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5511 discussions

propulsion of spaceships
by Deborah Day 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

This email was delivered to you by The Free Internet, a Business Online Group company. http://www.thefreeinternet.net --------------------------------------------------------------- Thinking about the voyage of the London set me thinking about what made the spaceships go in the future. It seems the Liberator was different - the alien in Sarcophagus said that it could go indefinitely by recharging itself (on what?), but we do not hear about this with the Federation ships. I presume they do not use some type of petrol, as they would keep running out in the middle of a battle. You can just imagine it - all pursuit ships stranded somewhere and Travis having to walk back with an empty can! So they must also have either had some sort of recharge facility, or else refueling tankers every so often. I guess the London being a much slower type of ship hardly used any juice of whatever sort, but you can hardly imagine Servalan putting up with an 8 month trip - she seemd to be jetting about all over the place. It can't have been some sort of drawing energy directly from vacuum as that would imply limitless energy, but you never hear of any of the ships either refuelling or doing anything similar. The Liberator could recharge itself quite quickly. Debbie

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Horizon and Redemption
by Steve Rogerson 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

I received a phone call from Diane Gies this evening. She was calling about a post that appeared on this list in the past couple of days saying that the reason Horizon had a ban on advertising Redemption was because of our policy on slash. Diane asked me if I would reply on the list to correct that. I have no desire to open up old wounds and arguments, especially just a day after getting back from what was one of the most exhausting but enjoyable weekends of my life. Until this point, I also regarded the discussions in the past year I have had with Diane over her policy on Redemption should not be aired on this list. However, as she has asked me to do so, I will give an outline of what was said: The official reason that Diane gave to us for refusing to publicise Redemption through Horizon was because she regarded our policy on art as to be one that encouraged the use of adult art, which she said was offensive to Horizon's honorary members. She came to this conclusion because of a piece that appeared in the first progress report for Redemption 01 that said we were putting adult art into a separate category in the art show and that this would be displayed separately so as not to offend anyone. This was also our policy for Redemption 99, which was publicised in the Horizon newsletter and on the Horizon web site. I explained both verbally and in writing to Diane that our policy was not to bar any legitimate form of fannish expression and that the very reason we split the categories was to protect those who found such art offensive and to ensure they weren't subjected to it by accident. Diane said she didn't accept this reason and the ban was enforced, with no links from the Horizon web site to Redemption (despite us having a link to Horizon) and no mention in the Horizon email bulletin. There was technically also a ban in the newsletter, but has that hasn't appeared for some time, that is largely academic. I understand the next issue is about to be published. It is ironic that, as it happened, there were no entries to segregate. However, I have no regrets about our policy. The aim of Redemption is to encourage fannish expression in as many ways as possible, and I believe we were successful in that aim. I am proud of what we achieved last weekend and am looking forward, after a bit of a break, to creating a similar and, hopefully, even better weekend in two years time in what will be the 25th Anniversary Blake's 7 convention and the 10th Anniversary Babylon 5 convention. I hope that Diane will rethink her policy and try to work with us to help make the event even better, but we are not in the business of excluding and barring fannish expression. -- cheers Steve Rogerson http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/steve.rogerson Redemption: The Blake's 7 and Babylon 5 convention 21-23 February 2003, Ashford, Kent http://www.smof.com/redemption

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Re: Cyberpunk (Was: [B7L] Re: in calm discussion)
by Tavia Chalcraft 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

Neil: >In fanfic it's pretty rare. My 'A Casting of Swords' (Stadler Link) is >probably the nearest thing I can think of to B7 cyberpunk, mainly because >it's a deliberate pastiche of Gibson's style. ... >Other elements of the genre creep in with eg Nickey >Barnard's 'Dreamshadow' (also in Stadler Link), or Helen Parkinson's >'Virtual Reality' (Gambit #14). Hmm. Well perfectly qualified for this discussion having read 67% of the B7 pieces you mention (which is a *lot* more than I can say regarding the h/c discussion). >I think what really distinguishes cyberpunk is the style in which it's >written - sharp, smart, sassy, or at least aspiring to be (or simply >pretending to be). So hoiking out all my psychology credentials (um, none), I'd guess that Mr Faulkner really writes this stuff because he wishes to appear sharp, smart and sassy. >There are proto-cyberpunk elements in the series itself - the cynicism and >amorality, the dystopian tone, Travis, mutoids, virtual reality/cyberspace >in Terminal and I would argue also Deathwatch. By your definition, Deathwatch would certainly qualify. I've always loved the potential of the sensornet, also the dark shots in the derelict warehouse (while oh-so-reminiscent of The Professionals) and Deeta's magnificent death scene. Quite the closest the series ever got to arty filming that I can recall (not to mention some of SP's best acting). >I'm surprised that more writers haven't exploited the possibilities opened >up by cyberspace, since it lets you put the characters virtually anywhere >you could imagine. Well, loads of people (me for one) must have fanficced in the Teal--Vandor combat space ? Slightly more seriously, I suspect the reason there's so little in this genre out there is that a lot of fanficcers look to the series rather directly for their inspiration for backgrounds (not unnaturally). We therefore get treated to the _Liberator_, xyz quarry, abc primitive society &c&c. When they do film on planets we almost never see details of cities (unless I'm missing something obvious?) apart from the sketchy bits in TWB. Even when they go back to Earth (RoD, Pressure Point) we don't get to see anything useful... I'd love to see more of this kind of fiction, but can't see myself writing it. [Imagined view from office window: black-and-white cows, oak trees, hedgerows, sparrows... well except the cows have all been shut up because of the foot & mouth disease scare... mebbe you've got a point...] Tavia

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Re: [B7L] Horizon and Redemption
by Tavia 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

Please please please for the sakes of Everyone's sanity can we kill this 'discussion' ? It is utterly pointless to discuss matters between two people neither of whom are on this list. Not to mention exceptionally dull. Tavia

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Death...
by Nathan Hook 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

Betty mentioned the shadow scene with Avon's 'Next please.', and contrasted it as more chilling than the plaxton incident in star drive. Initially I thought there was no contest. The Plaxton scene is worse. Poor old Dr Plaxton was vapourised without a second thought. 'We can outrun that bolt, either way she's dead.' Not even a show of regret or a posthumous thankyou from Avon. Justifiable homocide? The ends justified the means and the ends was life. so the faceless federation guards then. Thats just it, they were faceless and part of the Federation. the enemy. It seems justified to wack off a few to ensure the mission wasn't compromised. They were "just" guards after all, they're paid for that kind of thing. (like tarrant in powerplay and kleggs men) Then I thought...well hold on. That scene in Austin Powers...the guard flattened by the steam roller...and the aftermath. tut tut. Nayte. 'Dudu' said nothing, as/Her talants were of the more silent class.'Byron. ------------------------------------------------------------ Free, BeOS-friendly email accounts: http://BeMail.org/ love and pixels .:. http://dieselsweeties.com/

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Re: [B7L] The Killing of Sister Roj
by Tavia Chalcraft 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

Neil asked: >So how come Avon killing Blake is perceived as different, >or at least more important, than all the other violent deaths >that perforate the series? Actually, rewatching the whole series last spring when I finally purchased the videos, the bits that shocked me were Avon's 'Next please' in 'Shadow' and Blake destroying the Ortega and the ship that docked with it in 'Mission to Destiny'. Rewatching the end of 'Blake' just now, the thing that actually disturbs me most is Avon shooting an unarmed and outnumbered Klyn. The series itself takes the death of Gan rather seriously, and there's a lot of fanfic emoting about that or replaying Orbit, so I'm not sure that Blake's is the only death that fans take seriously. Tavia

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Re: [B7L] Horizon and Redemption
by Tavia 01 Mar '01

01 Mar '01

Shane: >It's clear from Diane's memo [[something rather unclear to me deleted]] It might just be an idea to stop discussing the rationales of people who are not currently (to my knowledge) on Lysator. Tavia

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What's wrong with Genesis [was Re: The Gospel]
by Harriet Monkhouse 28 Feb '01

28 Feb '01

Fiona wrote: >(a gentle and well-spoken Old Oxonian friend of mine >got savaged online last year for suggesting, with evidence, > that Genesis of the Daleks was two episodes too long) I thought the problem was that it would have been a much better story without the Doctor and his companions in it. Incidentally, I can't think of anything which I would regard as gospel in these parts, apart, perhaps, from "Blake's 7 is quite a good programme"; all of the instances you cite have been hotly debated at one time or another. Harriet

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Re: Minority opinions
by Helen Krummenacker 28 Feb '01

28 Feb '01

> Avon and Servalan, I imagine, wouldn't provoke a great > deal of debate as the evidence is there in Deathwatch > and Aftermath - although you've provoked a couple of > posts neither of which were of the "Isn't Avon cute" > variety. I know my viewpoint is unusual-- there's no disputing Servalan thought Avon was a hottie, but as far as I can see, he's somewhat amazed by her mind, but disgusted by her personally. He only plays charm with her to use her lust for him against her.

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Re: [B7L] Horizon and Redemption
by Ashton7＠aol.com 28 Feb '01

28 Feb '01

In a message dated 2/28/01 3:45:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, Judith(a)blakes-7.com writes: << ie. (this is roughly paraphrasing what he said in explanation of the above) He will not be used in any way in fan disagreements. He will not take sides in any dispute between myself, Diane or anyone else. He does not want to be seen as taking sides in any debate regarding slash or any other issue and does not want anyone to make any assumptions at all regarding his views on anything. >> Good for him! I wish that all actors/actresses in all fandoms would choose to take the high road this way. And I am not referring solely to Blakes 7 fandom, I assure you. I've seen it happen in many fandoms, including soap operas, country singers, and many other media fandoms. It's *always* a mess if the performer chooses to involve themselves *personally* in disputes. It's also one of the reasons that, as much as I *love* fan-run conventions and support them wholeheartedly, I've also come to appreciate the conventions run by groups such as Vulkon and Creation here in America. They aren't near as much fun as fan-run conventions, but there is definitely less opportunity for fan "disputes" revolving around them! Annie

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