Podcasts about Deus ex machina

Penultimate...Decisions are made, courses are plotted, the pieces are falling into place!Join the OPN hosts and callers as we discuss Deus-Ex-Machina and why exactly so many Discovery Crew are ready to peace out of their century!Send your voice hail to OPNSign up for the OPN NewsletterVisit our new website OpenPike.comPlease Check out our MerchSupport us on PatreonFollow @openpike on TwitterFollow OpenPike on InstagramFollow Openpike on Youtube

PCs get upgraded, MSX comes to Europe & Coinop goes cartridge These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM! This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in August 1984.  As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost.  Check out his podcast here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/ and order his book here: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book Get us on your mobile device: Android:  https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS:      https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM Send comments on Mastodon @videogamenewsroomtimemachine@oldbytes.space Or twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com Links: If you don't see all the links, find them here:     https://www.patreon.com/posts/127470165 7 Minutes in Heaven: Impossible Mission Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-127469932     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_Mission     http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/interview/caswell.htm Corrections: August 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/august-1984-121143199 Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco     https://archive.org/details/game_machine_magazine_jp     https://machinerobo.fandom.com/wiki/Machine_Robo:_Revenge_of_Cronos      1964: Libraries of the future are online     Popular Electronics Sept. 1964, pg. 28 1974     Atari buys Kee      https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-09-21.pdf  pg. 36 Fred introduced in PCC     https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/co/1974/08/020031/13rRUB7a13N        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COSMAC_ELF     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Weisbecker     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSlDY6ZPIvY 1984 Toy stocks rally     Traditional toys soar as electronic games flash 'Tilt', The San Diego Union-Tribune, September 2, 1984, Section: Business, Pg 1-8, Byline: Don Bauder             Plastic robots from Japan changing the shape of the toy market, Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA), September 21, 1984, Friday, Section: Business; Pg. 19, byline: Francine Kiefer Nintendo preps for cartridge future     Replay September 1984, pg. 3      Williams enters new production year with caution     Replay September 1984, pg. 3     https://www.mobygames.com/game/17500/star-wars-return-of-the-jedi/      Coin op revenue hit over drinking age laws     Replay September 1984, pg. 7     https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the-big-dig     https://youtu.be/7zr4RBw5un4?si=euu-naPtomBbqME3 Tower of Druaga gets write up in Super Soft     Super Soft Magazine, September 1984, pg. 2     https://www.mobygames.com/game/19625/the-tower-of-druaga/          Save the 7800 campaign started     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-6/page/93/mode/1up?view=theater     https://fanlore.org/wiki/History_of_Star_Trek_Fan_Campaigns Atari renegotiating Lucasfilm deal     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-6/page/88/mode/1up?view=theater      Chip maker feels video game fall     "GOULD'S WOES SPUR STOCK DROP, The New York Times, September 7, 1984, Friday, Late City Final ,Edition, Section: Section D; Page 1, Column 6; Financial Desk, Byline: By ERIC N. BERG     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gould_Electronics" Atari Japan to close     Atari Inc. planning to pull out of the Japanese market, The Japan Economic Journal, September 25, 1984, Section: SERVICE/LEISURE/FOOD; Pg. 17 No mention of video games in Playthings     Playthings, September 1984      Upgrade your PC     Creative Computing September 1984 pg. 125 Commodore and Atari target the middle     Commodore, Atari Spar in Mid-Price Fight, ADWEEK, September 3, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: Gail Belsky     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Computer Entertainer doesn't believe Atari can deliver     https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-6/mode/1up?view=theater Sinclair financials dissapoint     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_QL Byte reviews the QL     https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Byte/80s/Byte-1984-09.pdf  pg. 415 Amstrad disk drive announced     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC Europe to get MSX'd      MSX home computers to be shipped to Europe, The Japan Economci Journal, September 4, 1984, Section: Information Processing, Pg. 14     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/mode/1up?view=theater     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-20/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Philips ready to launch MSX machine     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-06/mode/2up?view=theater     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philips_VG_8000 Plus 4 delays will limit supply     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-13/mode/2up?view=theater       https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-20/page/n21/mode/1up?view=theater The C16 kills the Vic20 in Europe     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-13/mode/2up?view=theater Currys gives up on PC market     Company Briefing: Currys cuts its Micro-C losses / Micro computer shops closed, The Guardian (London), September 4, 1984 Elite released     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/page/n67/mode/1up?view=theater Deus Ex Machina brings multimedia home     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-06/mode/2up?view=theater       https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-13/page/n59/mode/2up?view=theater     Complete Playthrough: https://youtu.be/WhtI3BEgZwE?si=18V8aCTW6H6ek52l The Mimi travels to the Apple II     'Voyage of the Mimi'' Beckons Youngsters to Science Careers, The Associated Press, September 10, 1984, Monday, PM cycle, Byline: By LEE MITGANG, AP Education Writer     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_the_Mimi       https://archive.org/details/VoyageOfTheMimi4amCrack/Voyage%20of%20the%20Mimi%20-%20Rescue%20Mission%20title%20screen.png Find the treasure... using your computer!     Paperback Picks, United Press International, September 4, 1984, Tuesday, BC cycle, Section: Lifestyle     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure:_In_Search_of_the_Golden_Horse Melbourne returns to Middle Earth     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_035_1984-09_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n21/mode/2up?view=theater           https://www.mobygames.com/group/7319/the-tolkien-software-adventure-series/ Ultimate announces "the first step in a new generation of computer adventure simulation developments."         https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater Beach Head to get Speccy port     https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_035_1984-09_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n23/mode/2up?view=theater         https://archive.org/details/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_035_1984-09_EMAP_Publishing_GB/page/n25/mode/2up?view=theater Activision licenses to Japan     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-27/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater       https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-20/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater Synapse sues Atari     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-06/mode/2up?view=theater IBM enters office suite market and shoots down Kmart. p Jr rumor     IBM in Merger Talks With Rolm / Unveils New Software, The Associated Press, September 25, 1984, Section: Business News, Byline: James F. Peltz      Software Toolworks cooking book     No Headline in Original, PR Newswire, September 25, 1984 PC Paintbrush announced     https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Byte/80s/Byte-1984-09.pdf  pg. 9      SEC goes digital     S.E.C. inaugurates computer filing system,  The New York Times, September 25, 1984, Section D, Page 1, Column 1, byline: Kenneth B. Noble         https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/25/business/sec-inaugurates-computer-filing-system.html NABU on the ropes     In Danger of Folding, The Associated Press, September 19, 1984, Section: Business News, Byline: Norman Black Viewdata still not catching on..     Futures (Micro Guardian): How the Post Office failed to deliver / Prestel, The Guardian (London), September 13, 1984     https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-09-20/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compunet Viewtron user profile     No Headline in original, PR Newswire, September 14, 1984, Dateline: Miami, Sept. 14 Publishing     Computer Magazine boom busts     Bloom Fades in Computer Magazine Market, The Associated Press, September 30, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By SKIP WOLLENBERG, AP Business Writer Computer makers prep for Xmas ad blitz     Dreaming of a Byte Christmas, ADWEEK, September 3, 1984, All Editions, Section: Special Report; Fall Preview 1984; Computers, Byline, Gail Belsky Scott Cohen's Zap! released     Business Today; Will Atari be brought back with needed combination of creativity and pragmatism, September 27, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Financial, Byline: By GAIL COLLINS, UPI Business Writer        https://archive.org/details/zaprisefall00cohe      FCC helps fight coinop piracy     Play Meter, September 1. 1984, pg. 12 Electronic smuggling on the rise in Brazil     Contraband of Electronic Components Grows in Brazil, The Associated Press, September 22, 1984, Saturday, BC cycle, Section: Business News, Byline: By STAN LEHMAN, Associated Press Writer Activision sues Revco     Activision; Amending lawsuit against Revco, Business Wire, September 26, 1984 Psychics didn't see crash coming...     No Headline In Original, United Press International, September 13, 1984, Thursday, PM cycle, Section: Domestic News        https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/09/13/The-psychic-consulting-firm-Delphi-Associates-must-not-have/1212463896000/        https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/russell-targ Video Games go ART!     HORIZONS-Art; Nuclear disarmament art exhibit premieres, United Press International, September 30, 1984, Sunday, BC cycle, Section: Domestic News, Byline: By DAN SUSSMAN     https://www.vdb.org/titles/mike-builds-shelter        https://www.mobygames.com/game/73468/mike-builds-a-shelter/        https://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/jun/16/mike-builds-shelter/ CAD CAM computervision      Market Outlook; All agree CAD/CAM sales will soar, Industry Week, September 17, 1984, Section: INFORMATION, Management; Pg. 111, Byline: John Teresko     1981: How COMPUTER GRAPHICS Will Change the World | Horizon | Retro Tech | BBC Archive  https://youtu.be/W8-54-9J9ns?si=uB01CAs8znTVmZfx      Senior's test their skills on Crystal Castle     ELDERLY TEST COORDINATION WITH VIDEO GAME, The New York Times, September 9, 1984, Sunday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section 1; Part 2; Page 56, Column 2; Metropolitan Desk, Byline: AP, Dateline: PARSIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 8 Nolan is back!     "AXLON-GAMES; Nolan Bushnell returns to game business with new firm, Business Wire, September 24, 1984, Monday     https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/2242/axlon        https://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Axlon Dragon's Lair debuts on Saturday morning     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair_(TV_series) Mylstar RIP     Coke unit to close video game maker, United Press International, September 24, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Financial     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottlieb Recommended Links: The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/ They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/ Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/ The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Playthrough Podcast: https://playthroughpod.com/ Retromags.com: https://www.retromags.com/ Games That Weren't - https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play. Copyright Karl Kuras  

The latest demos promos and releases from the heart of downtown Toronto. ⚡️Like the Show? Click the [Repost] ↻ button so more people can hear it!

Analizamos en nuestro querido formato de "cine malote", una de las obras cumbre de las pelis con las que te partes de risa: Troll 2. Llamada así por motivos comerciales, habituales en la exploitation italiana, en realidad es un cúmulo de absurdas situaciones que regalan algarabía por doquier. Tenemos a uno de los espíritus más Deus Ex Machina de la historia, que lo mismo hace un cóctel molotov que se equivoca de habitación; un asedio absolutamente pasota, vampiros vegetarianos porque la guionista estaba enfurruñada con sus colegas y al ¿doble? de JD Vance torturando de forma un tanto "sui generis" a un chaval. Y lo mejor es que nos quedamos cortos, ya que, aparte de que hay mucho más, cualquier cosa que digamos se quedará corta ante esta obra cumbre del excelso Fragasso, cuyas declaraciones al respecto no hacen más que mejorarlo todo. Acompañadnos en esta fiesta, que hemos hecho pasteles verdes. La música tiene licencia Creative Commons ("Into the Storm" por Brandon Lew y "Hard to be Human Again" por los Mekons, directo en Todds Show de la WFMV el 8/08/21). Imagen CC 3.0 por Museo de Altamira y D. Rodríguez COSICAS RELACIONADAS: —Documental "Best Worst Movie": https://archive.org/details/bestworstmovie —Los pódcast de "cine malote": Zardoz https://www.ivoox.com/10-x-30-cine-malote-zardoz-o-schopenehauer-audios-mp3_rf_129337881_1.html Cherry 2000 https://www.ivoox.com/9-x-33-cine-malote-cherry-2000-de-audios-mp3_rf_109193236_1.html Samurai Cop https://www.ivoox.com/10-x-19-cine-malote-samurai-cop-shervan-audios-mp3_rf_122934846_1.html Lady Terminator https://www.ivoox.com/9-x-28-cine-malote-lady-terminator-h-audios-mp3_rf_105856567_1.html Jade https://www.ivoox.com/podcaliptus-8-x-45-cine-malote-jade-william-audios-mp3_rf_86666207_1.html asesinato . com https://www.ivoox.com/podcaliptus-5-x-20-cine-malote-vol-3-audios-mp3_rf_36929668_1.html Starcrash https://www.ivoox.com/con-hielo-26-cine-malote-starcrash-cozzi-1978-audios-mp3_rf_73539505_1.html R.O.T.O.R https://www.ivoox.com/podcaliptus-5-x-05-cine-malote-1-r-o-t-o-r-audios-mp3_rf_31274142_1.html Supersonic Man https://www.ivoox.com/podcaliptus-5-x-07-cine-malote-vol-2-audios-mp3_rf_31638517_1.html —Pódcast sobre "La historia interminable": https://www.ivoox.com/podcaliptus-7-x-39-la-historia-interminable-michael-audios-mp3_rf_70729781_1.html —Pódcast sobre "La princesa prometida": https://www.ivoox.com/con-hielo-32-cine-verano-la-princesa-audios-mp3_rf_91684691_1.html —Pódcast sobre el "Italo-Alien": https://www.ivoox.com/10-x-13-el-italoalien-audios-mp3_rf_120128125_1.html

Fasting, abstaining from sex, risking the literal wrath of god - today's method actors have nothing on the pioneers of ancient Athenian drama. Following on from our episode about Aeschylus's Oresteia, this episode offers an overview of Greek tragedy and the theater - how it evolved from ritual, what actors and chorus members did on stage, and how an awful lot of the surrounding pageantry reminds our host Rose of the NFL.Want to read a transcript or check out Rose's reading list for this episode? Click here. Don't forget to leave us a rating or review (and share us on your socials). Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Crystal & Grey discuss Supernatural 6.10 - Caged Heat. We talk about: the beginnings of the Pizza Man cold open, commending a show for having the bravery to kinda suck, and George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all - and it's Christmas! Warnings for mentions of rape and sexual harassment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find Episode Transcripts Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Episode Outtakes and Give us a Tip in Ko-fi!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our merch on Redbubble!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Tumblr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email Address: bustyasianbeautiespod@gmail.com Podcast art is made by cyvvang! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Redbubble⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Deutsche Verlage! Wir müssen reden. Ich verstehe, dass Marketing im Kapitalismus Klappentexte braucht, denn kein Mensch fängt mehr Bücher an zu lesen, um dann zu merken, dass ihm wertvollste Zeit von seiner effektiven Lebensuhr genommen wurde, weil er nach 100 Seiten feststellen muss, dass das Thema denn doch nicht das seine sei, und da muss man dann ein bisschen spoilern, ok. Egal, wer clever ist, liest keine Klappentexte. Einen Hauch sinnloser wird es, wenn man diese Klappentexte vor den Text von Ebooks setzt. Also als Vorspann vor ein Buch, welches man dann ja schon gekauft hat, vielleicht bewusst ohne den Spoiler auf Amazon gelesen zu haben, weil, siehe oben, clever. Dass man dann, Augen zu, über die entsprechenden Passagen drübertappen muss, ok, das schafft man. Aber, und hier muss eine Grenze sein: wenn man aus dem sehr schön vagen Titel "Some Desperate Glory" des englischen Originals im deutschen "Die letzte Heldin" macht und man damit die sich so schön unbestimmt entwickelnde Geschichte um die siebzehnjährige Valkyre, Spitzname "Kyr", semi-spoilert, grenzt an Körperverletzung. Was machen Heyne?!Also vergessen wir den Titel augenblicklich und adressieren das Buch in dieser Lobpreisung mit dem englischen "Some Desperate Glory", was man hätte so entspannt zum Beispiel mit "Verdammte Ehre" übersetzen können, was ein ganz hervorragendes Wortspiel gewesen wäre, denn "Ehre" ist phonetisch nicht fern von "Erde", und die, das erfahren wir auf der ersten Seite, ist nicht nur verdammt, sie ist ganz konkret auf dem Weg, in die Luft gesprengt zu werden.Die dazu notwendige Antimaterie-Sprengladung steckt in einer Art Torpedo, der wiederum rast gerade auf den blauen Planeten zu und das Ding zu entschärfen gelingt Kyr schon zum vierten Mal nicht. Wir ahnen: es ist eine Simulation. Puh. Aber, oh S**t, eine, so erfahren wir, die auf der tatsächlichen Zerstörung der Erde basiert. Das liegt jetzt schon ein paar Jahrzehnte zurück, aber damit das nie vergessen wird, läuft die Simulation in einer Art Holodeck in den Trainingsbaracken eines sehr, sehr kleinen Asteroiden namens Gaia, in dem ein paar überlebende Menschen durchs All fliegen. Valkyre haben wir schon kennengelernt, "Kyr" wird sie genannt von ihrer Einheit, ihr geklonter Bruder jedoch nennt sie "Vallie", was superniedlich ist für eine zwei Meter große, blonde, genetisch verbesserte Soldatin und sie entsprechend aufregt. Kyr will sie genannt werden! Sie ist die beste in allen Disziplinen, die man als Soldatin und "Kind der Erde" so trainiert und als Chefin ihrer Einheit, also sieben gleichaltrigen Girls, sorgt sie dafür, dass bitteschön alle genauso ehrgeizig sind wie sie. Hatte ich erwähnt, dass sie blond ist und den Pferdeschwanz vorschriftsgemäß streng nach hinten gebunden hat? Die BDM-Vibes sind Absicht. Und, ein letztes Mal auf den deutschen Buchtitel bezugnehmend, ja, sie gebärdet sich wie eine Heldin. Aber ob sie eine ist, wird, bleibt, ist unklar und entwickelt sich, so wie alle Charaktere über den gesamten Zeitraum des Buches. Denn Charakterentwicklung ist die herausragende Qualität von "Some Desperate Glory". Wir lernen Kyrs Bruder kennen, Kyrs FreundFeindinnen, Aliens, Nerds. Alle sind sie uns innerhalb weniger Absätze vor Augen und entwickeln sich permanent in ungeahnte Richtungen. Es ist eine Freude.Dramaturgisch benutzt Emily Tesh einen alten, aber mir sehr sympathischen Trick im SciFi/Fantasy-Universum: Sie behandelt ihren Roman wie ein Rollenspiel. Wer noch nie eines gespielt hat, muss keine Angst haben, es ist sublim. In einem RPG, wie die Fachfrau sagt, führt man eine kleine Gruppe wohldefinierter Helden durch viele kleine Abenteuer und erlebt diese mit ihnen. Man ist mit ihnen verbunden, versetzt sich in sie hinein, fühlt mit ihnen, man fiebert, leidet, lebt und stirbt mit ihnen.Welche Abenteuer man dabei erlebt, ist fast schon egal, aber wenn die Story wie hier eine aufregende und innovative ist, ist es natürlich noch schöner. Und boah, pardon my french, hat Emily Tesh eine Story in petto. Ich versuche nicht wirklich zu spoilern, aber Puristen sollten jetzt einkaufen gehen, das Buch lesen und bei Bedarf zurückkommen.Zunächst: "Some Desperate Glory" ist ganz vordergründig eine Space Opera. Das ist aber nur das Setting, welches Emily Tesh sich und uns gebaut hat, mit dem Zweck, uns permanent in moralische Moraste zu führen. Und was für welche! Allein der Bodycount! "Some Desperate Glory" muss der Roman mit der höchsten Menge an Toten ever sein, locker! Der kleine militärische Posten auf dem Asteroiden Gaia, auf dem die Handlung beginnt, fliegt so einsam durchs Weltall, weil, wir sprachen es an, die Erde gesprengt wurde. Das sind schon mal 15 Milliarden. Wie das passieren konnte, ob es unvermeidlich war und was man darüber denken soll, ist der rote Faden des Romans. Gesprengt wurde die Erde im Auftrag einer Community von Aliens namens die Majoda und zwar mithilfe eines "Dinges". Was für ein Ding? Mh, schwer. Es ist ein weltendefinierendes. Es wird "Wisdom" genannt. Ist es ein Alien? Ein Gott? Eine Technologie? Literarisch ist es eine Deus Ex Machina. In gewöhnlicheren SciFi-Romanen ist das oft eine Abkürzung durch den Plot und eher eine Sache für einfallslose Autorinnen, um das Unmögliche möglich zu machen. Bei Emily Tesh ist es der Dreh- und Angelpunkt von Stories, Handlungen, Personen und Universen.Diese "Weisheit" also hat die neu im intelligenten Universum aufgetauchte Menschheit beobachtet, analysiert, kurz nachgedacht und festgestellt: it's complicated. Wir lesen immer wieder Einschübe über diese Menschen, hier zum Beispiel beschreibt ein Alien-Wikipedia-Artikel, was wir selbst ungern über uns lesen:Ein Mensch versucht instinktiv und mit allen Mitteln, die Interessen seines Stammes zu verteidigen. Besonders die männlichen Menschen sind dabei von Natur aus aggressiv und territorial. Die gängige Vorstellung von Menschen als gewalttätigen Wahnsinnigen rührt im Grunde von der Tatsache her, dass wir nicht verstehen, wie genau die physischen Fähigkeiten der Menschen mit ihren Instinkten zusammenhängen. Die Geschichte der Menschen und auch deren Medien sind voll von »Soldaten« und »Heldinnen« — von Individuen, die im Namen ihres Stammes Gewalt ausüben —, und erstaunlicherweise werden diese als bewunderungswürdig angesehen.Am Ende kommt die "Weisheit" zum Schluss, dass der Mensch, wir also, Du und ich, ist, wie er ist. Nicht so sehr ein guter. Arg psychotisch könnte man sagen. Allein das Ding mit den zwei Geschlechtern. Was da für Aggressionen im Spiel sind, welche Ränke geschmiedet werden: Fortpflanzung, Darwinismus, Recht des Stärkeren. Aber auch wie stark das diese Menschen gemacht hat, man ist leicht entsetzt. Jetzt sind sie also hier, diese Menschen, sie haben das Problem mit der Lichtgeschwindigkeit geknackt und sitzen mit ihren riesigen, waffenstarrenden Raumschiffen inmitten von total netten, auf Freundschaft getrimmten Aliens, die seit Jahrtausenden friedlich ihr Ding machen.Dass sie so friedlich miteinander können, hat, so lernen wir, viel mit besagtem Ding zu tun, der "Weisheit". Und die kommt zum Schluss, dass es für die hunderte Trillionen netter Universumsbürger Sinn macht, dass die 15 Milliarden Aggros besser verschwinden, mitsamt ihrer Erde. Schade drum, wirklich, man hat es sich nicht leicht gemacht, aber zu groß ist das zerstörerische Potenzial von uns f*****g Menschen. Kommt uns bekannt vor? Genau.Nur, bekommst Du, als, sagen wir, genetisch aufgepumpte Soldatin "Kyr", 17, der seit dem sie "schießen" sagen kann, tagaus, tagein erzählt wird, dass deine Milliarden Menschenbrüder und -schwestern von Aliens gekillt wurden, nun, bekommst Du da eventuell einen leichten Hass auf das Universum und seine Einwohner? Sinnst du eventuell auf Rache? So ein kleines Bisschen? Und sehen wir das als Leserinnen vielleicht auch so?Allein diese Prämisse macht dieses Buch zu einem würdigen Hugopreisträger. Was das Buch neben dieser Story auszeichnet, ist etwas durchaus nicht Selbstverständliches im Genre. SciFi-Romane, da machen wir uns nichts vor, sind nicht für jedermann. Selbst ich, als wirklicher Enthusiast, der immer wieder nach dem Extremsten des gerade noch so Vorstellbaren im Universum sucht, habe oft die ersten Seiten eines utopischen Romans eine harte Konzentrationsaufgabe vor mir. Je weiter weg in Zeit und Raum die Welt ist, in die man geworfen wird, je abseitiger die Aliens, die Perspektiven, die Erfindungen, desto steiler der Weg ins Buch. Die 2014er Hugopreisträgerin Ann Leckie ist hier ein Paradebeispiel, ihr auch im Studio B vorgestellter Bestseller "Ancillary Justice" erzählte eine Story in weiten Teilen aus der Sicht eines sich selbst bewussten Raumschiffes, welches die Welt durch hunderte Augenpaare betrachtet, die in Androiden stecken, die mal Menschen waren. Komplizierter Tobak. Und eine tolle Möglichkeit für wilde Storys, Überfälle, Schießereien, Kapitalismuskritik, what have you. Es ist aber eben auch hart, da erst mal reinzukommen.Emily Tesh führt uns hingegen mit spielerischer Leichtigkeit in ihr nicht weniger seltsames Universum ein. Das Buch ist somit durchaus für ganz normale Menschen geeignet, Lyrikfreunde, Gesellschaftsromanleserinnen und so. Denn so groß die Unterschiede zwischen unserer geradlinigen menschlichen Realität und dem nicht ganz so linearen Raum-Zeit-Kontinuum von "Some Desperate Glory" auch sind, mit ein bisschen Flexibilität im Denken ist man sofort drin. Diese Anforderung verbindet den Leser mit den handelnden Personen im Buch. Auch diese müssen alsbald ein bisschen beweglich im Kopf werden. Zum Beispiel was Geschlecht und Sexualität betrifft: Es gibt erwartbar auf Gaia, der "Garnison der letzten Menschen", in der Kyr und ihr Bruder aufwachsen, keine große Toleranz für nicht-reproduktive Gefühle. Gleichzeitig lebt man inmitten von Aliens und trotz Informationsembargo, Nord-Korea-Style, trotz Abschirmung und Indoktrination, dringt die Weichheit, Güte, Freiheit, Seltsamkeit einer Aliengesellschaft alsbald ins Leben unserer Protagonisten und dort auf die explosive Mischung von einerseits indoktrinierten, aber eben auch hormonell nicht ganz ausgeglichenen Teenagern. Resultat: Emotionale Ambivalenz! Verwirrung! Nicht-Binäre Aliens! Personalpronomen!Da sind wir aufgeklärten Leserinnen natürlich spitze drin, wir lesen ja seit Jahren schon Hugo-Preisträger, und ein solcher wird man seit ein paar Jahren nicht mehr, wenn man auf Seite 8 nicht mindestens drei neue Geschlechtsfürwörter eingeführt hat. Das wirkt oft genug recht aufgesetzt (Ann Leckies jüngstes Buch "Translation State" ist da ein recht trauriges Beispiel, wenn auch ein gutes Buch). Emily Tesh jedoch zeigt, wie es gehen kann. Homosexualität, erzwungene Binarität und ja, auch ein paar neue Personalpronomen sind hier nicht Statements, sondern genuine Handlungstreiber und wir beginnen bald im Roman über Stereotype und deren Sinn und Unsinn nachzudenken. Nicht, weil das gerade woke ist, sondern weil wir uns ziemlich schnell in der Story in die Weltsicht der Aliens versetzen und uns sagen: Was zum Teufel machen diese Menschen hier eigentlich? Warum dieser ewige Kampf um die "richtige" Sexualität, die "richtige" Sprache, der seltsame Krampf, wie was sein soll und wie nicht?"Some Desperate Glory" oder auch dessen hier nicht nochmal benannte deutsche Übersetzung ist also eine klare Empfehlung. Für alle, die das abkönnen und den ultimativen Spoilerschutz haben wollen, rate ich dringend, den Roman auf einem elektronischen Gerät zu lesen. Diese haben die unterschätzt brillante Funktion, dass man den Fortschritt im Buch verbergen kann, etwas, was bei einem Paperback bekanntermassen schwer ist. Bei "Some Desperate Glory" lohnt das ungemein. Denn nach der ersten großen Explosion im Buch (falsch, der zweiten, nach der Erde und ich verrate hier nicht, was da apokalyptisch knallt) denken wir nämlich, das Buch ist zu Ende: 'Danke, ein bisschen dark, aber so ist es..' und merken: 'Oups, no no no, noch lange nicht!' Wie und wann die Story dann wirklich endet, wird auf dem fortschrittslosen Kindle zum Metarätsel und trägt enorm zum Lesevergnügen bei.Um dieses nicht noch weiter hinauszuzögern, empfehle ich somit den sofortigen Spontankauf beim elektronischen Buchhändler der Wahl und man nehme sich die nächsten Abende nichts vor. So gut ist "Some Desperate Glory" von Emily Tesh! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lobundverriss.substack.com

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2025 is: deus ex machina • DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh • noun A deus ex machina is a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve. // The introduction of a new love interest in the final act was the perfect deus ex machina for the main character's happy ending. See the entry > Examples: "The poultry thieves in Emma provide a particularly humorous example of deus ex machina: the arrival of a poultry thief into the surrounding area (on the penultimate page of the novel, no less) and his theft of Mrs. Weston's turkeys frightens Mr. Woodhouse enough to consent to Emma's marriage and to allow Mr. Knightley to move into Hartfield." — Inger Sigrun Bredkjær Brodey, Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness, 2024 Did you know? The New Latin term deus ex machina is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally "a god from a machine." Machine, in this case, refers to the crane (yes, crane) that held a god over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama. The practice of introducing a god at the end of a play to unravel and resolve the plot dates from at least the 5th century B.C.; Euripides (circa 484-406 B.C.) was one playwright who made frequent use of the device. Since the late 1600s, deus ex machina has been applied in English to unlikely saviors and improbable events in fiction or drama that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways.

We're back with the last 5 episodes of Talkin' Lost! As we begin our wrap up run of Season 1, we bring it back to one John Locke, and discover that, despite the island magically restoring his ability to walk, that he had one tragic event happen to him after another. Not too many people have their absentee parents con them out of a kidney at almost 50. It's the final countdown as we head towards the end of the first season. Keep tuning in every week for more episodes of #talkinlost

We've seen it time and again, nearly daily: a solution that has no problem. No, I didn't mispeak. The world is full of solutions to things that aren't even problems to begin with. But when you've only ever known problems, how could you help but think only of solutions? That is the exact situation our character finds himself in in tonight's story. He is confronted with a number of small, yet unsolvable, problems for which he seems to find one extraordinary and inexplicable solution. Of course, we know there is a name for this: we know the Latin term is Deus Ex Machina. This story was written by Phillip Clark. It was directed, engineered, and edited by Phillip Clark. The Hidden Archives is created by Phillip Clark, and is produced by Phillip Clark and Nicole Clark of the Rhodes Collaborative Experience LLC.  Executive Producer: Phillip Clark Co-Executive Producer: Nicole Clark The “Curator” and "Mom" were voiced by Nicole Clark, “Michael/Mike” was voiced by Phillip Clark, and "Jim" was voiced by Dominik Voigt. Music: Theme is “Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – 22 Variatio 21 Canone alla Settima” by J.S. Bach, and the story music was: “Cobarde - Complete score” by Bert Alink Please remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at hiddenarchivespodcast, and on Twitter @PodcastHidden. As always, feel free to message us on any or all of our social media platforms listed. Have a story idea, and theories on canon, or think you know something that might (or should) be in the Hidden Archives? Drop us a message and we'll see if you are curator material. We always respond to every direct message!

SCP-2000 (ITA) - Deus Ex Machina, narrato da Amico Diverte. http://fondazionescp.wikidot.com/scp-2000 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss another early M. Night Shyamalan success, Signs! Many consider this another knock-outta-the-park, while others look back and say, “It's all downhill from here.”. Regardless, there's plenty to discuss from this semi-spiritual alien-invasion flick.Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing how 20% of Americans regularly get their news from influencers rather than old-media institutions, as per the Pew Research Center. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)Shirleon liked the movie, and felt it was easily digested. Melvin, however, felt it was the beginning of the end.Mel Gibson left a lot to be desired even if a few of his scenes were decent.Melvin see's what people love about Signs but feels it's flip-flops between Shyamalan at his best and Shyamalan at his absolute worst.Discussing the usage of doors, doorways, framing, and staging.How a PG-13 rating may have made Signs hugely accessible to filmgoers and families, and how that may have helped make the "Brazilian Birthday Scene" so frightening (...even when it's not that scary).How the ending feels both rushed and sluggish.Recommendations:Vampire Survivors (2022) (Video Game)Arcane (2021) (TV-Series)The Fog (1980) (Movie)MAILBAG: Send questions with your first name and we'll answer them in future episodes! Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Instagram Facebook Group

From 70's and 80's TV screens, to the streaming platforms of today, to our podcast (by way of a recommendation from our friend Kate) comes Fantasy Island, the 2020 reboot film starring Michael Pena, Maggie Q and others. Wade and Amanda discuss their delight at seeing Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang paired together, the benefits of a sneaky twist, and CGI'd bikinis.  Enjoy! Credits: https://www.instagram.com/dontworrybmovies/ Logo – John Capezzuto https://www.creativecap.net/ Intro and Outro Music – Andrew Wolfe of Darling Overdrive https://www.instagram.com/darlingoverdrive/?hl=en Additional Music: Note: Some songs may have been adapted from their original form to fit the length of our segments "I Love Myself More Than Anyone Else" , "City Lights" , and "Deus Ex Machina" by HoliznaCC0 (Public Domain) (Head to www.freemusicarchive.org to check out his discography)

So, we were away a bit longer than intended, but here we are to finish the Dark Angel Saga! In this episode we're covering Uncanny X-Force (vol 1) issues 15 - 18. Join us as we tackle the important questions like, how did they get here, where exactly is here, and what is a Death Seed??Come back next time as we begin our coverage of the classic Brood Saga. We'll be covering Uncanny X-Men (vol 1) 154 - 161 for part 1.Contact us:krakoaradio@gmail.comx-clubpod.comCover art by Seye, @seye_art on Twitter and Instagram

Each Tuesday, we discuss an older entertainment property, and currently, that's Lost. In the flashbacks, we return to Locke's story, which just keeps getting sadder. On the island, things are also not looking great for Locke, as he worries that the magic island is taking away the gift it initially gave him.Next Tuesday, we'll discuss season 1, episode 20, "Do No Harm." Tomorrow, it's Shrinking, season 2, episode 2.

Here's what we're reading, recommending, and revisiting this week.​Catherine's library find is a picture book called Edmund Unravels, starring a cute little ball of yarn who likes to take adventures (and has his very own yarn version of helicopter parents).  Mentioned: This Target back-to-school ad.​Terri's random recommendation is a recent edition of her Substack newsletter that lists the many books on her to-be-read list. If you're interested in celebrity memoirs, Hollywood behind-the-scenes stories, and quirky nonfiction, she's got something for you. Mentioned: A Gentleman in Moscow, Erma Bombeck.​In the archives, we discussed car tech for parents (from 2019). In five years, the automotive industry hasn't advanced in the ways that we were hoping for.​Next week's lineup: Lost S1 E19, "Deus Ex Machina," on Tuesday, November 12Shrinking S2 E2, "I Love Pain," on Wednesday, November 13Weekly roundup on Thursday, November 14Until then (and anytime you're in need), the archives are available.

THE GREATER GOOD: join your pilots David, Cara, and Robert for their discussion of the next four episode of LOST, season 1: 1x19, "Deus Ex Machina;" 1x20, "Do Not Harm;" 1x21, "The Greater Good;" 1x22, "Born to Run."You can check out some of our older episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-dpEKWvhcZoQ4PLu1HfUg-KXfWwrtnklYou can also check out more of Long Walk Productions' original content here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVrMG74aomWR_WQs7yYT6_g

Each Tuesday, we discuss an older entertainment property, and currently, that's Lost. And this was both a Hurley flashback (finally!) and the episode where we met ... the numbers, which were endlessly discussed, analyzed, and debated from here on out. Plus, we now have an Island Grandpa in addition to our Island Papa.Next Tuesday, we'll discuss season 1, episode 19, "Deus Ex Machina." Tomorrow, we dive into season 2 of Shrinking.

Your party probably gets into a lot of sticky, unforeseeable moments, where death or a terrible consequence is on the table. At that moment, you might be tempted to utilize a Deus Ex Machina plot device, saving them from their own mistakes through some person or change that they never expected. But is that a crutch for you, or an opportunity? Let's talk about it!Mentioned in this episode:Brought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Give Us a Rating and ReviewYou obviously have really good taste, you're listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you've ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.Always Have Your Sessions Prepared!You work 8 hours a day. You spend time with your family when you come home. You do work around the house and it seems you never have as much time as you would like to prepare your D&D sessions. Does this sound like you? Wouldn't it be amazing to have endless material prepared for your D&D sessions anyways? That's where Roll and Play Press comes in. Roll and Play Press provides D&D 5e Compatible materials for any type of session. Running a one-shot? Check out their One Shot Wonders book with over 100 one-shot ideas. Getting started with your new sci-fi campaign? Get their Game Master's Sci-Fi Toolkit to have your games much more prepared. Why reinvent the wheel? Check out Roll and Play Press at rollandplaypress.com and get 10% off when you buy something by using the code BETTERDM10. Roll and Play PressJoin Our DiscordSo a little bit of a spoiler alert. We're building an army. That's right, we're building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place. If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause. Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today. Discord

Kevin Smith: Silent, But Deadly (Extended Edition) All New Extended Edition! Kevin Smith, the filmmaker/podcaster/comedian known for playing the character Silent Bob is anything but quiet in this new comedy special that was recorded an hour before his widely reported massive heart attack in February. But before he nearly died backstage, he killed onstage discussing his marriage, his kid, his friends and his work (or lack thereof). Settle in for an hour of laughs from a man who knows how to tell great and historical stories. COMEDY DYNAMICS YouTube Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's episode, we consider how the Nintendo Switch does the simple things well, and examine how writers can likewise do the simple things well to write excellent books. TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 223 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is October the 18th, 2024 and today we are discussing five lessons for writers from the Nintendo Switch, of all things. Don't worry, the analogy will make sense later in the show. Before we get into that, let's have an update on my current writing projects. I am pleased to report that Ghost in the Tombs is completely done and is currently publishing on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. The links are already live on some of those stores. This episode should go out on the same day as my newsletter, so by the time this episode goes out, the book should be available at all ebook stores. If you are subscribed to my newsletter, you will also get a free ebook copy of the short story Ghost Tablet. So that is one of the many excellent reasons it is a good idea to subscribe to my newsletter. You can find the details how to do that on my website right at the top. My next main project now that Ghost in the Tombs is out will be Cloak of Illusion, the 12th Cloak Mage book. I am 31,000 words into that. I'm hoping to have that out before the end of November, if all goes well. After that, I am 11,000 words into Orc Hoard and hopefully that will be out in December, if all goes well. As I mentioned earlier, the audiobook of Shield of Darkness is out, as excellently narrated by Brad Wills. You can get that at Audible, Apple, Google Play, and all the usual audiobook stores. We are also working on Shield of Conquest right now, and that is being recorded as we speak. Hollis McCarthy is also recording Cloak of Spears and that should hopefully be out before the end of the year, if all goes well. This week, we're not doing Question of the Week because all my time was going to finishing Ghost in the Tombs, but we will be doing another Question of the Week next week, so watch for that on my website and social media. 00:01:54 Main Topic: 5 Lessons Writers Can Learn from the Switch Now let's go to our main topic for the week, five lessons that writers can learn from the Nintendo Switch. So what can writers learn from the Nintendo Switch? A common complaint I sometimes see among newer writers is that all the stories have been told already, and that there are no truly original stories. Why try writing a mystery novel? Haven't they all been told? Why try writing a romance novel? How many different ways are there for a woman to meet a man and fall in love? Why attempt to write an epic fantasy when there's already Lord of the Rings and Mistborn and Shannara? Haven't all the stories already been told? That is a fair question, but it misunderstands the nature of stories. It's as profound a misunderstanding as saying that just because you've eaten one cheeseburger in your life, there is no need to ever have another or saying that since Pizza Hut makes pizzas, there is no need for anyone else to ever open a pizza restaurant or even to sell frozen pizzas. To dispel this misapprehension, let us turn to the Nintendo Switch. It is not unfair to say that the Switch is one of the most popular game consoles in the world and is likely Nintendo's second best-selling device of all time. The Switch is also significantly less powerful than its chief competitors, the various Xbox and PlayStation models offered by Microsoft and Sony. For that matter, the Switch has only received moderate updates in the seven years it has been on the market. Its internal components are basically those of a decent smartphone from 2017, yet despite that, the Switch has significantly outsold both the Xbox and the PlayStation over the last seven years. It was a remarkable reversal of fortune for Nintendo. The Switch's predecessor, the Wii U, did so badly that the CEO of Nintendo at the time took a 50% pay cut to help avoid layoffs. One thinks American CEOs could stand to learn from this example, but that's a different topic. So to go from that to the best-selling console of the last seven years is quite a swing of fate's pendulum. So let us then ask the obvious question: why did the Switch do better than its competitors, especially when it was so relatively underpowered compared to them in terms of hardware? The answer is simple. The Switch did the basics, but it did the basics exceptionally well and doing the basic simple things exceptionally well is often much harder than people imagine. The Switch doesn't have a lot of the more advanced features from the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation ecosystems, but it doesn't really need them. The Switch is easily portable. It has a strong library of first-party titles. The loading speed isn't great, but it's adequate. It has Switch Online for all the old Nintendo classics. You can play it handheld or docked. It's popular enough that developers want to bring their games to the console whenever possible, including some that some that were very technically difficult, like Skyrim or The Witcher 3. All that sounds simple, but it's much harder to do than it sounds, and the basics done well are always a good thing, regardless of the field. In fact, that is traditionally part of Nintendo's design philosophy. Nintendo has a thing they call “withered technology” (another translation from the Japanese would be “lateral thinking with seasoned technology”), which means rather than trying to use cutting edge technology, they use tried and true older technology and think about developing unique experiences with it. In other words, they used well established basic technology to build the Switch (which wasn't exactly cutting edge even in 2017) and then just tried to use that established technology well. So how does this apply to storytelling and writing? This is, after all, a writing podcast and not a video game podcast (even if I do talk about video games a fair bit). The same approach taken to writing can work out quite well. Don't try to be excessively fancy or flashy. Focus on the simple things and do them as well as you can, and that will probably work out better than trying to be flashy or creative in a way that only ends up being off putting to the reader. So when it comes to writing fiction, what are the simple things that you can do well? What is the “lateral thinking with seasoned technology” you can employ with writing a novel? I think there are five lessons we can take here. #1: Understand the genre you are writing in and try to hit the appropriate tropes for that genre. A lot of writers when they are first starting out try to do too much, like a fantasy author tries to write a 12 volume epic fantasy series as their first writing attempt, or someone tries to fuse a bunch of genres and write a book that is simultaneously romance, a magical realism coming of age story, and somehow also a memoir. If you can't clearly state the genre of your book, you're going to have a hard time selling it. You might also have a hard time even finishing it. What do I mean by the appropriate tropes for the genre? That's just a way of saying that the storytelling conventions that readers come to expect in specific genres. For example, in a happily ever after clean romance, the readers will expect no explicit scenes and that the heroine and the love interest will end up together by the end of the book. Romance tends to have a lot of very specific subgenres, but the rule holds for many other genres as well. Epic fantasy readers typically expect a quest, some journeying, and a band of arguing adventures. Mystery readers expect a mystery with an actual solution at the end. Thriller readers look forward to some well executed fight scenes in a secret government building. Some writers dislike the idea of writing to genre tropes but think of it this way: If you go to an Italian restaurant and order spaghetti carbonara, but the waiter instead brings out a steak burrito bowl with a side of French toast sticks and maple syrup, you're going to be disappointed. Are there people who would enjoy a lunch of a burrito bowl and French toast sticks? Almost certainly, but you ordered spaghetti carbonara. The vast majority of people who go to an Italian restaurant are going to expect Italian food. The same thing applies to genres. If you buy a mystery book, you will expect a mystery novel and not an experimental cross genre thing. If you dislike writing to genre tropes, remember that readers only dislike tropes written to genre conventions if it's done badly, but if you do it well, they appreciate it and that could be one of the simple things that you focus on doing well. #2: A protagonist with relatable problems. Another important basic in genre fiction is the protagonist with problems that the reader can find compelling. There's an endless tedious discussion about whether or not the protagonist should be likable or not, and frankly, it often degenerates into the standard Internet discussion about gender politics, whether or not a female protagonist has to be likable when a male one does not. But in my opinion, that discussion completely misses the point. What makes a character relatable, or more accurately sympathetic to the reader, is the character experiencing a conflict or some sort of emotional pain that allows the reader to sympathize with them. Whether their character is likable is less important than sympathy. Let's take two examples from recent television, specifically Disney properties. The characters of Syril Karn and Dedra Meero from the Star Wars show Andor are unlikable but sympathetic characters, while Jennifer Walters from She Hulk is both unlikable and unsympathetic. The difference between them is instructive for writers. Syril Karn and Dedra Meero are both essentially unlikable villains. Karn is a wannabe mall cop with puffed up delusions of his own importance and Meero is working for the Empire's sinister secret police as a mid-level officer. Yet Karn's circumstances make him emotionally sympathetic. He is stuck in a dead-end job and living with his cruel mother. Meero is trying to do the best job she can in the secret police and is fighting against her obstinate and clueless colleagues within a cumbersome bureaucracy, something many office workers can sympathize with. Indeed, it's clever how the show sets her up as a strong woman making headway in the male dominated secret police, only to yank away the sympathy when she brutally tortures one of the show's protagonists. By contrast, Jennifer Walters is both unlikable and unsympathetic. She's a rich lawyer who has rich lawyer problems, which is generally not sympathetic to most people. Indeed, she strongly establishes herself as unlikable in the first episode when she lectures Bruce Banner (who in past movies tried to kill himself in despair, was hunted by the US government, held as an enslaved gladiator for two years, brutally beaten by Thanos, and fried his right arm with the Infinity Gauntlet) about how much harder her life has been than his, which is objectively not true. As we mentioned with Karn and Meero, it's very possible for unlikable characters to be sympathetic, but Jennifer Walters is so unsympathetic that the best episodes of She Hulk were the ones where she becomes the unsympathetic comedy protagonist like David Brent from the UK Office or Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers and she suffers the comedic results of her own bad decisions. What's really compelling is when you have a likeable character who has a sympathetic problem. As an added bonus, it's usually easier to write a likeable character with a sympathetic problem. Striking the balance between an unlikable character with a sympathetic problem is often a challenge for even experienced writers. But if the reader likes your protagonist and the protagonist's problem inspires emotional sympathy in the reader, then that's half the battle. What is the other half of the battle lesson? #3: A strong conflict. I've said on the podcast many times before that conflict is central to storytelling. If you have a sympathetic protagonist who has a serious conflict, you've got yourself the potential for a strong book. Another way of saying conflict is “the problem the protagonist must solve, face, overcome.” If the protagonist doesn't have a problem, he or she might as well sit at home playing well, Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, it is easy to think of a suitable conflict for your story, because in Real Life, the potential causes of conflict are sadly infinite, and you can easily apply that to fiction. Like if you write epic fantasy, you could have the conflict be the quest to stop the Dark Lord, or if you write sci-fi, it could be defeating the invasion of the space bugs. Mysteries have a conflict built in for the genre. Solving the crime, finding a missing person, etc. Thrillers tend to be all about violent conflict, but conflicts don't have to be violent or even high stakes to be emotionally significant. It could be a conflict with a rival at work, or not even involve a person at all, like trying to survive the aftermath of a natural disaster. It boils down to that the protagonist must have a conflict and the protagonist must take some sort of action to resolve that conflict. Stories where this doesn't happen tend to become boring quite quickly. #4: A satisfactory ending. The ending is really, really important. You know how a joke isn't funny if it doesn't have a good punchline? A story with a bad ending, unfortunately, almost always turns out to be a bad story that leaves an unpleasant taste in a reader's mouth. What makes for a good ending? The story's central conflict has to be resolved in a satisfactory way, in a way that generates emotional catharsis. In fantasy, the quest needs to be achieved. In science fiction, the space bugs need to be defeated. In mystery, the killer has to be caught or the mystery resolved in a satisfactory way. In romance, the heroine needs to end up with her love interest. Bad endings are ones that don't resolve the conflict or resolve the conflict in a way that feels like cheating to the reader. This can include the protagonist solving the conflict through no effort or struggle or a Deus Ex Machina style ending where the conflict is solved simply because the author wants to hurry up and finish the book. Granted, this doesn't mean that a good ending is a happy one. The Lord of the Rings had a famously bittersweet ending. Sauron is defeated and the One Ring destroyed, but the Elves leave Middle Earth forever, and Frodo is too wounded to return to his homeland, instead choosing to accompany the Elves into the West. There are many other examples. The mystery could have the detective solving the crime, but at the cost of his career and his marriage. The protagonist of a military science fiction story could win the battle but be the only surviving member of his squad. The ending must resolve the conflict in an emotionally satisfying manner that doesn't leave the reader feeling cheated. #5: The fifth simple thing you can do: write clear prose. Writing clear prose that unambiguously conveys your meaning is one of the vital basics for storytelling, and this is harder than it seems. An anecdote from this topic about this topic: back in 2023, Wired magazine ran a hit piece on fantasy author Brandon Sanderson about his Kickstarter. One of the criticisms in the article was that Sanderson's books were written at a sixth-grade level, which is debatable, but that's not the point. The point is the writer of the article and many other people have the profound misapprehension that simple, clearly written prose is somehow easier to write than more dense or complex prose. It's really not, and this fact is easily proven. Think about how many people you know in real life who struggle to communicate through written communications such as emails or text messages. Think how many times you've gotten an e-mail from a manager or client only to have no idea what the person in question is trying to ask for, or even say. Or how much family drama can be created by a badly written text message or social media post that is easily misunderstood. In all of these examples, people failed to communicate effectively through written prose and would have benefited from the ability to write simple, clear, not easily misunderstood prose. Therefore, developing the ability to write clear, transparent prose that precisely conveys your meaning is a useful skill for anyone, not just fiction writers. It just happens to be especially useful for writers of fiction. When writing fiction, it is probably best to remain as clear and concise as possible. So in conclusion, these are the five simple things you can do well to have a good book: #1: Understand the genre #2: Have a protagonist with a sympathetic problem #3: A strong conflict #4: A satisfactory ending #5: As clear of prose as possible All relatively simple things, but if you do them well, I think you are well on the way to writing a good book. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes of the podcast on https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

Off Center, the podcast, is back with a new episode. Scott Rettberg, our host, is joined by Jaroslav Švelch, an associate professor of media studies at Charles University in Prague. In this episode, they will discuss local game production in Czech Republic, gaming the iron curtain, and Jaroslav's book on monstrous antagonists in games.     References Croucher, Mel. 1984. Deus Ex Machina. Automata UK.  Namco. 1981. Galaga. Midway.  Spytihněv. 2023. HROT.  Spytihněv. https://store.steampowered.com/app/824600/HROT/.   Švelch, Jaroslav. 2023. Gaming the Iron Curtain. The MIT Press.  Švelch, Jaroslav. 2023. Player vs. Monster. The MIT Press.   Unknown. 1989. The Adventures of Indiana Jones in Wenceslas Square in Prague on January 16, 1989. Video Game.  

Our Sunday Night Worship Experience streamed live on September 29th, 2024. Experience life with people, power, and purpose. Connect with us! https://www.kcalaska.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kingschapel.alaska/ https://www.instagram.com/kingschapelalaska/ Give: https://www.kcalaska.com/give/

This is a crossover episode in which https://x.com/loubohan interviews me for his podcast Deus Ex Machina.I was obviously in an exuberant mood for this interview - it's one of my favorites!Deus Ex Machina podcast:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mXUfNJdNnOjGfu6VGactr?si=Y3j1OZG4QsGdPhXd8dKsrw…Timestamps:(00:00) - Growing up in Iowa. Athletics, Chinese culture. KMT and military family background. (11:48) - Hearing about the Cultural Revolution from my dad: his family experienced it firsthand in Zhejiang. Meanwhile, US experts and academics were entirely deluded about reality in PRC (20:55) - "Experts" are often miscalibrated (35:03) - Physicists and finance. Was Charlie Munger right to say it's a waste of talent to channel top brains into finance? (45:15) - Hedgehogs, Foxes, and Eagles. Polymathy. (48:41) - Development of modern China as the greatest story of the last 50 years. My first visit to China: the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 1992. US-China competition and the future of Asian Americans. (56:52) - Genomic Prediction. Genomics of cognitive ability. Leftists holding back genetic science. PING = NIH-funded Pediatric Imagining, Neurocognition, and Genetics study. Stephen J. Gould was a fraud. Asian culture (pragmatic realism) and resistance to woken... (01:05:20) - Physics and Free Will. Meat machines programmed by evolution to have an illusion of self? (01:10:04) - Copenhagen Interpretation of QM: Is there true randomness in Physics? Many Worlds, Foundations of QM, and groupthink in modern physics. (01:19:09) - Christianity, raised as a Methodist by my mother, whose family has been Christian since the 19th century. Religious Experience vs Physics viewpoint. Meat machines programmed by evolution to have mystical religious feelings? (01:21:28) - Raising children, family, happiness, the meaning of life in view of my father's life (01:24:34) - The meaning of life, "All is Vanity" (Ecclesiastes), Religion Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.–Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on X @hsu_steve.

Like most things Euripides wrote, his treatment of the Olympian gods and what they were capable of (and best of all, how that's received by mortals) is absolutely ripe for interpretation. Euripides walked the line of impiety and seemed to have a ball. CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing. Sources: The Masque of Dionysus by Helen P Foley; Isabelle Torrance's Euripides; Mary Lefkowitz' Euripides and the Gods; passages read from Hippolytus and Helen, translated by EP Coleridge; Ion, translated by Cecelia Eaton Luschnig; and Bacchae, translated by T. A. Buckley, revised by Alex Sens, and further revised by Gregory Nagy. Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does "the ghost in the machine" mean? From philosophy to artificial intelligence, we explore this idiom to understand what it means, how it's used and if the dream of strong AI is realistic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The party and Magnis talk with Serra about the world's creation. What secrets does she know? Can she be trusted? Will the party keep up the lie that Diego is an android, or come clean? Crew quandaries, telepathic bathroom breaks, and a village of androids await you on this episode of Dieing Five!Let us know what you think!Don't forget to leave a review!!! Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@dieingfive Twitter - https://twitter.com/dieingfive Goodpods - https://goodpods.com/podcasts/dieing-five-228471 Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/dieingfive.bsky.social Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dieingfive?lang=en

Oggi parliamo di una delle figure più controverse della Silicon Valley. Peter Thiel è meglio conosciuto per aver fatto parte della famosa “Paypal mafia” con Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman e altri grandi founder di successo. È stato anche il primo investitore esterno di Facebook e oggi è a capo di Palantir, una delle aziende tech più interessanti e segrete al mondo. Allo stesso tempo è una figura molto divisiva. Prima di tutto per il suo orientamento politico, è uno dei principali promotore di questa nuova wave “anti-woke” di imprenditori nella Silicon Valley assieme anche a David Sacks di All-In Pod. Le sue visioni politiche sono quelle di un ultra-liberale. È un super fan delle cripto, adora il mercato libero e odia qualsiasi tipo di intervento da parte dei governi. Per accedere ad altri podcast, newsletter e contenuti speciali (tra cui Actually Bio) puoi sostenere Will attraverso la membership. Abbonandoti con il codice ACTUALLY15 hai uno sconto del 15% sui piani annuali! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Midnight Madness Radio Episode 279 with Ralf Beitner, Bone Broken Kings, Icy Steel, HANA PIRANHA, SILENT ARROWS, GOLDEN VULTURES, THE BLACK LEGACY, THE TRONAUTAS, GORELEM, HONGO FUU, FASTLIFE RACE, LIFEBOATS, LITERALLY ANYTHING BEFORE BROS, SELF TORQUE, JEET KUNE DO, HVALROSS, COLT 38, XIII DOORS, HERMIT'S MAZE, BLINDED BY HOPE, DERIVA, LAMORI, BELLE MORTE, RED CAIN, SKEPTICAL MINDS, MERCIC, LOBO GRIS, RAIN IN SAHARA, STEREO RAPTOR, CRIPPLED FINGERS, S╓NDROME K, DEMONICEYED, MEAN TO YOU, STAINED WITH SILVER, TESSIA, VENTED, OMEGA DIATRIBE, DARK HUNT, DEUS EX MACHINA, THUNRAZ, MORTEM OBSCURAM, KARMA VIOLENS, and SEVENSINS.

Hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠James Benham⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rob Galbraith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are joined by ⁠Niki Kouri-Maglaras from Prudential Financial. Niki shares her insights on navigating the tech overload and prioritizing what's next. Learn how to effectively prioritize technological advancements that drive growth and innovation and prioritize your next move in the insurance industry. This Episode is sponsored by Terra. Find us on social media! We're on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠; or follow James on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Subscribe, rate, and comment. As always, Enjoy the Ride & Geek Out!

For the sixth episode of our special series with ProfitSolv, we discuss how lawyers should approach the use artificial intelligence technologies in light of the ethics obligations related to technology usage, alongside ProfitSolv's Joyce Brafford. [SPONSORED BY TIMESOLV] Episode Highlights 03:46 - Joyce discusses the Windigo from Algonquian mythology. 10:39 - Definition and history of AI. 12:07 - Categories of AI: Reactive Machine, Limited Memory, Theory of Mind, Self-Aware. 14:48 - Importance of understanding AI limitations and biases. 19:17 - Overview of the latest Pennsylvania Ethics Opinion on AI. 28:32 - AI hallucinations and the Matta case from New York. 33:36 - Vetting AI tools and importance of legal-specific solutions. 36:20 - Overview of ProfitSolv's AI features in Rocket Matter.   Episode Resources Connect with Jared Correia jared@redcavelegal.com https://redcavelegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia https://twitter.com/RedCaveLegal www.linkedin.com/in/jaredcorreia/ Connect with Joyce Brafford https://www.timesolv.com/ http://profitsolv.com https://www.lawnext.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Joint-Formal-Opinion-2024-200.pdf https://www.lawnext.com/2024/06/new-legal-ethics-opinion-cautions-lawyers-you-must-be-proficient-in-the-use-of-generative-ai.html  

Quite often, stories that don't work have more to teach us than the stories that do. Maybe Maria Semple's novel (upon which this film is based), is simply one that's challenging to adapt to the screen. Whatever the case, this move has missed the mark on some basic storytelling principles (it has too many backstory info dumps, a Deus Ex Machina, and weak narrative drive). If you want to understand the impact these things have on a story, and on the reader/viewer, this episode is for you! - V."If exposition is not used properly, it will ruin your story." Valerie Francis REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING WEBINAR SERIESFor access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francisFollow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Kevin Smith: Silent, But Deadly (Extended Edition) All New Extended Edition! Kevin Smith, the filmmaker/podcaster/comedian known for playing the character Silent Bob is anything but quiet in this new comedy special that was recorded an hour before his widely reported massive heart attack in February. But before he nearly died backstage, he killed onstage discussing his marriage, his kid, his friends and his work (or lack thereof). Settle in for an hour of laughs from a man who knows how to tell great and historical stories. COMEDY DYNAMICS YouTube Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Ava, Brayden, and Niamh pull out their theatre degrees and talk plot devices, the Hunters of Artemis, and why we should have a book about Hazel. All this while dissecting the Trials of Apollo: The Tyrant's Tomb Chapters 37 - 40 through the trope of Deus Ex Machina Find Us on Socials: Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok: ⁠@ReturnToCamp⁠ For more of your Hosts: @brydnstllmn @niamhhsherlock @avapirie Help Fund This Cast: Donate the price of a coffee to keep us going! ⁠https://ko-fi.com/returntocamp⁠ Buy cool merch at Redbubble: ⁠www.redbubble.com/people/onthevergepro/shop⁠ Credits: Return to Camp Half-Blood is an independent podcast by Brayden Stallman, Niamh Sherlock, and Ava Pirie. Each week these friends from college dive deep into the books of the Percy Jackson universe by Rick Riordan, starting with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and now Trials of Apollo. While analyzing each set of chapters, the trio takes an english class approach while diving into how this effects their lives, relates to pop culture, and means about its relationship to literature and the Greek classics. Find out more about this podcast at ⁠returntocamp.com⁠ Music courtesy of Purple Planet Music: ⁠https://www.purple-planet.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/return-to-camp-half-blood/message

Frank starts the show joined by WABC host Dominic Carter to talk about over 120 dogs being seized from a dog fighting ring in New Jersey. Frank moves on to talk with Bryon Tau, an investigative journalist and author of the new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State. They discuss the legality of the government spying on you. Frank discusses and reflects on the eclipse. He moves on to talk with Jack Sweeney, a programmer and entrepreneur, who is best known for creating Twitter bots to track the private planes of prominent individuals. They talk about tracking flights and publishing the information. Frank starts the third hour talking about a crime solvent being tried in Italy to fight crime families. Frank moves on to open mail from listeners. Frank wraps up the show talking about an accusation by Joy Behar that SNL doesn't hire 'hot' stars. He is also joined by Noam Laden for News You Can Use. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, we take a look at what makes a book's ending disappointing or unsatisfying, and offer tips and tricks on how to avoid that. This week's coupon is for the audiobook of GHOST IN THE WINDS as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. You can get the audiobook of GHOST IN THE WINDS for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: SPRINGWINDS The coupon code is valid through April 12th, 2024, so if you find yourself needing an audiobook to leap into spring, you can listen to the epic conclusion of the GHOST EXILE series! TRANSCRIPT Spoiler Note: Please skip 11:50-12:53 if you would like to avoid a summary of the ending of the TV series Breaking Bad.   00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 193 of the Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is March the 22nd, 2024 and today we are talking about how to avoid unsatisfying endings, specifically how to avoid unsatisfying endings while writing your novel. Before we get into all that, we will first have Coupon on the Week and some writing progress updates and then our Question of the Week. So first up, Coupon on the Week. This week's coupon is for the audiobook of Ghost in the Winds, as excellently narrated by House McCarthy. That is the epic conclusion to the Ghost Exile series. You can get the audiobook of Ghost in the Winds for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code: SPRINGWINDS and that is SPRINGWINDS and of course the coupon code will be in the show notes as always. This coupon code is valid through April 12th, 2024. So if you find yourself needing an audiobook to leap into spring, you can listen to the epic conclusion of the Ghost Exile series. Now, for an update on current writing projects. I am very pleased to report that as of this recording, Ghost in the Veils, my 150th novel, is now complete. By the time the show goes live, you should be able to get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and Payhip. So I'm very pleased that's done, and that's out, and I hope you all enjoyed the book. Next up, now that Ghost in the Veils is done, my main project will be Wizard Thief, the second book in the Half-Elven Thief series. I am about 42,000 words into that, so about halfway through and if all goes well, I hope that will come out towards the end of April. I am also 14,000 words into Cloak of Titans and that will be my main project once Wizard Thief is finished. In audiobook news, we're currently proofing the audiobook of Half-Elven Thief. That will be narrated by Leanne Woodward and if all goes well, that should be out sometime in April. I'm looking forward to sharing that with you all. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects. 00:02:08: Question of the Week Let's go into our Question of the Week. This week's question is what apps and services do you use to listen to music? No wrong answers. Justin says: on my PC, I'll generally use YouTube. The Brave browser removes the ads so I don't have to listen to them. For when I'm away from my PC, I stuffed 128 GB chip in my phone and copied my MP3 files over to it. The basic Android music app handles the music, no problem. When driving, I'll sync the stereo to the phone with Bluetooth. It will play music, navigate, and do hands free calling. I tried connecting to it directly but it seems I can either connect the sound or the charger. Doing both makes for horrible static. Joaquim says: I like to buy MP3 files or CDs. When buying CDs, I try to buy AudioRip CDs on Amazon, else I rip them myself. All MP3 files are on a USB stick which I use in the car audio. At home, I use my laptop with an external Sound Blaster G6 and Sennheiser headphones. I use VLC media player on the laptop. My next comment is from Barbara, who says: Years ago, I purchased the Microsoft Zune because after my research, I determined I got more bang for my buck with it than the Apple product. I still have the Zune, which I haven't used in a while. I also have the app on my computer and that's what I use listen to my music. Unfortunately, I'll be replacing this 10 year old computer at some point and may have to find a different program. That's interesting because about 14/15 years, I used the Zune Desktop Music player as my preferred music player on my PC because I thought it worked better and was faster than any of the alternatives. But I have not thought about that in years, to be honest. Our next comment is from Randy who says: iPhone, iPad, Intel Mac Book Pro, and an Apple Music family subscription. I also have a two terabyte library of purchased music that I keep on a couple of different portable drives, backups because I should think about rewriting my vinyl collection down to MP3 again. I personally thought it was very impressive. Two terabytes because my music library is a mere 59 gigabytes by comparison. Juana says Pandora and Amazon Music. Michael says: I stream from YouTube Music, sadly. Oh well, good to support small independent companies. ( Original response had emojis here to indicate the last sentence was a joke/tongue in cheek). Brandy says: I listen to Pandora or iHeart radio stations from places where I've lived. It probably dates me, but I like either music with limited to no commercials but similar genre groups (and I refuse to give money to Apple if I can help it) or just a straight radio station. Both I leave on the background while I'm reading, cooking, cleaning or painting, etcetera. Jacob says iTunes for the longest time. Then I made the switch to Spotify using a phone, PC, and TV. Jesse says desktop Rhythmbox on Ubuntu for MP3s. If I'm using Pandora, Pithos or Pianobar. Back when I did a lot more Linux stuff, personally I used Rhythmbox a lot on all my Ubuntu computers, so good to see it still being used out there. Elizabeth says: I'm a Spotify gal. It's got almost anything I could look up. It's got some great rain and classical playlist for sleeping. Jake says: I use iTunes on my phone and computer. Finally, Bonnie says: old fashioned FM radio. Hard to beat free, I have to admit. For myself, I use iTunes for PCs, and I prefer to buy MP3 files and music whenever possible. Since I work on my PC for most of the day while writing or editing, that's what I usually use for listening to music. When I'm away from my computer, I use an iPod touch I got in 2021, and when that little device finally dies, I'm going to be very disappointed since Apple doesn't make them anymore and I will have to choose a new service for my portable music playing. I have played Spotify on my phone a bit, but I still prefer having the actual files. Very good discussion, I thought, on this week's Question of the Week. 00:05:50 Main Topic: How to Avoid Unsatisfying Endings for Your Novel So now let's move on to our main topic this week: how to avoid unsatisfying endings for your novel. I've said it before on this podcast and on my various websites, but I think the ending is a lot like the punchline to a joke. The ending ties everything together and makes what happens before makes sense. If you don't have a satisfying ending to your story then that is like a joke with a bad punchline. People just get annoyed by it. People will remember the end of the series (even a very long series) more than the entire rest of the series, and it will ultimately determine how they feel about the entire series. The most famous recent example, I think, is the Game of Thrones show, with Season 8 ending in a way that many people did not enjoy. In many ways, I think the ending of Game of Thrones with Season 8 sort of killed the show's pop culture dominance. I mean, for a while when the show was at its peak, that was the show to watch. It was the example of prestige television and it was all a lot of people could talk about, but the ending just, you know, really ruined that and sort of subverted and undid the rest of the show. It destroyed the show's popular culture dominance and really led to reduced merchandise sales and tie in games and may be a factor why George R.R. Martin will probably never finish the series because of how badly the show turned out. This is a reminder that a bad ending will make the reader cheated and worse yet, make them feel mocked for ever caring about the characters at all. The Game of Thrones shows is a good example of that. With that in mind, let's look at some of the common problems with endings. One is bad writing. To some extent, bad writing can be subjective. One person's bad writing is another person's brilliant prose. However, there are certain structural things with bad writing and bad plotting that can lead to an unsatisfying ending. For one thing, there are examples where the author doesn't know what the ending is and hasn't been able to figure it out, so it sputters out or ends weakly, or dodges any sort of final battle and event, and it just sort of fizzles out at the end. No one enjoys reading that. Another example of bad writing is a twist that doesn't fit the logic of the book or doesn't make sense. It is possible to do a surprise ending that's satisfying, but it has to be written in a way that resonates with the rest of the story and if you look back at the rest of the story, there is foreshadowing that accurately leads to this ending. If the twist ending comes totally out of left field and makes no sense whatsoever, that is going to lead to some unsatisfied readers. Another big problem is an unfinished series or abandoned cliffhanger, which is why readers have trust issues with unfinished series. With every single series I've written, whether Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, The Ghosts, Cloak Games, or Silent Order, I frequently have people email me every single time a new book comes out to tell them when the series is finished because they only read finished series. Some of that is the fault of publishers who will sometimes kill a series after the second book and leave it permanently unfinished if the second book doesn't meet their sales expectations. Some of this is the fault of certain high name writers who've had every opportunity and all the money in the world to finish their series, yet just can't seem to get around to it. This is a good example of why you need to have a satisfying ending and not leave things hanging. Another good example of bad writing is a good ending that is undone or awkwardly avoided in order to stretch it out to another book or relaunch the series. You have a happy ending. Everyone lives happily ever after, and then you change one of the characters suddenly so that the series can continue. That is something to avoid and to paraphrase Sherlock Holmes from one of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, the supreme gift of the artist is the knowledge of when to stop and that includes writing long series. Another potential problem is a confusing ending. Even a well written ending can be a problem if it's confusing. Ambiguous endings can leave the reader, especially casual ones, feeling confused or feeling like they missed something or are disconnected from the characters. Introducing new characters or plot threads too close to the ending so the ending feels crammed, or like it doesn't focus on the main characters or plot, can also be confusing for the reader. Themes and character arcs need to be clear throughout the book, and those need to be resolved with an equal amount of clarity. One potential reason for a confusing ending is things are left unresolved and that can inspire dissatisfaction in the reader. So when you reach the end of your story, it's good to have as much resolved as possible, even if you want to leave something open for the sequel. Another potential problem with the ending is if the ending is too unhappy or too dark. Depending on the genre and the kind of book you're writing, the time to put your characters through hardship and tragedy in order to develop them is in the middle of the plot, not abruptly at the end. If you want your characters to be happy in the end, true, they do have to suffer for it and earn it, but depending on the kind of book you're writing, having them end the book while being miserable and defeated is probably not the best way to go about it. Ambiguous or bittersweet or sad endings have a much higher burden to be extremely well written, and that's one of the reasons tragedy was seen as the highest form of playwriting in Ancient Greek and Elizabethan cultures. A sad ending for the sake of simply having the sad ending isn't as original or edgy as many writers think it is. That said, unhappy endings can work if it fulfills the character arc or set themes of the book, especially if these are well established throughout the story. I think the ending of the TV show Breaking Bad probably is an excellent example of this, because Breaking Bad is the account of mild-mannered chemistry teacher Walter White degenerating into a ruthless drug lord. The series ends with Walter White killed in a shootout while rescuing his former protege and then he dies surrounded by his beloved meth manufacturing machines. By any stretch, this is a very grim and relatively unhappy ending, with the protagonist getting shot to death but it works because it resolves the themes of the story, where White essentially chose this life of violence, and so he brought upon own head. In a sense, it's not happy so much as it is satisfying in that he got to go out on his own terms, defeating his enemies and freeing his former protege from being imprisoned. Another potential good way to have a satisfying unhappy ending is if it moves the other characters to a happy ending or resolution. In other words, the death is not pointless. In the play Romeo and Juliet, obviously Romeo and Juliet both die at the end, but their deaths permit their feuding families to reconcile and put aside their generations-long feud that has caused so much suffering. So while their deaths were tragic, they were not pointless and wasted. Let's go to the opposite side of an unsatisfying unhappy ending. An unsatisfying, unearned, or abrupt happy ending can be just as unsatisfactory. A forced happily ever after that doesn't feel earned, is rushed at the end, and not explained can be very unsatisfying. One recent example I can think of is a while back, I saw the movie My Man Godfrey from 1936. It's a good comedy movie, a good progenitor of the screwball comedy genre, but I think the ending is kind of weak because the main character and the main female character kind of get together at the end, so it would go well, it's the end of the movie, so I guess they should get get together and get engaged. They seem very ill suited for each other and spent most of the movie bickering, but it was just, you know, the genre convention that the male lead and the female lead were going to get together at the end of the movie. So I think that's one flaw and one unsatisfying part in an otherwise very good movie. Deus Ex Machina is also something to avoid because it leaves the reader feeling cheated or like the suffering of the characters didn't matter. An unearned ending where there are dire consequences throughout the book, but they don't show up, feels, you know, like a cheat where the characters got away with something that they shouldn't have been able to get away with. Another unsatisfying example of a happy ending is if it all ties up too neatly, where everything just falls into place for no particular reason. Happy endings are generally the most satisfying when they're earned, when the characters really have to suffer and strive and struggle to get to them. So both unhappy and happy endings have their own pitfalls, though in general I do think happy endings are usually easier to do unless you really know what you're doing. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found this show useful. A quick note of thanks to my transcriptionist for helping me to pull together with the research for this episode. A reminder that you can listen to all back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

TCW Podcast Episode 205 - Shepherd's Mass Effect 2 & 3   In our examination of the second and third installments of the Mass Effect trilogy, we delve into the development of each game and the transformative impact of BioWare's acquisition by EA. Mass Effect 2 marked a notable departure, shifting away from RPG elements towards a more structured shooter, with a renewed emphasis on narrative, albeit sidelining the original game's crew and downplaying choices made in its predecessor. Regrettably, Mass Effect 3 faced challenges, including the departure of its head writer and a departure from the hard sci-fi roots. The third game disappointed fans as high aspirations fell short, particularly in the lack of meaningful impact from player choices on the ending, which itself was criticized for adopting a Deus Ex Machina style conclusion. Despite these setbacks, the series retains a devoted fan base, attesting to its enduring appeal.   Want to get Alex's book? Want to save some cash doing so? Want more books, and help charities? We got you! https://www.humblebundle.com/books/game-architecture-worldbuilding-and-ai-taylor-francis-books   Mass Effect Storyline in 3 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfTN57dOVg KOTOR Conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8F-qqxGPNQ MASS Effect Conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vSGwx0zvek Mass Effect Lore - The Asari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb20dR_X1E0 The Dirty Dozen Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1V6ywnWcY ME2 - Mordin Performing Scientist Salarian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj0iJtgHOCI Mass Effect - Cerberus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_et4nN7LtAA ME3 Endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ1O_w0ksgw   New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We are in the bag with the second half of our gargantuan Your Sinclair Top 100.  In this episode Drisky and Kingy countdown from 50 to 1.     The games covered in this episode are:- 50 Enduro Racer - 1987 - Activsion  sega https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1628/ZX-Spectrum/Enduro_Racer 49 Tetris - 1988 - Mirrorsoft https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5212/ZX-Spectrum/Tetris   48 Renegade - 1987 - Renegade https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4082/ZX-Spectrum/Renegade   47 Antics - 1984 - Bug byte https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/537/ZX-Spectrum/Antics   46 Bobby Bearing - 1986 - The Edge https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/606/ZX-Spectrum/Bobby_Bearing   45 International Match Day - 1986 - Ocean https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2514/ZX-Spectrum/International_Match_Day 44 Rescue - 1987 - Mastertronic https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4110/ZX-Spectrum/Rescue   43 Midnight Resistance - 1990 - Ocean data east https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3188/ZX-Spectrum/Midnight_Resistance 42 The Hobbit - 1982 - Melbourne House https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6440/ZX-Spectrum/The_Hobbit 41 Fantasy World Dizzy - 1989 - Codemasters https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9335/ZX-Spectrum/Fantasy_World_Dizzy   40 Highway Encounter - 1986 - Vortex Software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2323/ZX-Spectrum/Highway_Encounter 39 Mercenary - 1987 - Novagen https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3126/ZX-Spectrum/Mercenary   38 Gauntlet - 1986 US GOLD https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1989/ZX-Spectrum/Gauntlet   37 Lode Runner - 1984 software projects https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2912/ZX-Spectrum/Lode_Runner 36 Cybernoid - 1988 - Hewson https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1196/ZX-Spectrum/Cybernoid 35 I, Ball 2: Quest for the Past - 1987 - Firebird https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2431/ZX-Spectrum/I_Ball_II 34 Deus Ex Machina - 1984 - Automata https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1373/ZX-Spectrum/Deus_Ex_Machina   33 Knight Lore - 1984 - Ultimate https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9366/ZX-Spectrum/Knight_Lore 32 Jet Set Willy - 1984 - Software Projects https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2589/ZX-Spectrum/Jet_Set_Willy   31 Lunar Jetman - 1983 - Utlimate https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9372/ZX-Spectrum/Lunar_Jetman   30 Nebulus - 1987 - Hewson https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3377/ZX-Spectrum/Nebulus   29 Think! - 1985 - Arioloasoft https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5235/ZX-Spectrum/Think   28 Deactivators - 1986 - Reaktor https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1278/ZX-Spectrum/Deactivators 27 Super Hang-On - 1987 - Electric Dreams https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5019/ZX-Spectrum/Super_Hang-On   26 Light Force - 1986 - FTL https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2882/ZX-Spectrum/Lightforce   25 Manic Miner - 1983 - Bug Byte https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3012/ZX-Spectrum/Manic_Miner 24 3D Starstrike 2 - 1986 - Realtime Games Software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4881/ZX-Spectrum/Starstrike_II   23 The Great Escape - 1986 - Ocean https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2125/ZX-Spectrum/The_Great_Escape 22 Chase H.Q. - 1989 - Ocean https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/903/ZX-Spectrum/Chase_HQ 21 Alien - 1984 - Mind games/Argus Press https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/145/ZX-Spectrum/Alien 20 Spy vs. Spy - 1985 - Beyond Software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4786/ZX-Spectrum/Spy_vs_Spy   19 Back to Skool - 1985 - Microsphere https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/362/ZX-Spectrum/Back_to_Skool 18 Underwurlde - 1984 - Ultimate https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9446/ZX-Spectrum/Underwurlde   17 Starquake - 1985 - Bubblebus https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4873/ZX-Spectrum/Starquake   16 Elite - 1985 - Firebird https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1601/ZX-Spectrum/Elite 15 Lords of Midnight - 1984 - Beyond Software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6604/ZX-Spectrum/The_Lords_of_Midnight https://www.icemark.com/tower/manual/guide.htm 14 Ant Attack - 1983 - Quicksilva https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/210/ZX-Spectrum/Ant_Attack   13 Chuckie Egg - 1983 - AnF software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/958/ZX-Spectrum/Chuckie_Egg 12 Carrier Command - 1989 - Rainbird https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/825/ZX-Spectrum/Carrier_Command 11 Sim City - 1990 - Infogrames https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4509/ZX-Spectrum/Sim_City   10 T.L.L. 1984 - Vortex https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5302/ZX-Spectrum/TLL   9 Boulder Dash - 1984 - Front Runner - First Star https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/639/ZX-Spectrum/Boulder_Dash 8 Rainbow Islands - 1990 - Ocean https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/724/ZX-Spectrum/Rainbow_Islands   7 The Sentinel  - 1987 - Firebird https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4400/ZX-Spectrum/The_Sentinel   6 R-Type - 1988 - Electric Dreams Software https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4256/ZX-Spectrum/R-Type   5 Head over Heels - 1987 - Ocean https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2259/ZX-Spectrum/Head_over_Heels 4 Stop the Express - 1983 - Hudson/Sinclair Research https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4916/ZX-Spectrum/Stop_the_Express 3 All or Nothing - 1984 - Abbex Electronics Ltd https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/167/ZX-Spectrum/All_or_Nothing   2 Rebel Star - 1986 Firebird https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4058/ZX-Spectrum/Rebelstar   1 Deathchase - 1983 - Micromega https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1303/ZX-Spectrum/Deathchase   Show notes: The Hobbit 128K version: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/30399/ZX-Spectrum/Hobbit_128 Deus Ex Machina on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/508910/Deus_Ex_Machina_Game_of_the_Year_30th_Anniversary_Collectors_Edition/ Lunar Jetman - the FAKE trailer http://www.carlylesmith.karoo.net/spectrum/gamefaq/gamefaq6.html Bill Barbison interview by RGDS https://retrogamingdailyshow.libsyn.com/171-an-interview-with-bill-harbison Bob Pape's excellent making of R-Type conversion for the Spectrum https://bizzley.42web.io/?i=1   Our interview with Jon Ritman https://retrogamingdailyshow.libsyn.com/213-the-john-ritman-interview    

Had the pleasure of chatting with playwright and son of actress Eileen Heckart (Bus Stop), Luke Yankee, about growing up in the world of Hollywood and his journey to be coming a playwright. It's a wonderful interview that touches on his relationships with not only the Hollywood greats but also the pioneers of the theatre (including Steven Schwartz, Beth Henley, David Lindsay-Abaire, and David Henry Hwang) and how they affected his growth as an artist and craft of playwriting. We touch on his delving into playwriting, winning The Stanley Award, his inspirations and writing style, receiving notes and getting bad feedback, knowing and breaking the rules of playwriting as well as the importance of script analysis and criticism. We also talk the benefits of making your work more personal, making characters sound different, learning from the Greeks and other classics, and what he views as the most important element of playwriting. Also, if you're a long time listener to the podcast, Luke may very well have ended the debate on whether or not it's worth studying playwriting in academia. Overall, Luke was is absolutely charming and delivers a plethora of knowledge about the craft. Enjoy!Luke Yankee is a writer, director, producer, actor, and teacher. His play, "The Last Lifeboat" (published by Dramatists Play Service) has had more than 50 productions in North America and has won over 60 regional awards. His play, "Marilyn, Mom & Me" was the recipient of the Southwest Theatre Productions Sponsor's Award, the Moondance Stageplay Award, and the Writer's Digest Award for Best Play. His play, “Confessions of a Star Maker” was recently a finalist for the Screencraft stageplay competition and was chosen for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Other plays include "A Place at Forest Lawn", "The Man Who Killed The Cure" and "The Jesus Hickey".To view the video format of this episode, visit -https://youtu.be/TCjWtRO1k9ILinks mentioned in this episode -The Stanley Award -https://wagner.edu/performing-arts/stanley-drama/International City Theatre -https://ictlongbeach.orgThe Art of Writing for the Theatre -https://www.amazon.com/Art-Writing-Theatre-Introduction-Introductions/dp/1350155578Play Submissions Helper -https://playsubmissionshelper.comWilliam Inge Theatre Festival -https://ingecenter.org/festival/The O'Neills -https://www.theoneill.orgUC Riverside MFA Program -https://palmdesertmfa.ucr.eduSocials and Website for Luke Yankee -www.lukeyankee.comFB - www.facebook.com/luke.yankeeIG - @lukebyankeeX/Twitter - @lukebyankee Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

Get ready for another exciting episode as hosts Kit, Madison, and Steve reunite to dissect the mysteries of the island in Episode 19 of the first season of LOST – 'Deus Ex Machina.' 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:12 - Kit catches up on LOST 00:14:04 - Overall Thoughts 00:21:35 - Scene by Scene Recap 00:59:09 - Beach, Please 01:06:45 - Mile High Moments 01:11:21 - Passenger Princess 01:15:21 - Lost & Found Pickup the new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LOST Streaming Things⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shirt! And checkout our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MERCH STORE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more Streaming Things merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're on YouTube!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We got BRAND NEW merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check our our website.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email - streamingthingspod@gmail.com Instagram - @streamingthingspodofficial Twitter - @StreamThingPod or @moviesRtherapy for Chris. Mail us some stuff at our new P.O. Box! Streaming Things 6809 Main St. #172 Cincinnati, OH 45244 *This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This month Streaming Things is brought to you by...

Carmen and Ian discuss Andrew Huberman's recent interview about his belief in God on the Cameron Hanes Show, as well as the growing trend towards theism among western intellectuals in Ian's latest essay, Deus Ex Machina. You can also watch the discussion on the Staseos YouTube Channel. Please subscribe and like our videos. Follow Staseos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up to receive our email newsletter If you enjoy Staseos, please leave us a review or consider making a donation so more people can find our work. Thank you for tuning in!

Ben integrates himself into the ancient Mechanus facility and uncovers unsettling truths on The Primus and the origins of the realm itself...STORE OPEN NOW! CHECK IT OUT HERE! BUY MERCH AND SUPPORT US! https://www.stubbornheroes.com/etsy-shop https://linktr.ee/stubbornheroes

The Place: London, England The Time: Winter, 1890 The Occasion: A Private Seance with Francesca Vonn Duvet, Psychic The Guests: Hampton Fawx (alias: Reginald Norcliffe, Esq), Madge Stallion (alias: Penelope Thistledown, widow), James Stallion (alias: none - never nailed anything down), Prince of Hell Beelzebub (alias: Belladona/BB/Other), The Archangel Gabriel (alias: Gabriel) Other Options: None (Sherlock Holmes and John Watson unavailable - adopting dog or something) Transcript here and at 224bbaker.com, where you can also find bios, more info, and links to our social media. CREDITS Written by Ian Geers, Lauren Grace Thompson, and Newton Schottelkotte. Where the Stars Fell is a production of Caldera Studios, and is produced by Newton Schottelkotte. Fawx and Stallion is created by Ian Geers and Lauren Grace Thompson. Sound design was by Newton Schottelkotte, direction by Newton Schottelkotte and Ian Geers, and editing by Lauren Grace Thompson. Original music composed by Baldemar and Newton Schottelkotte.  CAST Hampton Fawx: Jeremy Thompson James Stallion: Chris Vizurraga Madge Stallion: Katie McLean Hainsworth Victorian BB/Edison: Newton Schottelkotte Victorian Gabe/BB: Max Fleishacker Francesca Vonn Duvet: Emma Sherr-Ziarko McMurphy: Ian Geers Gabe: Kiera Gill Ambrosius: Llewyn Geers-Thompson All sound effects taken from Audio Library, Sound Library, Freesound, original foley, or used under Creative Commons License. CONTENT NOTES This episode contains adult language and sexual content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travel back to Victorian London with Gabe and BB in this spooky Halloween Special, as they crash a seance at 224B Baker Street, purported to be run by an ineffable being. The catch? They don't know whose side she's on, much less the deal with those three– well, looks like there's now four– humans hosting the event. Listen to Fawx and Stallion here. Script available here. Support the show by joining our Patreon. Learn more about our sponsors at https://fableandfolly.com/partners/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know A.I is not just the title of one of the best movies of the 21st century - it's a also a thing that's making a lot of news?? Well, we did, because we're very young and hip and with it. In this episode, we consider the implication of some of the emerging areas of A.I. - like ChatGPT - on religion. First, Kelly spent some time chatting with Jesus on two different platforms - a text based interface where users can ask Jesus questions and get text message responses (and can also ask the Devil questions...for a price!! *cue ominous music*) Second, John takes a look at the now defunct Way of the Future upstart religion, which had the goal of forming a benevolent relationship with our omniscient cyber overlords before they decide to go all SkyNet on us. We consider whether A.I. Jesus may replace tradition religious experiences, like prayer, and what religious movements that emerge around emerging technology, like Scientology and Heaven's Gate, tell us about religion itself.

This episode was requested by Patreon patrons Alex Adams and Von Bright. To join them in their support of the show, and to gain access to a number of patron-exclusive benefits, visit www.patreon.com/thescpfoundationdatabase. ---- CLEARANCE GRANTED... WELCOME, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL... SCRIPT BASED ON ORIGINAL ENTRY BY HammerMaiden: www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2000 License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ ---- The voice of the Database was provided by Joshua Alan Lindsay. The voice of Dr. Clef was provided by Lee Daniel. The voice of Dr. Fritz was provided by Joshua Alan Lindsay. The voice of Dr. Zartion was provided by Lisa Hogan. The voice of Dr. Eisenhower was provided by Kendra ‘Izzy' Murray. The voice of Dr. Gears was provided by Breck Wilhite. The voice of Dr. Piedmont was provided by Christian Jasper. The voice of Dr. Xyank was provided by Lee Daniel. ---- Sound Credits "Alert4.mp3" by RICHERlandTV of Freesound.org [CC BY 3.0] "Diana F+.wav" by floriangeyer of Freesound.org [CC BY 3.0] "Tonal beep signals.Warning.Alert(12osc,no fx).wav" by newlocknew of Freesound.org [CC BY-NC 3.0] ---- The outro music was written by Joshua Alan Lindsay. ---- Enjoy the podcast? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Patrons get access to bonus Joke episodes, outtakes, exclusive merch, and can even request episodes on specific SCP objects. www.patreon.com/thescpfoundationdatabase Listen and read along in one place on our website: www.scpdatapodcast.com/episodes/scp-2000 Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/SCPDataPodcast Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/scpdatapodcast Questions or comments? Email us at SCPDataPodcast@gmail.com

Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate, to discuss the bombshell rulings that came down at the end of the Supreme Court's most recent term. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and outside support, the future of a government shutdown, the Supreme Court ethics bill, climate change, labor action, and more theocratic fascism from the right, before diving into the anniversary of the Tusla White Supremacist massacre of a massive Black community, and the Oklahoman Right's ongoing effort to revise history. Mark Joseph Stern then joins as he tackles the rollout of the Supreme Court's most recent session, beginning with moderate cases in June before rapidly dropping vitriolic right-wing decisions right before the July 4th break, effectively helping to bury the disastrous role the Court is continuing to play in US politics. Next, he, Sam, and Emma parse through the individual roles the liberal justices on the Court have assumed, before Stern walks through SCOTUS' recent rejection of Student Debt Cancellation via the HEROES Act, why the Court relied on the Major Questions Doctrine, and whether the Biden Administration's pivot to the Higher Education Act could be successful. After a discussion on 303 Creative v. Elenis, the absurd lack of standing in the case, and how it largely undermines Lawrence v. Texas (Sodomy Law), Emma, Sam, and Mark wrap up the interview by assessing the affirmative action decision, and Clarence Thomas' ultimate decision to limit active diversity to the military. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma dive into the Biden Administration's advancement of war crimes in Ukraine, sending cluster bombs in the face of decades of research to their devastating civilian impact, UPS Teamsters begin assembling the ranks for an upcoming strike, and Donald Trump gets very confused about who absolutely should be in jail and who absolutely shouldn't. Keith from Ashville dives into recent experiences with transphobic in public (and how to deal with them) and Jonuh from Richmond brings up debate tactics online vs. irl. Cody from Denver shares his experiences with the devastating real-world impact of transphobia on individuals and their communities, and inspires a discussion of the absolute need to be a militant advocate for marginalized communities, particularly in the face of escalating political persecution and bad faith attempts to justify them. Plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Mark's work at Slate here: https://slate.com/author/mark-joseph-stern Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: Cozy Earth: For a limited time, SAVE up to 40% on Cozy Earth. Go to https://CozyEarth.com/MAJORITY and enter MAJORITY at checkout to SAVE up to 40% now! Try ‘em for 100 nights. If you don't sleep cooler, send ‘em back for a full refund! That's https://CozyEarth.com/MAJORITY. Sunset Lake CBD: sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. Starting today, you can save 35% on all Sunset Lake CBD's tinctures— even tinctures for your pets! Now is a great time to stock up folks. Visit https://SunsetLakeCBD.com and use code TINCTURE at checkout. This deal ends Monday, July 17th. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/