Lit MACLUNKY -- The Lit Forum Maclunky Thread, v3

I know the feeling.

 

Turns out a Philosophy degree comes in very handy in a political and bureaucratic environment.

If you're good at it - and I am - the support role I do practically is acting as Bond's Q / Technomage.

 

Apparently Timothy Leary had been developing a video game based on Neuromancer back in 1985, with David Byrne, Devo and Grace Jones.

 

For DC Comics fans:

Apart from Supergirl (which me and my daughter are enjoying), are there any main Rebirth Era first volumes that are enjoyable and accessible on their own and aren't just extended apologies for long-time comics fans who didn't like the New 52?

I mean, looking into some of them, it looks like I'd still have to do some research to begin at the #1s to explain the background to me (and my daughter!) as to The Convoluted State of Things.

I bet many of these meta-stories are really cool and interesting, and that with research and background I'd enjoy them - but is there a projected end to the "We Need To Explain An In-Universe Reason For The Perceived Bad Quality Of The New 52 And Justify Your Dislike For Them", and an actual fresh launch? Or IS this the status quo?

 

Best solution to reading any DC book is not to worry about the continuity bollocks.

 

Except that it appears that this is presently literally the main plot of key books like the Wonder Woman and Superman titles.

 

Yeah, but those are written by Rucka and Tomasi who make it work for them - a hard trick to pull off.

Once you go into trying to understand DC continuity, forever will it fry your brain.

 

This is awesome on so many levels. The thought that people considered computers and computer games as revolutionary tools for changing minds for the better makes me nostalgic on the one hand, and makes me want to pick up that thread on the other. The only place where I still see some of that enthusiasm is in the cryptocurrency community, but even there the game seems to be getting old without fulfilling the big promises of the early days. The extropists are gone, hacker culture has gone mostly stale, and the current AI rush -- which would be the place where one might expect some similar dynamics to apply -- seems like it's rushing forward without any big visions or visionaries (except Kurzweil, whom I still can't take seriously). Sad. Is there another Tim Leary anywhere on the horizon?

 

So, has the server glitchfest been fixed yet or do I need to wait a few more days?

 

posting and editing seems fine now. Not sure about emails.

 

Like a lot of the voices associated with the new ducktales, but have to admit the opening theme is pretty weak compared to the original.

 

Maybe it's time to create a new paradigm - or maybe it's happening already somewhere and we just aren't seeing it yet.

In the meantime, back to reading the Sprawl trilogy.

 

I'm confused right now.

 

I always felt Starcraft's writing was underrated so I wrote a little essay why I felt it was much better than people gave it credit for.

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/2017/06/is-starcraft-grimdark.html

 

siiigh

 

Did you read the essay?

BTW - I write for Grimdark Magazine.



I suspect whatever you think the word is, it's not what I do.

 

I did read the essay, and I can't even say I'm entirely in disagreement with the sentiments about Starcraft having some legitimately good writing (and that the original game's is superior in many ways to Starcraft II's - though largely for unrelated reasons to what you wrote*). I've just come to regard the whole "deconstructive-ambiguity-downbeat means good writing" notion to be very tedious, and the title in context of your post was particularly unfortunate in that regard.

*Just in case someone asks - my feeling is that the original Starcraft is probably objectively better writing not only than its sequel, but also just about everything else Blizzard Entertainment has done, since it's actually telling an original story instead of taking obvious cues from Star Wars. For reasons that are probably themselves obvious, I still do like stories that take obvious cues from Star Wars, but they're still inferior to a game that did its own things.

 

I have no illusions that it will happen but I hope it will make a crossover with Paperinik.

 

I pretty much agree with you there but am a huge fan of the deconstructive morality trope to the point I'm very disappointed it's not the case in the new trilogy.

 

Remember when it was revealed DuckTales!Launchpad and DarkwingDuck!Launchpad were not in continuity with each other? Mind. Blown.

 

Excellent work, though I have some quibbles:
-IIRC the heroes of FF7 were called eco-terrorists a lot in the beginning of the story.
-Personally, the Sons of Korhal struck me as pretty creepy right from the get go. Everything about Mensk screamed bad guy to me.
-The Zerg very much had individual personalities. I loved how everyone was annoyed by Zasz.

Still, I mostly agree and it was a good read.

 

I definitely appreciate StarCraft. Diablo, via Diablo and Diablo II was my introduction to Blizzard, followed very closely by StarCraft. I still haven't completely beaten StarCraft and Brood War, I have been stuck on Eye of the Storm for a few years now and I am half way through Episode V. Everything I have seen and what little I have played of the Starter Edition have cemented my desire to play StarCraft II eventually. Unfortunately, the gameplay almost gets in the way of the story, which is why I like StarCraft II a little better.