G.R. Linden's Blog, page 20
February 21, 2018
Robots Don’t Wear Belts: Driverless Cars
Robots are the future. There is really no doubt about that. As technologies advance more and more things that we took for granted as human activities will become the responsibilities of automated machines. It will happen sooner than most of us think and the result will be a profound change in our way of life. Perhaps there is no better example of this than the rise of autonomous vehicles.
In the United States, there are nearly 800 automobiles for every 1,000 people. Driving is something we do...
February 20, 2018
Wily Wordplay- On Time
Time is both an immutable universal constant and a completely arbitrary human construct. To celebrate this paradox I thought I would share with you some of my favorite quotes about Time.
1.“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
2.“Time is a game played beaut...
February 19, 2018
Meanwhile in Countries Not Called America: A State of Emergency in Ethiopia
Africa’s second largest nation is no stranger to political unrest but the surprise resignation of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on February 15th has the potential to escalate an already volatile situation. Mr. Desalegn’s resignation comes after his failure to stem the tide of violent anti-government protests that have plagued the East African nation for years. To understand the current state of affairs it is important that I provide you with a little context.
Ethiopia is oste...
February 16, 2018
World Building 101- Technology
Tools. They’re what separate the advanced species of our universe from the thoughtless pond scum. And as humanity has advanced so too has its tools. From the wheel to the gun to the iPhone, man’s tools define his era as much as any government or crusade. Which is why I’m devoting this installment of World Building 101 to the topic of Technology.
Technology is an often overlooked aspect of a fantasy writer’s world and an often underdeveloped part of a science fiction writer’s quiver. Hopefully...
February 15, 2018
Worth It?- Hercules
In the summer of 2014, we were treated to not one but two Hercules movies. The Legend of Hercules, which I haven’t seen but I assume should never be watched by anyone, lest we end up with an Ark of the Covenant situation, and Brett Ratner’s Hercules (2014), which can’t possibly be worse than the first one. Now normally I’m a big fan of avoiding anything involving Ratner (the first Rush hour being the exception) but this film also happens to involve that exploding supernova of charisma that is...
February 13, 2018
In Stores Now- Artemis
I’m not sure if it’s because of some subconscious effort on my part to reassure myself as I prepare to release my own sophomore manuscript but I seem to be making a habit out of using this section of the blog to review the second outings of author’s whose first outings were personal favorites of mine. This month I picked up Andy Weir’s new novel Artemis (coincidentally the name of a character in my next book). If Weir’s name sounds familiar its because is initial outing The Martian was an int...
February 12, 2018
It’s the Economy Stupid- Free Trade Agreements
The recent wave of economic nationalism to sweep across the world is a direct backlash against the forces of globalization that have been on the march since the fall of the soviet union. Nothing more epitomizes the globalization movement than negotiated Free Trade Agreements. From the Pan-Pacific Partnership to NAFTA, free trade agreements have been held up as the source of America’s economic woes by economic populists. With such a vehement contempt for these kinds of agreement saturating our...
February 9, 2018
Troping the Riff- The Brainwashed Hero
Whether its mind control drugs, an evil spell, or just good old-fashioned hunk of red kryptonite there is nothing worse for the good guys than having to fight one (or more) of their own because a villain got their hooks into their brain. In this edition of Troping the Riff we take a look at one of the most over-used tropes in the superhero genre: The Brainwashed Hero.
For as long as there have been heroes there have been geeks arguing over which hero would win in a fight. Comic book shops and...
February 8, 2018
Subtitle Subversives- Memories of a Murder
South Korea is home to a thriving film industry, full of talented artists willing to take big risks in both plot mechanics and visual style in an effort to push the envelop and make their films resonate emotionally with their audiences. With this knowledge at the forefront of my mind, I sat down with great excitement to watch Memories of Murder. A film that has garnered a great deal of critical praise since its release in 2003.
The film is based on the rape and murder of eleven young women th...
February 7, 2018
Mind Blown- Universal Hologram
The Cake is a lie. Or at least your preconceived notion that the cakes exists in three-dimensional space could possibly be a lie. What in the world am I talking about you ask, equal parts intrigued and befuddled. Well, its complicated, and more than a little difficult to wrap your brain around. Which makes it perfect for another edition of Mind Blown.
Right now you think you have a pretty firm handle on what your world looks like. It’s three-dimensional. You can reach out and touch your compu...
