Kevin L. O'Brien's Blog: Songs of the Seanchaí, page 43

New eBook: The Lions of Inganok

I have just published my latest ebook:

The Lions of Inganok

Medb hErenn serves Seidhloch the Moneylender of Ulthar as the steward of his business interests in the Dreamlands, because she owes him a debt. Though she serves him faithfully and honestly, she does not like being beholden to him, so when the Cats of Ulthar offer her a large reward to retrieve their most sacred artifact, stolen from the Temple of the Great Ones, she accepts without hesitation.

It seems a simple enough task, but it has been taken to the onyx city of Inganok in the far north, where cats are forbidden to go. On top of that, who or whatever took the artifact seems to be after more than financial gain, despite its priceless value, because upon reaching the city it has vanished without a trace. Then Leng Men appear, old enemies from previous adventures. Are they somehow involved, or will they prove to be a red herring?

Medb and her companions must find the artifact, not just for the reward, but also before it can be used to release an evil that could threaten the whole of the Dreamlands. But how can one find a needle in a haystack?

This ebook is free and can be downloaded from Smashwords.

Just a Bunch of Punks

Just what the heck is Punk anyway?

It all started with Cyperpunk, a revolutionary sub-genre that invaded science fiction in the 80's. It had two characteristics. The first was that it featured advanced computer and information technology and cybernetics; this is where the "cyber" came from. The second was that its protagonists were marginalized, alienated loners struggling to survive in a dystopic urban future who use the new technology coupled with body implants to hack the ubiquitous datasphere to strike back at the powers that be; this is where the "punk" came from. The sub-genre itself was almost punkish, in that it challenged the conventions that had been accepted for decades, and it was seen as an almost alien philosophy invading speculative fiction.

However, writers who grew up reading cyberpunk along with more traditional SpecFic didn't see the revolution, they just saw an intriguing new genre. So when they started to write, their stories preserved the advanced technology and the rebellious, daring, adventuresome protagonists, but discarded the dystopian settings. These lighter visions were called "postcyberpunk", with the most optimistic being termed "cyberprep", short for cyber-preppy.

It wasn't long, however, before other technologies began to appear in postcyberpunk stories, the first being biotechnology and Victorian steam technology, giving rise to "biopunk" and "steampunk". Both started out using cyberpunk's bleak, dystopian vision, but both have evolved away from that in more recent years. These did, however, set the example of adapting different forms of technology to the postcyberpunk or cyberprep model to create new sub-genres.

These can be divided into two sets of derivative works:

Futuristic, which like cyberpunk use advanced forms of existing or speculative technologies, such as biotechnology and nanotechnology; and Retrofuturistic, which either take a futuristic vision from the past, such as the 50's Jetson-like vision of the future, and make it a reality, or extrapolate from, often in an exaggerated manner, the technology of a past era to create a futuristic vision. These stories also borrow heavily from the political, social, cultural, and aesthetic aspects of these eras, even when using a past futuristic vision. It is this set that has most heavily influenced visual art, music, and motion pictures as well as fiction, even influencing engineering, architecture, and fashion. They have even spawned subcultures that seek to emulate the aesthetics and styles associated with the various sub-genres.

The latter set has been the most fruitful, in that there is almost no end to the possibilities from past eras.

Though some stories within these sets use the original non-conformist, dystopian vision of cyberpunk, anymore the "punk" aspect of these stories involves non-conformist characters, or simply the idea that the story itself uses a non-conformist view of alternative or futuristic history. In fact, some writers don't see their stories as "punk" at all and sometimes offer other names for the kind of SpecFic they write, such as "gaslamp fantasy" instead of steampunk. However, those that embrace the "punk" label do so because they see the sub-genres as countercultural, rejecting the aesthetics of contemporary culture.

Regardless, the name has stuck so that many forms of SpecFic that read like postcyberpunk or cyberprep are called "punk" simply out of habit or tradition.

Two other features of "punk" sub-genres are:

They tend to be science fantasy rather than science fiction, since they assume innovations that are not possible with the base technologies; and

While some, like biopunk and steampunk, assume advanced technologies within their specific eras, others, like dieselpunk, depict the base technology having evolved into a modern or postmodern era.

Dieselpunk is a retrofuturistic sub-genre based on diesel technology of the 30's and 40's. However, unlike the other sub-genres, dieselpunk is more of a pop surrealist art movement than a literary genre, though there are some stories that have retroactively been described as dieselpunk or were written in literary styles borrowed from that era. Dieselpunk visual art, movies, architecture, and engineering borrow heavily from pulp magazines, serial films, film noir, art deco, and wartime pin-ups while displaying postmodern technology and sensibilities. Dieselpunk has also influenced the gaming industry, both in role-playing and video games, and webcomics. There is also a thriving subculture that seeks not just to emulate a retro aesthetic, but also to extrapolate it into a postmodern style.

Dieselpunk fiction can be divided into two forms. One, Piecraftian, assumes a dark, dystopian vision, in which constant warfare has caused human culture to stagnate, allowing the aesthetics of that era to continue into later eras as people concentrate on survival. The other, Ottensian, assumes an optimistic, almost utopian vision, in which the era's aesthetics continue to evolve into later eras unhindered by economic collapse and warfare. This form comes the closest to depicting a past vision of the future, except that it is extrapolated from the era's technology rather than depicting that era's speculations about future technology.

My0 dieselpunk story is a science fantasy that takes place in the mid-30's and assumes advanced technologies based on diesel mechanical systems, while borrowing ideas from atompunk and teslapunk (see below). Its setting is an extrapolation of the world political climate based on an early end to World War I, before the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires collapsed and Germany was devastated. It is, however, a "normal" world, neither utopian nor dystopian, where there are both threats and pleasures, and if it might seem optimistic in some ways, there lie faults hidden just under the surface that could tear the whole thing apart. It will be more like an Indiana Jones-style adventure-thriller with some spy-noir features rather than a study of the technology's effect on society.

Here follows a list of other "punk" sub-genres:

Biopunk -- a futuristic extrapolation of biotechnology; this is often the closest to the original cyberpunk

Nanopunk -- a futuristic extrapolation of nanotechnology; very similar to biopunk

Steampunk -- based on Victorian Era steam technology; the first of the Retrofuturistic sub-genres

Clockpunk -- based on Renaissance Era clock mechanism technology

Teslapunk -- named after Nikola Tesla and based on late 19th and early 20th century electrical technology, especially his more speculative ideas

Atompunk -- based on 50's and 60's pre-digital Atomic and Space Age technology; this one also often presents an extrapolation of that era's optimistic vision of the future

On Cats in the Dreamlands

In the Medb hErenn universe, domestic Cats are exactly like the way they are in our universe, except they are much more intelligent. (Though people in our universe who are lucky enough to be owned by Cats would dispute this.) Cats are only one of three creatures who are true Dreamers — i.e., can enter the Lands of Dream — the other two being Humans and Spiders. In fact, like Humans and Spiders, it was Dreaming that made domestic Cats sapient — i.e., conscious and self-aware, and capable of acting with appropriate judgment using reasoning and analytical thought. Though the last of the three to accomplish this shortly before their domestication, they have gone the farthest, achieving logical, mathematical, and analytical feats Humans can only dream of. However, so far Cats are the only species of these three to realize the power of Dreaming. In the Waking World they hide their sapience, preferring to live as pets or strays rather than reveal their secret to Humans, but in the Dreamworld they live and act with impunity. After all, who would believe someone whose only evidence that Cats are intelligent is his Dream experiences?

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The Order of the Dragon

The Order of the Dragon (Ordo Draconis) is a chivalric crusading order dedicated to the defense of Christianity, charity, and the protection of Mankind from the forces of evil. I say "is" because it still exists (in my fictional universe). Sir Differel Van Helsing serves as Grand Master.

The Order is based on a previous secret society of 13 knights dedicated to the assassination of the Ottoman Sultan, Murad I; it was called the Sacred Order of the Dragon of Saint George. Though they succeeded in their aim at the battle of Kosovo Polje on June 15th, 1389, only one of the knights survived. He became the military tutor of the Serbian Prince, Stefan Lazarevic, who became a knight and vassal to the Kingdom of Hungary. He told the king, Sigismund von Luxembourg, about the Sacred Order, and he in turn resolved to revive the society as a force against the Ottoman Empire. He announced the charter for the Order of the Dragon on December 13, 1408, and inducted 24 kings, nobles, and knights in the rank of Knight of the Dragon, with himself as Grand Master. Among them was Vlad II, Voivode of Wallachia, who would later induct his son, Vlad III, who would later become known as Vlad Tepes Drakulya. The Order was sanctioned by the Pope in 1411 and soon expanded among the knights and nobility throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1431, Sigismund decided to expand the Order by creating multiple ranks. Also, the Order chose to divorce itself from a traditional, dynastic Order of Chivalry associated with a royal house and instead became a true crusading brotherhood. To that end, they decided that when Sigismund died, the position of Grand Master would not go to his descendents, but rather to a worthy member of the Order, popularly elected by the rest. The third Grand Master, Janos Hunyadi, shunned the public nature of the original Order and instead preferred to operate more clandestinely. As a result, the Order disappeared from history's list of noble chivalric orders, even as it continued its mission of protecting the Church, fighting the Ottoman Turks, and helping the poor and sick.

The Order continued its mission well into the sixteenth century, eventually coming under the patronage of the Transylvanian princes. In 1580 they revised the Order into an ecumenical fraternity that could rally people of various creeds, cultures, and faiths to a common standard. Though the Order retained its Catholic trappings and insignia, it now had members who were Orthodox, Protestants, and Jews. However, as first Transylvania and then Hungary fell to the Ottomans, the orientation of the membership drifted first north into Poland and then east into Russia. As well, the membership dwindled, as they fell in battle or died off. The penultimate Grand Master was Prince Dmitri Cantemir, the Despot of Moldavia, who was besieged by the Turks. Though he rallied what was left of the Order, he was defeated and driven out of his principality to eventually die in exile. On his death, the position of Grand Master passed to his suzerain, Peter the Great of Russia, but he decided there were too few knights in the Order to justify its continued existence and he placed it in abeyance. The Russian Crown retains the right to reconstitute the Order at a future date, but since the Crown itself is in abeyance, it becomes increasingly unlikely that will ever happen. That's the official history.

When Vlad Drakulya "died" in 1476 and rose as a Vampire, he didn't renounce his allegiance to the Order. In fact, he continued to follow its mandate by making war on the Ottoman Empire. When Peter the Great placed the Order in abeyance, however, he chose to ignore that and declared himself Grand Master. Over time he would induct promising people in the Order, but few and far between. Eventually he let it slip into abeyance as he turned more to being a monster.

When he was defeated by Abraham Van Helsing, he finally found a man worthy enough to be in the Order. He also inducted his son George, but because of his contempt for the grandson Miles he decided not to do so with him. After Differel released him, he inducted her into the Order, but by the time she had taken over as Director of the Caerleon Order he came to believe she was a worthy successor to become Grand Master, and he made her so. Since then she has continued to expand the Order, inducting the Queen, the Princes Philip, Charles, and Andrew, the Princesses Margaret and Anne, and William and Harry after they were born, as well as Aelfraed, Mr. Holt, Lady Margaret Chesham, and Maggie King. She inducted Team Girl after they saved her in the Dreamlands. But she continues to keep the Order clandestine.

She has set the following goals for the Order:

1. Defense of the Christian faith
2. Protection of Mankind against Evil
3. Propagation of the principles of universal brotherhood, friendship and amity between men of all races, faiths and nationalities
4. Defense and maintenance of the chivalrous ideals of Justice, Honor, Care of the Sick, and Protection of the weak and infirm
5. Furtherance of philanthropic and benevolent virtues and aims

The motto of the Order is O Quam Misericors est Deus, "How Merciful is the Lord".

The protector of the Order is St. George, and its feast day is April 30.


The symbol of the Order is a dragon with its tail looped around its neck and the cross of St. George emblazoned on its back.

The mantle (cloak) is cowled and obsidian with a red lining. It is worn on the feast day and during induction ceremonies.


A special collar is also worn around the neck with the mantle.

There are classes of ranks (from highest to lowest):

Knight Grand Cross with Swords (KGSOD) --- individuals who have shown the highest devotion to the principles of the Order: to faith, justice, humanitarianism, charity, chivalry and nobility; may be called "Excellency" and include the insignia in their coats of arms

Knight Grand Cross (KGCOD) --- individuals who have shown an outstanding level of devotion to the principles of the Order

Grand Official (KOOD)

Commander (KCOD)

Knight (KOD)

The decorations for each level begin with the dragon insignia against a crusader's cross hung from a red and black ribbon worn on the chest for Knights.

Commanders wear the dragon and cross around the neck with a red and black collar.

Officials wear the dragon and cross surrounded by the motto in the center of a badge with eight points; four Byzantine eagles accent the points of the cross; the badge is worn on the chest.

Grand Cross knights wear the Officials chest badge and a black crusader's cross accented with Byzantium eagles around the neck with a red and black ribbon.

Grand Cross with Swords knights wear the same decorations as the Grand Cross knights, but with crossed swords behind the neck cross and the chest badge.

These decorations are worn with the mantle and collar, or on special occasions along with other decorations as part of a dress uniform or formal dinner jacket or gown.


A pin that can be worn as everyday jewelery is standard for all members of any rank.

Team Girl Wold Newton Family

The science fiction writer Philip Jose Farmer created a crossover fiction literary concept known as the Wold Newton Family, in which he proposed that the Wold Newton meteorite that fell in 1795 was radioactive and caused genetic mutations in the passengers of a coach that passed too close. As a result, the descendants of these passengers, who themselves were descendants of heroic individuals, were endowed with exceptionally high intelligence and strength, and the exceptional capacity and drive to perform good or evil deeds.

Included in this rather large family are such figures as Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Doc Savage, Allan Quatermain, The Shadow, and James Bond, to name just a few.

Well, not wanting ta be left out, I've decided to place Team Girl inro this family as well, along with some of their friends. Though I should make a distinction between someone who's an ancestor and who's a relative.

An ancestor is someone from whom they're directly descended, like a grandparent. Whereas a relation is still a blood-member of the extended family, but not someone from whom they're descended, like a cousin.

Medb is Eile's distant ancestor, her great-great-great-etc-grandmother, but she's not a member of the Wold Newton Family. However, Eile is related to Solomon Kane on her father's side and Patricia Savage, the cousin of Doc Savage, on her mother's side.

Sunny is descended from the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin through Maela her father, but through Oda her mother she's related to, now get this, Phileas Fogg. Kind of explains a lot, if you ask me.

Most of their other friends are not members of the Family, or if they are it's as very distant relations, but I haven't finished researching all their backgrounds, so I can't say for sure.

But I have decided that Shasta Taffaday is related to Richard Henry Benson, The Avenger, and Richard Hannay, World War I British secret agent.

I have discovered that Mabuse's grandfather, the original Doctor Mabuse created by Norbert Jacques, is a Wold Newton Family member, but I've also decided to make one of her ancestors the infamous Prof. James Moriarty, whereas Neo Ivor Zorndyke, another mad scientist that will appear in future stories, is related to Fu Manchu and Dr. Miguelito Loveless.

(Incidentally, my inspiration for Zorndyke was Dr. Zin from Jonny Quest. His initials -- N.I.Z. -- is Zin spelled backwards.)

Meanwhile, one of Sir Differel Van Helsing's ancestors is Captain Peter Blood, and she's related to Sir Percy Blakeney, The Scarlet Pimpernel (who was also a baronet), and the Amateur Cracksman, AJ Raffles. That sort of explains a lot, too.

I will reveal more as I figure more out, but considering that Eile and Sunny started out with such a small family, it's good to know they're now in such esteemed company.

Faeries as a Lost Race

Faerie lore is ubiquitous; nearly every culture throughout human history and around the globe, including Amerindian and African tribes, have some form of Faerie tradition. Some people who believe in the existence of Faeries have used this as evidence supporting their claim: if Faeries are not real, why is their lore so widespread? Creationists often use the same argument for a global flood: if it never occurred, why do so many cultures have a flood myth?

Unfortunately, there is a serious flaw in this argument, and it can be demonstrated quite easily. Most cultures have some form of Cinderella and Puss-in-Boots folktale; are we to assume they also are based in fact? The point is, the ubiquitous nature of certain myths, legends, and folktales is not evidence that they have a factual basis, but rather it is evidence that they speak to a powerful idea in the human collective unconscious.

But if Faeries are not real, why is their lore so common? What could be the source that triggered the development of folk traditions about them? There are a fair number of theories explaining the origin of Faerie lore, but I think the most intriguing is what we could call the lost race theory. It assumes that before modern humans moved into an area, it was occupied by a more primitive race, usually tribes of hunter-gatherers. The modern humans were farmers, and when they came in they displaced the hunter-gatherers by taking their hunting grounds and turning them into farms. The old race retreated into the wilderness on the fringe of civilization, into areas the farmers could not go: dense, old-growth forests; marshes and bogs; wasteland; the seashore; and hilly or mountainous regions. There they continued to live hidden from the new race, which soon forgot who and what they originally were.

At first, the old race would avoid the new race, except for capturing or killing people who trespassed into their territory. After a number of generations, however, the old race would begin to trickle back into their former range. They would begin by observing the new race, and sometimes people would encounter them by accident, perhaps even capture them on occasion. After awhile they would begin stealing things from the new race: food, such as grain and animals; tools and implements; ornaments; even weapons. Eventually, they would start to kidnap people as well: babies and children mostly, to replenish their dwindling numbers, but also girls and young, unmarried women to be mates, or nursing mothers to provide milk for their own babies. Young men might also be taken, to serve as slaves, or craftsmen, or even lovers.

The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that this old race is not some form of bestial, sub-human species, but is fully human like the new race, just as bright, articulate, and innovative, but with a lower-level technology. They would be quick to see the advantage of the food, tools, and crafts of the new race, they would comprehend that their blood (i.e., genetic material) was compatible with that of the new race, and they could become enamored with comely members of the new race, particularly if inbreeding had reduced the physical attractiveness of their own people. However, their morality as hunter-gatherers would prompt them to take what they wanted rather than try to trade for it.

In time, though, some of the old race might start interacting with members of the new race, particularly those who lived away from the main group. They could begin by borrowing food and items they want, giving items of their own in return, including things they might value for being pretty but which the new race valued as money, like precious stones, raw gems, and trinkets of gold and silver. That might lead to the old race helping the new race slaughter animals and collect the harvest, or perform chores around the farm and in the house, in exchange for food. This could lead to them becoming semi-permanent residents, but they would still be suspicious of the new race and so refuse to wear clothes given to them, so as to maintain their independence. Men of the new race might even take women of the old race as wives, either for an advantage, because they could not attract new race wives, or because they found old race girls attractive. However, each would have to live by the woman's standards of correct behavior or religious taboos, which would undoubtedly conflict with his own and could lead to her leaving him if he offended her in some way.

Over time, the old race would gradually creep into the new race's folklore, as mysterious beings with magical powers who could influence nature, give good or bad fortune, pass unseen, and steal whatever they wished. Long after the old race had either died out or been assimilated into the new race, the stories would continue, eventually becoming Faerie lore.

Next eBook: The Lions of Inganok

The next story in my schedule to be published through Smashwords will be:

The Lions of Inganok

Medb hErenn has worked for Seidhloch the Moneylender of Ulthar for over a year as his traveling troubleshooter, overseeing his business and investment interests outside the City of Dreamers to pay off her debt. But while she has served him faithfully and honestly, she does not like it. So when the Cats offer her a commission to recover their stolen idol of Bast, and to pay her a reward large enough to pay off her debt, she accepts it almost without question. Little does she know just how dangerous her task will really be.

This will be another free ebook.

New eBook: Disposable Commodities

I have just published my latest ebook:

Disposable Commodities

Guy Trousseau believes he has the key to success as a Hollywood agent. He started off with a captive stable of luscious young women, supplied by his very silent partner Lily, that he could provide for clients needing actresses for film, video, and Internet productions. And he doesn't particularly care how his clients use them, even if they don't survive the experience. He has an almost limitless supply, allowing him to provide as many beauties as needed as often as they are required.

Besides, to him they are nothing more than disposable commodities. Their only purpose is to satisfy his desires, all of them, including making him rich.

Finally he has a chance to make it into The Big Time, by providing an actress for an Oscar-winning director to appear in his next epic blockbuster. From there, there would be no limit to the heights he could reach.

Just one significant hitch: Lily doesn't want to be quite so silent anymore. And Guy is about to learn that to her, he is a disposable commodity as well.

This ebook is free and can be downloaded from Smashwords.

A 100-Course Meal (Beg Pardon?!?)

Have you ever wondered what that means exactly? It may sound obvious, but you may be surprised.

The idea is based on what is known as the "full course dinner". That's a meal that consists of multiple dishes, known as courses.

So far, so good.

But there are two forms of this kind of meal. The first is where all the different dishes are served at once; this is known as service a la francaise. Banquets in ancient times were like this. At the beginning of a meal the servants paraded around the tables showing off all the (often exotic) dishes. Then when the signal was given to start eating, they would go around to each table and present their dishes to the guests, who could then take a sample. Enterprising guests could sample everything offered, or just concentrate on certain favorites, but it was all available at the same time.

The second form is when each dish is served and consumed one at a time in sequence; this is known as service a la russe. We think we're familiar with that in the modern world. After all, we'll eat our salad first, then our entree, and finally our dessert.

But if, say, you have soup, a steak, a baked potato, broccoli, and chocolate cake, how many courses is that?

If you said three...nope, sorry, it's five.

Remember, a course is an individual dish. An entree of steak, potato, and veggie is not a single dish but three dishes combined together.

So while we may think we tend to eat sequentially, in actual practice we don't (this is known as "family style"), at least not as we would in a formal dinner, and often we don't eat the soup or salad separate from the entree either. If we did eat supper like it was a real formal dinner, it would go more like this:

First we'd eat the soup (first course);
then we'd eat the potato (second course);
next we'd eat the steak (third course);
after that we'd eat the veggie (fourth course);
and finally we'd eat the cake (fifth course).

Though we wouldn't have to eat everything of each course before being served the next, technically we wouldn't be served the next until we were finished with the previous.

See how that works? Each dish is literally eaten one at a time, with the sequence of courses determined before the meal.

Of course, generally a full course dinner is a kind of formal dining, which explains why it's served and eaten this way. The courses are carefully planned to complement each other gastronomically. They generally have smaller portions, and they are spread out over a long evening, up to three, four or five hours. In particular settings, these dinners follow conventions of menu planning that have been established over many years, even centuries. Each course (except for the lighter ones) is usually paired with a different wine, liqueur, or other spirit; each is likely to have its own dishes and silverware. The entire setup can be quite elaborate.

Technically, there is no limit to the number of courses served, though 10 or 12 is the usual limit. Here, for example, is a sample dinner served to the first-class passengers on board RMS Titanic:

1st Course -- Hors D'Oeuvres or Oysters
2nd Course -- Consomme Olga or Cream of Barley soup
3rd Course -- Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers
4th Course -- Filet Mignons Lili or Saute of Chicken, Lyonnaise
5th Course -- Lamb, Roast Duckling, or Sirloin of Beef
6th Course -- Chateau Potatoes, Boiled New Potatoes, Green Peas, Creamed Carrots, or Boiled Rice
7th Course -- Punch Romaine
8th Course -- Roast Squab on Cress
9th Course -- Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette
10th Course -- Pate de Foie Gras or Celery
11th Course -- Waldorf Pudding, Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly, Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs, or French Ice Cream

And here is an example of a 16-course meal:

1st Course -- Oysters or clams on a half shell. Alternatively, fruit or caviar may be served
2nd Course -- Soup (each guest may choose between clear or thick)
3rd Course -- Radishes, celery, olives and almonds
4th Course -- Fish, with potatoes and cucumbers with oil & vinegar
5th Course -- Sweetbreads or mushrooms
6th Course -- A roast
7th Course -- A green vegetable
8th Course -- Frozen Roman punch (an alcoholic fruit punch thickened with egg whites)
9th Course -- Salad
10th Course -- Game
11th Course -- Artichokes, asparagus or spinach inside a shell of pastry
12th Course -- Creamed sweet (e.g. a heavy pudding)
13th Course -- Frozen sweet (e.g. a sorbet or ice cream)
14th Course -- Cheeses with biscuits and butter
15th Course -- Crystallized and stuffed dried fruits served with bonbons
16th Course -- Coffee, liqueurs, cognac, and sparkling water (at this time cigars may be smoked)

It should be noted that it isn't strictly necessary to serve each course individually. Some naturally go together, like a meat and veggie, or foul and salad. These courses could be combined to help speed things up.

However, for the ultimate in fine dining, there is the 21-course dinner:

1st Course -- Amuse; a single bite-sized hors d'oeuvres meant to stimulate the appetite

2nd Course -- Second amuse

3rd Course -- Caviar

4th Course -- Cold appetizer

5th Course -- Thick soup

6th Course -- Thin soup

7th Course -- Shellfish

8th Course -- Antipasto; a plate of smoked salmon, smoked chicken, roast beef, pate, cabana sausage, brie-style cheese, cheddar-style goats milk cheese, Jensen's red washed rind cheese, olives, tapenade, rocket pesto, and tomato chutney

9th Course -- Pasta (short)

10th Course -- Sorbet; a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavored with fruit (typically juice or puree), wine, and/or liqueur, used to cleanse the palate

11th Course -- Quail

12th Course -- Wild mushrooms

13th Course -- Beef

14th Course -- Green salad

15th Course -- Puffed pastry filled with herbed mousse

16th Course -- Cheese

17th Course -- Pudding

18th Course -- Ice cream

19th Course -- Nuts

20th Course -- Petit four

21st Course -- Coffee and liquor

Makes your mouth water, doesn't it!

On Dreaming and the Dreamlands

There are three forms of dreaming. The first is normal dreaming, in which the mind uses the imagination to create images while a person is asleep. Like sleep itself, we do not yet fully understand the purpose of normal dreams, but this much is certain. Nearly all mammals dream, as well as some rather "primitive" creatures like spiders. And humans who are deprived of the ability to dream degenerate mentally, becoming delusional and paranoid, experiencing hallucinations, and finally suffering a psychotic break. The second form of dreaming occurs when sensory stimuli, acquired either through the senses or psychically, causes the mind to interpret and display the information as imaginary images.

The third form is known as Dreaming (note the capital "D"). This is the phenomenon wherein the mind of the sleeper slips across interdimensional space to another universe known as the Lands of the Dreams of Men (more popularly referred to as the Dreamworld or the Dreamlands). The Dreamlands is not imaginary; it has an independent physical existence, which is demonstrated by the fact that it is sometimes possible to physically enter the Dreamlands through "gates" created when the Dreamlands and our universe come into physical contact. In fact it constitutes an entire alternate reality, or at least a series of parallel universes within our Level 1 Multiverse. However, the Dreamlands was also created by the minds of sapient beings, and its nature is constantly changing as our perception of the Dreamlands changes.

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