AI will help to make the situation even more interesting. We will have all robot wars with people simply making adjustments to the battlefield? Therefore, we sci-fi writers might need to consider how we construct battles, farmers, doctors, factories, and a host of other things.
Dirk has a great taxicab driver, Leonardo. I'm not sure AI can do crazy yet. And I'll be disappointed to lose Leonardo to AI. However, it is a possibility.
Therefore, how do we keep ahead of all this? My initial thoughts are to reduce human head count significantly. But is that reasonable?
Any thoughts?
George FLC (Future Learning Curve)
108 2024-12-26 16:53:47
Re: Happy Holidays Everyone (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I just saw that picture! It's funny. I generally cut my eggnog with milk. It's so thick.
109 2024-12-26 15:11:05
Re: Happy Holidays Everyone (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Eggnog is a weakness of mine. As are some other Christmas foods. Dieting starts today... I hope. Or maybe after the holidays.
Anyways, be blessed all with family and friends. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and definitely have a great New Year.
George FLC
110 2024-12-25 19:12:44
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Dirk B wrote:
Ending upon ending upon ending.
After Christ crowns Connor the Lesser King, he will also give Connor the title of Unholy Shepherd. The reason? Connor will not only be responsible for ruling all those newly occupied planets, but, infinitely more important, he will be tasked with helping his "flock" (the mortal sinners) get to Heaven. That was always the purpose of the other planets, anyway (i.e. try again!), but this change will make him both king and shepherd. Since the demons will be eliminated (sent into the black hole or to some nasty world where humans will be forbidden to go), things won't be quite as evil the second time around (until the demons escape - book 4?). Although Connor, his mother, and Romano will be among the immortals, the mortal sinners won't be, so there'll always be a need for him and his descendants, who will be incredibly long-lived beings. He'll also be the Immortal Sinner, although I still have to come up with a reason to give him that third title.
It's the real reason God chose Connor for the great deeds he has to achieve -- to prepare him for all of the above in the "afterlife".
Of course, once someone defies God and goes to the planet of the demons, all Hell breaks loose. Literally, lol.
Goodness gracious! This is challenging.
1. You almost seem to describe purgatory (helping his mortal sinner flock get to heaven). Make it more like purgatory. You might even want to call it that or a variation.
2. Satan will be released from his prison in Revelation 20:7-10 after 1000 years (you mention the demons escaping). He will lead one last rebellion and then go to hell.
3. Reforming the AC is still a question for me.?
I'm a little spacey so will stop here... where's my coffee?
111 2024-12-25 18:56:10
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm not a theologian but here goes. Doesn't righteousness mean right living, holiness means a cut above, and virtue means behavior showing high moral standards? I want all three!
If God is holy (a cut way above everyone), then can He order the death of anyone? Yes, since all are sinners then death is deserved by all, and God can kill as He wills. Because we rebel against God, we deserve to die. Death is the penalty of sin. It's by His mercy that anyone lives. Somehow, we have to pay for those sins. That's where the Christian faith comes in and claims that our sins can be paid for by grace through faith via the cross.
In other words, since all those kingdoms in the Canaan were unholy, they all deserved to die. Therefore, God could kill them as He led the Israelites through the land.
Original sin is not easy especially in terms of babies, and I don't know if I can explain it.
Can I still die (martyrdom or other reasons) even though I'm righteous and virtuous, and holy? Yes. I'm not sure how to explain all this either. But we have a great afterlife policy.
112 2024-12-11 19:48:29
Re: Revival (20 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I'd be impressed! I wonder if it's a short application process.
113 2024-12-11 18:31:54
Re: Revival (20 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Dirk, you should be the Canadian ambassador to the USA.
:-)
114 2024-12-11 15:01:26
Re: Revival (20 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I don't really know you much at all, but I know good news when I hear it. Congratulations!
115 2024-12-10 23:01:41
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Dirk B wrote:
EDIT: I went with trirarium and nova nuggets. Although I prefer starstuff, it would make for too many repetitive references to stars in the names (e.g., stardrives powered by starstuff - nyet). Nova nuggets are formed during supernovas, hence their nova name.
Thanks for everyone's help. Now go out and see if you can find any deposits of the mineral. The galaxy awaits!
Do you mean Tritarium?
116 2024-12-10 22:59:50
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I might have found some next to our money tree in the back yard.
117 2024-12-10 17:58:31
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
How about using rock instead of stone. Rock sounds tougher. Powerrocks, energyrocks.
118 2024-12-09 14:12:55
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
The first miner to find one picks it up and the heat from his hand starts a reaction and it begins to glow and become intensely hot. The miner calls it a handstar. Or perhaps handnova
The engineers that work on them can be called starlords (I could only find Star-Lords on the net). Novalord has been used.
119 2024-12-08 23:46:06
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Preferences?
I like powerstone over the other stones. If you're going to power a starship then you need POWER.
Tritarium or powerstone? I'm prejudicially leaning toward tritarium because it sounds more technical. But if you want to lean more toward Star Trek:
"Give me more power Scotty!"
"I'm hitting the stones with all I got Captain!"
120 2024-12-07 23:04:09
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Dirk B wrote:
I decided a while ago that I'm going to rename atreidite, the mineral that acts as a hyperbattery to power stardrive jumps. While I intend to give some nod to Dune in this story, if I haven't already, atreidite is too obviously close to Atreides. I want something more creative.
The name should suggest its function (an incredibly powerful battery). My first alternative, which I immediately dismissed, was to call the mineral "abattery". :-)
I'm open to suggestions.
Dirk
Let me suggest:
Fusolite (I have a hard time leaving fusion behind)
Helio-gen (go a notch up on hydrogen) Heliogen is taken
Heliofuse
Tritarium (no long i's, long a, and emphasis on second syllable)
121 2024-12-07 22:55:25
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Dirk B wrote:
That reminds me, in addition to the Bunny Divine news broadcast, which only lasts for a few paragraphs, I could write a real short story about the killing of Mama and many other mobsters, with Kay as the protagonist/assassin.
I have a feeling a lot of people will want to hear about them.
122 2024-11-30 12:11:46
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
It also harkens back to Custer's Last Stand, which might be good. There's a mysterious aspect to it. People might ask what does that mean? So my vote is for Satan's Last Stand.
But I also like Satan's Last Gambit. Or Satan's Last Gamble.
123 2024-11-28 17:07:38
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Oh well, think I'll go enjoy NFL football, Thanksgiving, and family. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
124 2024-11-28 14:36:27
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
A few thoughts:
Lord of the Earth - helps a little bit with shortening it
Earth's Lord - seems too abbreviated.
Earth's Supreme Lord
Final Gambit (gambit means calculated move)
125 2024-11-19 20:19:55
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,471 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
"The Unholy Sheperd" is pretty dark or ominous and hence usable. It's darker and hence better than "The Lesser King."
