From: blakes7-d-request@lysator.liu.se Subject: blakes7-d Digest V99 #185 X-Loop: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se X-Mailing-List: archive/volume99/185 Precedence: list MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" To: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se Reply-To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se ------------------------------ Content-Type: text/plain blakes7-d Digest Volume 99 : Issue 185 Today's Topics: Re: [B7L] A different what if... [B7L] Soldiers of Love Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds [B7L] Blake & Government.... Re: [B7L] Casters anonymous [B7L] Zen query [B7L] Mutoid query Re: [B7L] Mutoid query Re: [B7L] Zen query Re: [B7L] Blake & Government.... Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Re: [B7L] Blake & Government.... Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds [B7L] BlakePark by Alison Now Online! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 20:26:49 +0100 From: "David A McIntee" To: "Sally Manton" , Subject: Re: [B7L] A different what if... Message-Id: <199906071945.UAA20770@gnasher.sol.co.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ---------- > From: Sally Manton > An exercise for anyone who cares for it. > > Imagine it's 2nd season - heading towards Pressure Point > and the decision has been made that Blake's going to lose one > of his Seven. Only two characters are safe - Blake himself > and (because some Power-that-Be's kid likes him) *Gan*. > > So you are picking one of the other four to make the Ultimate > Sacrifice. And Gan will survive for the same length of time > that the other one does (i e, if Jenna, till the end of Series 2, > if Vila, right till the end). > > [1] Who would you choose on the grounds of *dramatic* > expediency (not just because your unfavourite is...?) Jenna, to really piss Blake off. > [2] How do you think it would affect/change the storyline/ > individual episodes as time goes on? It'd make it more of a personal vendetta for him... -- "This path has been placed before you; the choice to take it is yours alone." http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/4845 http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Bistro/7312/ ------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 19:56:18 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List cc: Space City Subject: [B7L] Soldiers of Love Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit SOLDIERS OF LOVE - 1 - Genesis I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this CD, but listened to it because it has Michael Keating on it. I was pleasantly surprised. It's a comedy with a flavour more reminiscent of Red Dwarf than anything else. It's set in the 22nd century, but the jokes are cheerfully and shamelessly 20th century in style. I found myself smiling throughout most of it and chuckling at regular intervals. Michael Keating plays Mydas Mydason an ex-game show host who little suspects that his new wife, Maureen, is after his life insurance money. There are numerous comic references to various improbable game shows that he has hosted over the years. Mydas and Cindy (played by Sammie Winmill) are both winners of a competition for a free holiday - or is it a set-up? Things rapidly get highly suspicious and our characters get more and more worried. Along the way, we meet King Turnidus, an alien with a trunk, delightfully played by Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier from Dr Who). Turnidus was possibly my favourite character of them all, being rather child-like and delighted when anything interesting happens to break the boredom of his life. Then there's Cilla, an unwilling trans-sexual who wants to be a woman again, played in an instantly recognisable style by Norman Lovett (Holly from Red Dwarf), and a depressed drinks dispenser played by Mark Preston. The mysterious editor of ISN radio is played by Colin Baker in true megalomaniac fashion. If you enjoyed Bayban the Butcher, look no further. My only real reservation is that there is a bit too much expositionary dialogue in one or two places. I'm sure the characters don't really need to be told what a transmat is. The play doesn't take itself seriously at all. Characters make asides to the audience and one of my favourite moments is when they all chorus a really classic cliché in unison. Everyone is hamming it up and the play is all the funnier for it. The humour is happily smutty and full of double-entendres. "Let's just say I like a jumbo sausage on my plate." "How dare you! I hosted the galactic lottery. Fiddling with those balls means nothing to me." I'll definitely be listening to it again. If you want to hear Michael Keating, then this is a far far better buy than either of the BBC radio plays. Even better, two more of the Blake's 7 cast are scheduled to appear in the next episode along with Michael Keating. Jackie Pearce as a very camp brothel owner sounds like great fun and I suspect Gareth Thomas will have a ball playing the villain. I can see them both having a chance to go totally over the top and really enjoying doing so. Having heard the first one, I'd say it was a good buy even without the bonus of having familiar actors in it. It lasts about 72 minutes. The cover art is an attractive colour montage of the actors (looks a lot better than the bland logo on The Syndeton Experiment). See my web site to see what the sleeve looks like. Judith's rule states that "If I like it, I'll sell it," so I'll have copies available from next week at 9 pounds including UK postage. I'll be taking copies up to Neutral Zone in August, so it you want one there, please let me know in advance so that I make sure to bring enough copies. Cost to Europe 9.50 pounds. USA 10 pounds. (or $17 cash) Australia 10.25 pounds My address is 28 Diprose Rd, Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3QY, United Kingdom It will also be available via Linda Knights. Judith PS. My son is listening to it and giggling even as I type. -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 - Fanzines for Blake's 7, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news, Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc. (also non-Blake's 7 zines at http://www.nas.com/~lknight) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 19:51:48 +0100 From: Julia Jones To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Cc: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Message-ID: In message <199906071103.NAA25397@samantha.lysator.liu.se>, Jenni-Alison writes >The media would use the freedom of the press to slag him off constantly >when he was in power, then the moment he was assasinated it would be a huge >tragedy meriting enormous coverage and national mourning. Was I the only fan of the story _The Late Great Blake_ in Liberator Fantasies to be ROFLMAO at this point? -- Julia Jones "Don't philosophise with me, you electronic moron!" The Turing test - as interpreted by Kerr Avon. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 18:34:07 -0400 From: "How Ya Doin'" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Blake & Government.... Message-ID: <375C48DF.F225B473@shore.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I see Blake keeping power more in a winston Churchill-ian way. He would have taken charge only to make sure that things went the right way. Once he knew that they couldn't become as ruthless as the current regime, he would probably get out. Am I the only one who can't really see Blake sneaking off to Gauda Prime and raising a merc army in hopes of defeating the Federation? He didn't have a ship or anything. How was he proposing to do so? And, lastly, I believe that Avon had about the most realistic change of all the crew-- he was wonderful in realizing that he was going quietly insane and needed someone else to do the *thinking* for him. He can't be bothered anymore, too many convolutions in being a leader. He'd rather Blake took the "fall" as leader. I see Avon as more the subtle "O'Brien"-type character to B.B. in '1984' that was high-ranking, yet humble enough to want to change the lowly outer party members. Perhaps the crew could find a Blake-look-alike to set him up as a power figurehead? Is that feasible. Anyway, that was my thought. I opted not to put 'casting', 'goombas', or 'Heretical thoughts of the Afterlife with Buffy Syndrome' anywhere in the title :) ----Gary--- who sees shades of Avon in himself, anyone know a curly-haired leader I can follow? :-D P.S. I haven't a clue about Buffy except the brief little series finale for this year, about what the general plot was supposed to be. One of the people I work with talked to me about it and I just 'uh-huhed' my way through and made some commentary on ridiculous television people (I can- I work With the medium). That's it. Oh, I think she's a vampire-slayer. :~) Sorry for the drivel.... Grw ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 01:03:39 +0100 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "lysator" Subject: Re: [B7L] Casters anonymous Message-ID: <001401beb142$ea406840$79408cd4@default> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Writeth the Dreadful Penny >So -- that purple number Servalan was wearing in 'Harvest of Kairos', >what's the deal there...? Maybe she felt she was getting old, but couldn't quite bring herself to wear The Hat That Did Not Go. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Jun 1999 02:08:13 -0700 From: mistral@ptinet.net To: B7 List Subject: [B7L] Zen query Message-ID: <375CDD7D.2B3F03B5@ptinet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit If Zen is a 'capacity-charged brain' (Harvest), does that imply an organic component? Thoughts, anyone? Mistral -- "And for my next trick, I shall swallow my other foot."--Vila ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Jun 1999 02:13:37 -0700 From: mistral@ptinet.net To: B7 List Subject: [B7L] Mutoid query Message-ID: <375CDEC0.37848D66@ptinet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm working on a story where the following might have some bearing, and I'd like to know if anyone has thoughts to share: What might be the point of modifying mutoids to utilize blood serum? On the face of it, it seems to me it would be a weakness, rather than an improvement. Mistral -- "And for my next trick, I shall swallow my other foot."--Vila ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 21:43:53 +1000 From: Kathryn Andersen To: "Blake's 7 list" Subject: Re: [B7L] Mutoid query Message-ID: <19990608214353.B1483@welkin.apana.org.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Tue, Jun 08, 1999 at 02:13:37AM -0700, mistral@ptinet.net wrote: > I'm working on a story where the following might have some > bearing, and I'd like to know if anyone has thoughts to share: > > What might be the point of modifying mutoids to utilize blood > serum? On the face of it, it seems to me it would be a weakness, > rather than an improvement. (Kathryn smacks head - "Duh! Mutoids -> Vampires! Why didn't I remember that?") I always assumed that they'd cyborged out the digestive system, so they had to get their nutrient pre-digested, so to speak. Oh, I guess that wasn't the question you were asking, the question was, why do that in the first place? Hmmm. What about... 1) It was still considered more efficient, because Mutoids didn't need their serum as often as humans needed to eat. We don't actually know how long they were on the planet, how long Travis's mutoid had been without serum. 2) It was used as a terror weapon. "Behave, or the mutoids will suck your blood." 3) It was a means of further control over mutoids, so that enemies couldn't steal them, reprogram them, and turn them against the Federation. Yes, mutoids can survive on human blood, but maybe the "serum" is required for them to work at top efficiency. 4) Or, from the opposite extreme, they *were* designed to feed on human blood (see (2)) - in particular, the blood of enemy soldiers, in hostile territory, where the only supplies that were plentiful was enemies. 5) They were designed by a sadist, (see (2)) and Federation beaurocracy is so full of inertia, that they never changed the design. 6) A deterrent. Since one of the sources of mutoids is disobedient slaves, it was considered, that as part of the deterrent (of the threat of being made a mutoid) it should be obvious that once someone is made a mutoid, there is absolutely no hope of being restored to humanity. It could well be that (1) is the official reason, but the other reasons were also factors. Kathryn Andersen -- _--_|\ | Kathryn Andersen / \ | http://home.connexus.net.au/~kat \_.--.*/ | #include "standard/disclaimer.h" v | ------------| Melbourne -> Victoria -> Australia -> Southern Hemisphere Maranatha! | -> Earth -> Sol -> Milky Way Galaxy -> Universe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 21:45:46 +1000 From: Kathryn Andersen To: "Blake's 7 list" Subject: Re: [B7L] Zen query Message-ID: <19990608214546.C1483@welkin.apana.org.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Tue, Jun 08, 1999 at 02:08:13AM -0700, mistral@ptinet.net wrote: > If Zen is a 'capacity-charged brain' (Harvest), does that > imply an organic component? Thoughts, anyone? Not necessarily. After all, Asimov's robots were run by a "positronic brain" but nobody ever said that they had any organic components. Kathryn Andersen -- _--_|\ | Kathryn Andersen / \ | http://home.connexus.net.au/~kat \_.--.*/ | #include "standard/disclaimer.h" v | ------------| Melbourne -> Victoria -> Australia -> Southern Hemisphere Maranatha! | -> Earth -> Sol -> Milky Way Galaxy -> Universe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 17:45:19 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake & Government.... Message-ID: <019601beb1ce$7a1aab20$0c01a8c0@hedge> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gary wrote: > I see Blake keeping power more in a winston Churchill-ian way. He would have taken > charge only to make sure that things went the right way. Once he knew that they > couldn't become as ruthless as the current regime, he would probably get out. That's a very interesting view of Churchill. I wouldn't have described him that way at all. Churchill was pretty barking, and completely ruthless - however, he was exactly the right person to be fighting a war against Hitler. I don't think of Blake like Churchill at all - Churchill hopped merrily from party to party and back again in pursuit of his agenda. Blake wouldn't do that. Blake would be more likely to leave a party on principle, and throw all his (considerable) energies into moulding his own party and forcing that into power. I'd love to know more about the Freedom Party and its activities. Did they sit around and discuss Gramsci above pubs, or were they busy building bombs? If I see Blake like any historical figure, it's Michael Collins. Extremely charismatic, extremely driven, and extremely ruthless. And, most importantly, able psychologically to resolve the profound dilemma thrown up by being an essentially righteous person committing acts of terror. Cally didn't find this anywhere near as easy. > Am I the only one who can't really see Blake sneaking off to Gauda Prime and raising > a merc army in hopes of defeating the Federation? He didn't have a ship or anything. > How was he proposing to do so? That's interesting. You're quite right. I'd always thought of Blake being more interesting in the revolution on Earth. What the hell was he doing on GP anyway? Why GP and not anywhere else? Una ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 18:07:06 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: "lysator" Subject: Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Message-ID: <01c901beb1d1$648a2990$0c01a8c0@hedge> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Pinko Pessimist Penny penned: > >What compromises would he have made in order to secure power (if any)? > > > >How far would power have corrupted him? > > Those two are basically the same question -- You're quite right. Just bunging down my thoughts as my mind grinds them out. And pursued her point: > I mean I really can't see > Blake suddenly going all Servalan the second the opportunity arose, but he > certainly could have started getting his hands a lot dirtier/bloodier in > the name of keeping *ahem* The People in power... Reactionary Rob responded: > I always thought of Blake as being a man who supported individuals' rights to control their own destiny (His support of the rebellion in "Countdown" being an example). Lenin massacred those who tried to assert such rights. You could try writing a story about Blake adopting similar tactics to manipulate popular opinion, and inaugurating a bloodbath based on his twisted idealism.< No, it doesn't seem quite right, does it? I think Penny's right in that Blake wouldn't go all Servalan, mainly because Servalan is attempting to use a system entirely to her own ends, whilst Blake is trying to recast that system. But the Lenin comparison doesn't quite work. Blake wasn't *murderous*. But he was clearly prepared to murder in order to further his aims. Rob continued: >On 11th August 1918, for example, Lenin wrote to the Comrades at Penza: "The rising of the five Kulak regions must be met with merciless repression... There's need to make an example. (1) Hang not less than 100 Kulaks [Bolshevik term of abuse for land-owning peasants -- Rob], rich ones, blood-suckers... (2) Publish their names. (3) Take all their food away. (4) Pick hostages according to yesterday's telegram. Do everything so that the people will see, tremble and groan for miles around... PS. Search out the hard people. Lenin."< Would Blake have installed someone to do these sorts of things for him, and turn a blind eye at their activities? Una ------------------------------ Date: 08 Jun 1999 20:32:59 +0200 From: Calle Dybedahl To: "lysator" Subject: Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII "Una McCormack" writes: > Would Blake have installed someone to do these sorts of things for > him, Yes. Avon. > and turn a blind eye at their activities? Yes. Until most of the opposition has been killed, at which time he "discovers" what has been going on, has Avon executed for treason and installs someone nicer. Result: the opposition gone, an irritating competitor gone and Blake himself looking like a hero to the people. (I'm fairly sure this is from Machiavelli, but for some reason I never read _The Prince_) -- Calle Dybedahl, Vasav. 82, S-177 52 Jaerfaella,SWEDEN | calle@lysator.liu.se "...a festering realization that all you do is no more than the futile slapping of paint onto the rotting, decayed infrastructure of the Information Superhighway." -- Jinx_tigr ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 19:40:05 +0100 From: "Alison Page" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Blake & Government.... Message-ID: <002201beb1de$763fc7a0$ca8edec2@pre-installedco> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was thinking about Alexander the Great as an analogy. He managed to beat everyone and hold an empire together, and while he was very ruthless in battle, they say he was quite humanitarian in other ways. What seems to happen with leaders like this is that they build a new system up and hold it together quite well, but after they die it all goes to pieces (Attilla, Cromwell, Akhenaton). A more successful overthrow of the old order requires a slow overthrow, up from the grassroots, and I don't think Blake could get his head round that idea at all. I was just reading the Tao Te Ching on this subject, and it says something like "When a leader is successful, people don't really notice him (her), they say to themselves 'it just happened on its own' ". Think of how much change has happened this century 'on its own'. Alison ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 22:30:50 -0600 From: "Ellynne G." To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Brave New Worlds Message-ID: <19990515.223051.10014.0.Rilliara@juno.com> On Tue, 8 Jun 1999 18:07:06 +0100 "Una McCormack" writes: > >>On 11th August 1918, for example, Lenin wrote to the Comrades at >Penza: >"The rising of the five Kulak regions must be met with merciless >repression... There's need to make an example. (1) Hang not less >than 100 >Kulaks [Bolshevik term of abuse for land-owning peasants -- Rob], rich >ones, >blood-suckers... (2) Publish their names. (3) Take all their food >away. >(4) Pick hostages according to yesterday's telegram. Do everything so >that >the people will see, tremble and groan for miles around... PS. Search >out >the hard people. Lenin."< > >Would Blake have installed someone to do these sorts of things for >him, and >turn a blind eye at their activities? > As in "Yoo-hoo, Avon, I've got a little job for you."? OK, Avon doesn't go for mass slaughter (although I've always wondered if he didn't do a little strategic destruction on Chenga after hearing what they meant to do to Cally and Vila [what's the point of having the most powerful ship in the galaxy if you don't blow things up from time to time? Besides, he wanted to impress the new crew]). Maybe he'd get Dayna. Ellynne ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Jun 1999 15:29:29 -0600 From: Penny Dreadful To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] BlakePark by Alison Now Online! Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.19990608152929.00812b30@mail.geocities.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" "Oh My God, He Killed Blake!" the latest envelope-pushing artistic triumph by Alison Page, a rising star in the pomo b7 firmament, is now available for human consumption at: http://members.tripod.com/~Penny_Dreadful/blakepark.html Be there or be square. --Penny "PR, Sweetie" Dreadful -------------------------------- End of blakes7-d Digest V99 Issue #185 **************************************