Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Galaxy Tales - Dirk B.
Thanks. Interesting coincidence. I'm on gabapentin for chronic pain.
I take that, too! Oddly enough, doc says some of my pain meds are addictive, but I've never had an issue. Anywho, total tangent. I'll go hide in my forum-stalker corner now. 
I think it depends on the dose. I tried coming off of it, but then I couldn't sleep at all, and my pain rebounded, worse than before.
For those who dislike my Galactipedia articles, you'll be happy to know the one about New Bethlehem is gone. After I dropped the Trump-inspired preacher, it served no useful purpose. The key content from that article is now two paragraphs in the chapter that follows it. That leaves just The Great Collapse of Civilization and The Rise of the Julii. There will be one more soon in Act I about Prof. Hinkley and his discovery of FTL travel and the coconut-powered time machine. Those may be the only ones in the book, actually, since there's plenty of nonsense in the epigraphs from here on.
Just read that Star Wars 8 will be introducing an Elite Praetorian Guard for Snoke. Seriously? Why not introduce iPhones as well if they want Earth terms in a galaxy far, far away. The Praetorian Guard plays a substantial role in my book, but at least my story is based on the real Roman Empire. I wonder how long it will take before they have Legionarii, Classiarii, and Candidatii. I better get my butt in gear before they trademark the damn thing.
Ouch! I've had that happen where an idea I had got used before I could reach publication.
I was using the term "Synthoid" in VQF's first draft. Then the Aliens movie came out (I'd never seen part one at the time) and I lost that term. I switched to Synth, but that sounded too similar. In this draft I'm using Synthite, but I don't like that either. Basically I feel like I'm kicked off my term.
Slightly related, my concept of hands-free invisible computing (Buck Rogers was using terminals and Star Trek was using chest badges) which was revolutionary in the 80's has basically been stolen by real life. I totally need to release VQ before someone invents time travel and trumps Imager.
I used "with matching shoes" a lot when describing Aphrodite's outfits in v2. I copied that style from someone else, but I can't seem to get used to it. Is it common?
She wore a cream-colored, wraparound dress made of lightweight silk, with matching shoes.
I do that all the time... when listing a series of descriptions. Not often with so few - in that case I'd probably join with "and".
She wore a cream-colored, wraparound dress made of lightweight silk and matching shoes.
Note, this technically implies the shoes are silk too... or that the dress is made of shoes.
She wore a cream-colored dress and matching shoes. The dress, wrapped loosely around her thighs, was pinned at her collar by an ornate red stone that glittered under the harsh rays of Bethelem's sun. Her shoes were suede, and everyone knows yellow suede signififies only the hardiest of souls.
She wore a cream-colored, wraparound dress made of lightweight silk with matching shoes, a designer purse in which was perched a tiny dog, and an obnoxiously large yellow hat whose brim might shelter three grown men from a sudden shower.
I go for precision, even when it means my 'style' varies. Which comes first for you, style or substance? ("... full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.")
She wore a cream-colored dress and matching shoes. The dress, wrapped loosely around her thighs, was pinned at her collar by an ornate red stone that glittered under the harsh rays of Bethelem's sun. Her shoes were suede, and everyone knows yellow suede signififies only the hardiest of souls.
You scare me sometimes. You had me until the yellow suede shoes.
My next chapter, Defending a Fair Maiden's Honor, is up. This used to be called The Imperial Heir Strikes. Most of it is unchanged. Just did some world building and cleanup, gave it a new epigraph, and made Gaia (aka Aphrodite) into a bit of a slut for her first major appearance. She'll be pursuing Apollo aggressively.
Quick, go read!
Thanks
Dirk
Based on Don Chambers's feedback, I've renamed my short story to Connor to make the ending more of a surprise. It's posted under Mysteries & Thrillers. It's also on my profile page. I'm definitely turning it into my next book, albeit with a different setting and ending. Now if I can just finish my current tome.
Naming contest. I need a name for the nasty martial arts invented by the demented Samurai. It's actually based on real Israeli military fighting techniques, meant to inflict maximum damage as quickly as possible. I originally called it Glorious Death (something after Worf's heart), then changed it to Banzai, but I find that name too silly (K says I told you so). Whatever the name, it still needs an element of tongue in cheek. A real Japanese word might be good. Maybe one of these days Google will implement English-to-Romaji translations to play with. Anyone know what the Romaji word for bitch slap is? :-)
Maybe ask B. Douglas Slack (AKA Tom Oldman)?
I like foe, but broken foe is too straight. Mangled foe, on the other hand, may be too demented. I found a Romaji translator. It translates broken foe to koware ta teki and mangled foe to hason shi ta teki. I use the name several times in one chapter, so shorter may be better.
On a whim, I entered crushed testicles and got oshitsubusa kougan. That gave me the idea to make up a reasonable-sounding Japanese word that Apollo's research suggests "might" mean mangled testicles. That leaves the actual translation unspecified.
The plot thickens. I can translate something humorous (e.g., "idiot emperor") to Romaji, then have Apollo incorrectly translate it to mangled testicles. Only actual Japanese speakers or someone willing to try translating it will know. My Romaji translator doesn't seem to reliably generate a word that Google recognizes as emperor, though.
K, do you happen to know what the Romaji word for emperor is?
Looks like emperor is mikado.
Idiot is baka.
K, any idea if either of the following two words is correct for (generic) emperor (i.e., not the Japanese emperor): mikado or koutei? Wiktionary says mikado is emperor of Japan. I got koutei from a Romaji translator, but neither wiktionary nor Google recognize it as emperor.
More searching turns up koutei as the generic version of emperor. So Baka Koutei is the martial art, which Apollo thinks may mean mangled testicles.
When I reverse translate that, I get emperor of Japan.
Be careful of the Mikado. Be even more careful of his DIL-E.
The design of the guards' helmets is straight out of Star Wars.
Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Galaxy Tales - Dirk B.
