What words may come... |
|
I'm always either late on posting or MIA. Either way...
Time will tell where that’s concerned, I suppose. The kids are active, imaginative, and really excited about the class. In the past, I’ve balanced many responsibilities while teaching, and this will be the first year that I won’t be teaching any other classes. This is also the first year I’m using my soon-to-be-published curriculum. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s almost ready. Fingers crossed that this will be the best year yet.
0 Comments
Friday Fiction: The Naked Sun (Robot Series book two ) by Isaac Asimov review by Will Kirkpatrick8/13/2024
This society, though superficially free of the worries of the modern world, is completely alien to both us as the reader and Baley as the detective. As we follow Baley’s investigation, it’s hard not to notice Asimov’s commentary on technological overreliance, isolation, and dependence on robotics. It’s eerie to think that this was written in 1956. The ways he questions the implication of technology on human interaction feel just as home today (almost 60 years later) as I’m sure they felt then. The relationship between Baley and his robotic assistant Daneel is another area of prescience. In the world of robotic assistants, where exactly should the lines be drawn? I was particularly unsettled by an early scene where Daneel “protects” Baley (who has agoraphobia) by preventing him from viewing the open sky. This scenario predicts our current reality, where tech giants often create algorithmic bubbles and social media feeds, shielding us from broader perspectives and potentially manipulating our experiences. The Naked Sun is not just a classic science fiction tale; it’s an exploration of human nature, societal constructs, and our complex relationship with technology. Asimov’s incisive commentary on these themes is as relevant today as ever, making the novel a timeless piece of literature that challenges and enlightens. In conclusion, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov. It’s a captivating read that will provoke thoughts about the modern world and leave you pondering long your own technological habits.  A millennium into the future, two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. On the beautiful Outer World planet of Solaria, a handful of human colonists lead a hermit-like existence, their every need attended to by their faithful robot servants. To this strange and provocative planet comes Detective Elijah Baley, sent from the streets of New York with his positronic partner, the robot R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve an incredible murder that has rocked Solaria to its foundations. The victim had been so reclusive that he appeared to his associates only through holographic projection. Yet someone had gotten close enough to bludgeon him to death while robots looked on. Now Baley and Olivaw are faced with two clear impossibilities: Either the Solarian was killed by one of his robots–unthinkable under the laws of Robotics–or he was killed by the woman who loved him so much that she never came into his presence! Will KirkpatrickI am thrilled to welcome Will as a guest reviewer to the blog and excited for him to share his unique perspective and insights. You’ve heard the story before: an orphaned boy, raised by a wise old man, comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil threatening his world. But what if that hero were destined to become the new dark lord?
In the beginning, Annev doesn’t realize he is being sought out by wicked gods who only want to use him for his unbelievable magic abilities. As a baby, Annev was orphaned by the academy’s hands and eventually taken in by his pseudo father and mentor Sodar, where he attends that very same academy, Chaenbalu. Here, he is brought up to believe that all magic and its users are inherently evil. Chaenbalu trains its students to detect and retrieve very dangerous magic artifacts and at whatever cost necessary. In his training to become an Avatar of Judgement, Annev is pitted against the other students along with his friends in hopes of being able to leave the academy. If he fails, he will never leave Chaenbalu again and never be able to marry the one he loves, Myjun.
When both groups arrive at the outpost, they find that it is already taken by a faction of dark elves called the Moredhel. Through a tentative agreement both forces work together to avoid thier own annihilation and temporarily band together to defeat thier common enemy. “A shrieking battle cry echoed on the wind, a spine-tingling scream that sounded like the baying of the wolves closing in on their prey.”Honored Enemy is a fantastic military fantasy with Feist and Forstchen setting you right into battle and right behind enemy lines in a world rich with danger, culturally unique races, and underlying family and political conflicts. The world is vast and expansive, even if this particular novel focuses less on the overarching riftwar and more on character relationships and the struggle of friendship through adversity. Can one truly trust their enemy when both need each other to survive?
It appears that Moderator X had direct and unchecked access to the teens of this program as it was never regulated by any other adults. The teens themselves took to their own website to discuss the abuse and eventually eleven other NaNoWriMo users informed the staff at headquarters. This happened back in May 2023. Headquarters simply denied the allegations even though there was sufficient documentation and some members have reported that any discussion on the topic led to their being silenced, deleted, and essentially shadow banned for months. When the board of directors stepped in on November 7th, they reviewed a four-page document noting that Moderator X had “already been identified as problematic” which also outlined earlier concerns about Moderator X. It is unknown how long the staff has known of Moderator X’s misconduct. Despite the staff being knowledgeable of this behavior, Moderator X was not removed, no safety measures were put in place, and their behavior on forums began to deteriorate during the following weeks. It wasn’t until six weeks later that the moderator was removed for unrelated violations. After this time, Moderator X used various alternates to continue to communicate with the teens of the Young Writers Program. While there has been some language from the board of directors that give us pause, it should be understood that the board members are not paid for their work. They are regular Joes just like most of us who have our own hobbies, jobs, and families. And while a call for the dismissal of any staff involved has been voiced the board must adhere to US labor laws. I do hope that over the coming months we receive honesty, transparency, and action from the organization that many of us have held dear. Without this institution, many novels would have gone unwritten, and many friendships would never have been forged. You can check out the statement issued by the board of the directors HERE. A.S. HardinBuilder of worlds, creator of people, aspiring author or more realistically an avid reader and skilled procrastinator. From sci-fi to horror, I've explored it all. As of late, I find myself diving into the depths of rare and out-of-print sci-fi and fantasy. Join me on this literary journey!
Dracula is one of the most renowned horror stories of its time and beyond and is told as a collaboration of journals, letters, newspaper articles, and ships’ log entries. It opens with Jonathan Harker’s journal detailing his trek from Exeter to the Carpathian Mountains to work as an estate agent for Count Dracula. Harker recounts many odd and frightful events along that journey such as howling wolves, strange dreams, frightened horses, and several people crossing themselves when they hear of his destination.
This past Friday was the last day of co-op where I teach creative writing. This was my second year teaching and several of my students from the year prior decided that they wanted to attempt a novel writing class. So this year that’s just what we did. In total I had nine students, including four from the year before, and they each tried their hand at writing a fifty-thousand word manuscript. Many of them succeed but all proved they had the dedication to learn what it would take to get past the dreaded blank page and put words down that others would eventually read.
One of the first lessons I’ve learned both the hard way, through writing classes, and discussions with other authors is ALWAYS HAVE A NOTEBOOK HANDY! This is also one of the first lessons I taught my creative writing students.
As I’m sure I’ve said before, I am a type-A personality. The traits that I most identify with from that type are that I can be hyper focused and I thrive with routine and organization. It was during NaNoWriMo 2019 that I pushed those tendencies aside and embraced disarray. At least with a few writing related practices anyway. This included my notebook. Before I tried keeping it divided into sections, nice, neat, and pristine. But despite what my personality traits might be, it was a complete failure. The notebook was rarely written in, or I would write in the wrong spot and tear it out to organize later. I still don’t know where those pages went. “Nibble nibble like a mouse. Who is nibbling at my house?”
“These hands read a pregnant belly and fly to the task.”
I’ve taken quite a bit of time off lately and my recent posts were actually from a bit ago on my old site. This is the first real new post in a while. Every time I try to expand myself and do all the things I’ve been told a soon-to-publish writer should be doing, I become more uncertain if this side the of writing world is for me. Book reviews, blogging, social media posts… it all just gets to be a bit much. Sometimes I think that maybe if my posts and interests weren’t all over the place but… you know what… this is me and this is what you get. “Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m addicted to books and video games. I can be an absolute couch potato for TV and my fandoms span the multiverse. Over the past few years, I’ve become a D&D nerd who loves books, running, football, and firearms. My soul runs on Jesus, coffee, and writing, even if I can’t do the latter with much talent or confidence.” Over the past year since I’ve started a website, I’ve gotten busy with school, holidays, and sickness within the family. In February, I lost my mom who was instrumental in fostering my love for reading. Her favorites were always ghost stories and mysteries, and we both probably read every book in my middle and high school library. Through the years, she has talked with me a lot about books and my writing. But as I sit here and type this, I’m not sure she had read any of my work since I was a child. She would have, but I’m always very hesitant to share with anyone. It’s just another thing I wish I had done before our time was cut short. At any rate, I’m back at my computer with my manuscript hovering in the background, a thesaurus, endless notes, and a room temp cup of coffee beside me. I’m working on getting up before everyone in the house again, and I’ve even reacquainted myself with my book up to chapter twenty. I’m beta reading for two others, reworking my creative writing curriculum, and trying hard to slip back into the world I checked out of for so long. It would be awesome to be published this year, but my goal is to at least get my book out to some beta readers. This scares me beyond belief, so we shall see.  |
