From: blakes7-d-request@lysator.liu.se Subject: blakes7-d Digest V99 #2 X-Loop: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se X-Mailing-List: archive/volume99/2 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 2 Today's Topics: Re: [B7L] voice recognition [B7L] Susan Riaz Re: re [B7L] Voice recognition Re: re [B7L] Voice recognition [B7L] French spelling in Star Cops Re: [B7L] Broken Hearts Re: [B7L] Tarrant (that'll get Carol's attention -grin-) Re: [B7L] Broken Hearts [B7L] Susan Matthews's latest [B7L] Matters Tarrant ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 21:55:45 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List Subject: Re: [B7L] voice recognition Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII On Sat 02 Jan, Kathryn Andersen wrote: > On Fri, Jan 01, 1999 at 09:52:10PM +0100, Judith Proctor wrote: > > > > Maybe there had been laws restricting the development of computers with > > personalities? > > C'mon, this is the Federation! They have *slaves*, they wouldn't balk > at the ethics of artificial personalities. Or were you thinking in > terms of the fear of true independent Artificial Intelligence, as > distinct from personality simulations? I got the impression from what > Avon said about Zen in particular, that true AI was something which > the experts took for granted to be impossible. I was thinking of the potential problems of a computer with a mind of its own. The altas fitted Zen with some kind of limiter, so they obviously faced similar problems. Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 Redemption 99 - The Blakes 7/Babylon 5 convention 26-28 February 1999, Ashford International Hotel, Kent http://www.smof.com/redemption/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 12:39:10 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List Subject: [B7L] Susan Riaz Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Does anyone have a current e-mail address for Susan Riaz? Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 Redemption 99 - The Blakes 7/Babylon 5 convention 26-28 February 1999, Ashford International Hotel, Kent http://www.smof.com/redemption/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 16:05:12 -0000 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "lysator" Subject: Re: re [B7L] Voice recognition Message-ID: <004201be3733$c5fcee60$701fac3e@default> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>The concept of voiced and voice-activated computers >> has been around for a long time in SF; it was pretty much old hat by the >> time B7 rolled around. > >Exactly. In Trek, voice recognition was commonplace, Trek came before >Blake's 7, so why did the writers choose for it not to be commonplace? >One reason could be that Blake's 7, *not* being a utopia, had to be a >bit more run-down and less luxurious. >Of course, my problem is that I am trying to find an *internal* >explanation, not an external one. I'm not sure it was choice on the part of the writers; I think they were themselves a bit overawed at the thought of holding conversations with a computer. It would be interesting to hear Chris Boucher's take on this. I distinctly remember, when I first encountered the Traveler RPG in 1980, being a bit disturbed to see a 'pocket computer' on the equipment list. The very concept was vaguely alarming. Nowadays, of course, I can pick one up for twenty quid in Argos. There is a general tradition in science fiction for writers not to fully understand the technology they put in their stories. Some deathless classic of the Golden Age had teams of scientists laboriously working out logatithms by hand, only then feeding the results into the computer. Harry Harrison, in an essay on SF and technology, noted that computers in Golden Age stories tended to be analogue rather than digital machines. >> >How are we to cope with this when I.T. creeps into fan fiction? I >> >tend to assume that speech circuits and voice recognition are >> >commonplace (certainly not expensive), and if that contradicts the >> >series then the series can go fry. > >And Neil stands by that, as I have noticed in Neil's fiction, >particularly the wonderful very cyberpunk "A Casting of Swords" (in >Stadler Link), which, IMHO goes so much in that direction that it is >hardly Blake's 7 at all. Really good story, and a delightfully >chilling explanation for Gan's limiter, but the pure cyberpunk seems >grafted on to the Blake's 7 universe, IMHO. > Glad you liked it; not everyone's cuppa, I know. Rgarding the technological overhaul, it has to be done, IMO. Techwise, the aired series is hopelessly out of date in many respects, and needs to be brought up to date. I think that this can be done without damaging the overall structure of the series universe. It certainly needn't alter the main characters to any significant degree, and since they're generally reckoned to be the central point of interest, no real damage is done. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 18:20:53 -0000 From: "Alison Page" To: "lysator" Subject: Re: re [B7L] Voice recognition Message-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Rgarding the technological overhaul, it has to be done, IMO. Techwise, the > aired series is hopelessly out of date in many respects, and needs to be > brought up to date. I think that this can be done without damaging the > overall structure of the series universe. It certainly needn't alter the > main characters to any significant degree, and since they're generally > reckoned to be the central point of interest, no real damage is done. > > Neil Watching 'Alien' this weekend it was very noticeable that the computer technology was the most unbelievable part of the whole film. people in the late 70's didn't seem to have a very good intuitive grasp of what computers were about. Probably because computers were used, but in very restricted circumstances at that time. One thing I can't bear in ST and B7 is that speedy computers wait on slow poorly-timed human commands before executing vital manoeuvres. I also get irritated by screens full of complex numbers scrolling past at top speed. And finally the random jiggling light displays. In Alien the computer bay is a whole room of pointless flickering fairy lights. At least Zen made it clear that its display was a meaningless visual reference designed to satisfy human psychology. I really like Kathryn's suggestion that while people might be able to create human-like AI there are plenty of good reasons why they wouldn't want to. An artifact is made to supplement a person, not to mimic one. If I want a worker with a human-like mind then I would employ a person, not build a computer. BTW watching Alien also confirmed my belief that 'Nostromo' is one of the best spaceships on film or TV, which we had a debate about last year. Alison ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 18:12:12 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List Subject: [B7L] French spelling in Star Cops Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Totally off-topic, but I'm editing 'An Instinct For Murder' and the text as I received it doesn't have any accents. (I don't think computers could handle them when Chris Boucher originally typed in the document.) I think I've got most of them in correctly now, but I'm stuck on 'Francoise'. I've got a feeling the c should have a cidilla (one of those little hook things underneath), but I can't think of a suitable reference book to check it in. Does anyone know? The character is French, so she should be spelt the French way whatever that is. Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 Redemption 99 - The Blakes 7/Babylon 5 convention 26-28 February 1999, Ashford International Hotel, Kent http://www.smof.com/redemption/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 14:20:17 PST From: "Penny Dreadful" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Broken Hearts Message-ID: <19990103222018.16444.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain Pat said: >Yeah here, why not? The best love stories do not get mired in sex. >The best love stories focus on tragic love or unrequited love. So do I win a prize if I post the entirety of "Wuthering Heights" with 'Servalan' substituted for all instances of 'Heathcliff' and 'Travis' for 'Cathy'? After that: 'Romeo and Juliet' -> 'Tarrant and Dayna' "Tarrant, Tarrant, wherefore art thou, Tarrant? Don't make me blow up this balcony, Tarrant!" --Penny "Womanly Softness" Dreadful ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 14:28:09 PST From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Tarrant (that'll get Carol's attention -grin-) Message-ID: <19990103222810.3713.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain >It must be those prevailing winds. It's hard to catch the right currents >to reach Australia. But I'll keep trying. Well, it'll give you something to do when you're not eating, sleeping, working, ogling the Toothy One, etc. Everyone needs a hobby >> Liking Avon is nature (for me); liking Tarrant is going to have to be >> nurture, >Do I even want to know how Snout and Snarl can be nature while >adorable, sweet Tarrant has to be nurture? Probably not. It could >destroy my faith in the human race. Erm, can I blame the Bronte sisters? I thought not When I was twelve, I seem to recall thinking Avon nastier than I do now (and, to a certain extent, I still think he's a nasty piece of work, and possibly irredeemable into the bargain). But before Carol starts thinking there was more hope for the early adolescent me I don't think I thought anything of Tarrant. At all. I think it was Vila and, to a lesser extent, Dayna, who had my affections then. By the way, "adorable, sweet Tarrant"? Careful, Carol, you're beginning to sound like Cancer! >Yes, for sure. Where shall I start? [list of people noticing the Toothy One being resourceful as well as decorative snipped] > Or consider that Servalan also had the good taste to find Tarrant >tempting, not to mention decorative and resourceful. You want someone to follow Servalan's lead? Carol, the idea! >> docu-drama "Aftershocks" last night, and some of the archival >> footage put me right back in 1989. Carol has provided the perfect >> distraction from unhappy memories.) >Sorry about the bad deja vu. You can call on me for distractions, >perfect or otherwise, anytime. Thanks. It seems that one has only to say the magic word and the Godmother's ears will prick up. >> I don't think one needs to be in that much of a hurry to defend >> inconsistencies in "The Sevenfold Crown". >A person has to do something to keep busy in between drool >production. Carol, drink plenty of fluids or you'll dehydrate, and nobody wants that to happen to you > Now be good and catch some of that dust. Yes, Godmother. Regards Joanne Appeal: Legal version of double or quits. --Miles Kington, "A Simple Glossary of Legal Terms", The Punch Book of Crime ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 14:34:39 PST From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Broken Hearts Message-ID: <19990103223439.14218.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain >So do I win a prize if I post the entirety of "Wuthering Heights" with >'Servalan' substituted for all instances of 'Heathcliff' and 'Travis' >for 'Cathy'? >After that: 'Romeo and Juliet' -> 'Tarrant and Dayna' >"Tarrant, Tarrant, wherefore art thou, Tarrant? Don't make me blow >up this balcony, Tarrant!" Dreadful, Penny Regards Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Jan 99 23:40:00 GMT From: s.thompson8@genie.com To: space-city%world.std.com%inet03#@genie.com Cc: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Susan Matthews's latest Message-Id: <199901032341.XAA04703@rock103.genie.net> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" For Susan Matthews fans, here's a review of the third book in her pro series. It's by Carolyn Cushman and is from the December '98 issue of =Locus=, p. 23. (For anyone who wonders what this has to do with B7, Susan started her career as a fan writer, primarily in Star Wars and B7. She is especially known for one of the all-time favorite B7 fan novels, =The Mind of Man Is a Double-Edged Sword=, as well as its two sequels; they're now out of print, but used copies can be found fairly easily. Highly recommended, especially if you like Avon angst.) "Susan R. Matthews, =Hour of Judgment= (Avon Eos 0-380-80314-3, $5.99, 260 pp, pb) January 1999. Cover by J. K. Potter. "Surgeon and Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko returns in his third adventure, set five years after the previous book, when he uncovered some serious government corruption. Apparently, the powers-that-be still haven't forgiven him; just as he comes to the end of his enlistment, Andrej learns that he's going to be drafted back in, to a worse posting than before. Meanwhile, he has to cope with a sadistic, games-playing captain whose charming crew includes an officer who rapes a prostitute so badly she requires Andrej's surgical skills, which then leads to a murder Andrej must solve. Andrej only gets to torture one suspect this time, something of a departure for the series, but even if torture's not central, Andrej's angst still remains. We also geet to meet one of Andrej's princely cousins, and get more cultural detail, which is interesting enough I regretted Andrej had to re-up; it would have been nice to see more of his native background. Still, there are hints that Andrej and his people may have a role in changing the brutal rule of the Jurisdiction; the ending's as close to hopeful as this gripping series has gotten yet. It's powerful, tense, and oddly fun, compulsive reading." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 08:35:08 EST From: Mac4781@aol.com To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Matters Tarrant Message-ID: <2d5abafa.3690c38c@aol.com> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Penny wrote: > After that: 'Romeo and Juliet' -> 'Tarrant and Dayna' > > "Tarrant, Tarrant, wherefore art thou, Tarrant? Don't make me blow up > this balcony, Tarrant!" That's hilarious, so-o-o Dayna. I get the feeling *this* Juliet wouldn't have met a tragic end: "What's here? A cup, clos'd in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end:-- Oh churl! I guess that means I have to find a new boyfriend." Joanne revealed: > I don't think I thought > anything of Tarrant. At all. I think it was Vila and, to a lesser > extent, Dayna, who had my affections then. My goodness. Vila and Dayna. That's an interesting combination. They aren't at all alike. > By the way, "adorable, sweet Tarrant"? Careful, Carol, you're beginning > to sound like Cancer! Well, he is a tasty morsel. While she was feeding Avon to her mechanical critter, she was keeping the succulent Tarrant for herself. :) > You want someone to follow Servalan's lead? Carol, the > idea! But...but... she's my role model. > Yes, Godmother. Not quite the proper attitude...yet. Maybe I need to borrow that machine Servalan used on Dayna. :) Carol Mc -------------------------------- End of blakes7-d Digest V99 Issue #2 ************************************