Rob Sanders's Blog, page 9

Want to Play?: Easily A Thousand Words

Well, what a wonderful response. A picture might paint a thousand words but collectively we managed to come up with at least a thousand. Thank you so much to all those who responded in the Comments section, on various Facebook pages, Twitter and on forums. You all certainly achieved the aim of amusing the rest of us and earning our unbridled admiration. Some were 40k-centric, some reached out to other science fiction settings, some were wonderfully detailed and others short and pithy. Know that I loved them all but ultimately you would think it a cop out if I didn't pick one. Today's winner is David Penney and his contribution is included below. Thanks everyone for playing. Shall we do this again? I think we shall!


"Remember where we parked?"

Want To Play?: Worth a Thousand Words

It's the weekend, so just a quick game. A caption contest. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words - and sometimes not even a thousand. Let's put the maxim to the test. Check out the Warhammer 40k image below and supply a funny caption in either the Comments section or on a Facebook / Twitter / Forum reply. The one that tickles the most will go back up on the blog for the adoration and respect of the readership. If it works, might make this a regular feature. Right, game faces on...

You Can Ask!

I'm currently working through questions posed to me in the Ask the Author Section. I'm trying to be better at this. Apologies for the long wait. Please feel free to keep the questions coming even as I address the backlog. Today it's a few questions from arch reviewer and reader Lord of the Night regarding my novel Legion of the Damned


1. The Legion's ship was awesome. Unless I miss my guess it was the Raptorous Rex right?
Thanks. I tried to ensure that the Legion of the Damned remained a mystery. One of the best ways to do that was to keep things open to interpretation. Through my research I am aware of the Raptorous Rex. If a reader wants the ship to be the Raptorous Rex: so be it. If they want it to be something else: no problem.


2. You mentioned that the Legion cannot talk. After reading this novel i'm more interested in knowing whether or not they can actually die? They seem immortal,

Again, I try to keep it open. I certainly like the spectral army angle. The avenging spirits of dead Space Marines is cool also. A manifestation of the God-Emperor’s divine intervention is appealing also. Ultimately I wanted the perfect nemesis for the World Eaters - a foe so dominated by corporal concerns: blood, fury and murder. The Legion of the Damned – as I have depicted them – are a great counter to such an unstoppable force.


3. Do the Excoriators ever recover the Stigmartyr? And how did Kersh become SPOILER when practically everyone hates him?

I’d like to think that I haven’t finished with the Excoriators – so I won’t give a closed yes or no answer to the Stigmartyr question. In respect to how Kersh becomes SPOILER, he does so like he does everything else in the novel: through pure force of will and indomitability. Liked or not: he is the best of the Excoriators and has proven so in the arena and on the battlefield. His compassionate solution to the Certus-Minor slaughter proves that he is ready to become a true leader rather than just an exceptional warrior.


4. You mention that Euphrati Keeler is known as the Prophet of the God-Emperor, which is a very important title. Did you have to discuss this with the Heresy team?

I simply took my lead from the existing Heresy material. My editors were happy with the term. On the other hand, it’s a big universe and people call all kinds of people all kinds of things.


5. The name Cholercaust is awesome. How did you come up with it? And regarding The Pilgrim, I assume he was a Daemon Prince, could he ever return one day? Or did the Legion deal with him too?

Like many of the daemon princes that blast out of the Eye as part of blood crusades, I’d like to think the Pilgrim will be back to plague the Imperium. As for Cholercaust, it was just the savagely pleasing way the words choler and holocaust came together, in terms of theme and sound quality.


6. Now that Legion of the Damned is nearly on the shelves and doing quite well, what is next for you? And what current projects are you considering submitting to the editors?


My schedule is full of an exciting variety of projects for Black Library. My focus of late and in the near future is definitely on the Heresy and I’m loving spending more of my time on Heresy fiction. For a taster, check out the story Distant Echoes of Old Night in the 'Black Library GD Anthology 2012'. I was fortunate enough to be asked to introduce a new unit – the Destroyers – and get to play with some new weapons and toys in the setting.

Normal Services Resuming

Okay, normal services resume. Just taking a bit of a blogging break. Back now with news of new fiction, general genre chit-chat, questions answered and regular features like What Would Rob Do?, Nexus-6, Electronic Shoeboxing, A-Z of Influences and the ever popular Games and Puzzles.

Last night I watched a film called Cargo. Cargo stars Anna Katharina Schwabroh and is directed by Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter. It's a science fiction film, which isn't unusual. I have a wide range of genre interests but I tend to restrict my discussion of films, fiction etc on Rob Sanders Speculative Fiction to the science fiction, fantasy and horror. What is unusual about Cargo is that it's a Swiss science fiction film. It is the first and only Swiss science fiction film, to my knowledge. I beleive that this has led to Cargo being somewhat overlooked. It was made in 2009 but I can find very little in the way of reviews in British or American film magazines / websites.


In 2270 the Earth is uninhabitable and humanity lives on space stations in orbit. The wealthy and fortunate can move to the distant planet Rhea, however, that has been terraformed into an idyllic and sparsely populated paradise by deep space corporations. Dr. Laura Portmann's sister won a relocation lottery and now lives on Rhea. Portmann wishes to join her and accepts the post of medical officer on a long-haul cargo transport called the 'Kassandra' to raise the money to go.


When Portmann discovers an intruder on board in the colossal cargo section during her lonely watch she wakes the captain and security officer from cryogenic sleep. When they investigate the cargo section, the captain is mysteriously killed. Waking the rest of the crew, Portmann and the secuity officer try to get to the bottom of the captain's death. Who or what is in the cargo section and what does it have to do with Earth and Rhea?


I found Cargo to be a refreshing and interesting science fiction film. It isn't the best sci-fi film I've seen by a long shot but it surprised me how engaged I was by the mystery at the heart of goings on aboard the 'Kassandra'. There was a good deal of imaginative work evident in the script and visuals and actors did a good job with the material. It does its best to avoid cliches - for example, a HR Giger-inspired xenomorph does not slip out of the cargo hold and kill the crew one by one. That said, cliches are cliches because they have worked successfully many times over. The film had a style very much of its own, despite the fact that Ridley Scott's influence was definately in evidence (both Blade Runner and Alien). I think that lack of interest surrounding Cargo probably has more to do with second-language prejudice and a general audience averson to subtitles. If you can overcome these then I think you will find Cargo to be an interesting entry in the genre. Check out the trailer below. Cargo can be found on DVD and streaming package Lovefilm Instant.

SFX Magazine Interview

I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for SFX magazine recently. SFX boasts an impressive readership(myself among the number) and is regarded as "the world's number one science fiction and fantasy magazine". The interview can be found on p96 and 97 of Issue 225. The issue went on sale yesterday. Click here to check out what else is in the issue. I'm particularly impressed that my name is included in the same sentence as Ray Bradbury's!

I was thrilled at the opportunity and a big thanks goes out to Guy Haley for making it possible. His site Haley's Comment can be found on the side bar and is well worth a perusal. If you have this month's SFX, then check out the interview. If you haven't - it's still waiting for you at the newsagents! In the meantime, you can check out other interviews I've done here.

Nexus 6 (20-7-12)

What have I been reading on the internet this week? Time to check out my Nexus 6…

1. Top 10 Most Terrifying Werewolves


I love horror monsters: vampires, ghosts, zombies. Vampires are suffering from over-exposure (ha ha) at the moment and I have a particular soft spot for zombies, but I’ve always been fascinated by werewolves. I used to enjoy reading about them as a kid and still have books about historical attacks that were blamed on werewolves and the birth of the original legend. This is why I soon zeroed in on this article from NerdBastards ranking the top ten most terrifying werewolves. See if you agree here.



2. Geek Zodiac


I’m not into zodiac signs or astrology but this did grab my attention. The Geek Zodiac have created their own signs, dates and characteristics based upon the year you were born – just like the Chinese Zodiac (Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Tiger etc.) I felt compelled to find my sign: perhaps you will be too… Check it out here.


3. This Is Humanity’s Greatest Achievement, But Mainstream News Will Never Report It


Giant Freakin Robot this time, reminding us of one of humanity’s most incredible achievements and a significant barrier about to be broken – but no-one’s talking about it. I think that it’s kind of romantic and sad at the same time. I can’t help but feel sorry for it out there all alone and running out of power. What am I talking about: click here to find out.


4. Games Day


It’s coming around to that time of year again: Games Day – Games Workshop’s annual tournament-fest. There’s much more than just thousands of people bringing it on the table top. Every Games Day artists and hobbyists compete for one of the prized Golden Demon painting trophies. Readers queue to buy the latest Black Library releases and take the opportunity to get their books signed by Black Library authors who are usually in plentiful supply. Check out the Games Day preview articles here and here.


5. The Day


I’m always on the lookout for cool, new science fiction cinema releases. I came across the trailer for The Day - a Canadian, post-apocalyptic horror movies. More The Road or The Walking Dead than Mad Max, it might be worth a look.



6. ‘Can I see some identification?’

Necessary Evil

I'm really happy to announce that my Inquisitor Czevak short story Necessary Evil is to be re-released in Hammer and Bolter, Black Library's monthly fiction magazine. Necessary Evil was originally released as a Limited Edition short, which was great but meant that many readers of Inquisitor's Czevak's adventures in Atlas Infernal could not read it until now. It can be found in next month's issue of the magazine: Hammer and Bolter #23.

Here's the blurb:

"Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak - scholar, adventurer, fugitive. Since fleeing the fabled Black Library of the eldar with the Atlas Infernal, he has been hunted by xenos, heretic and sorcerer just as he once hunted them.

Guided and protected by this ancient tome bound in human skin, he has now found his way to the daemon world of Nereus in search of a powerful Chaos artefact. With Ahriman and the Thousand Sons racing to claim it for themselves, Czevak must scour the colony of Perdition's Landing if he is to outwit his old enemies... but might this bedraggled outpost hide an even darker secret of its own?"

The great thing about Necessary Evil is that is that it can serve the needs of different readers. If you have already read Atlas Infernal, then the story serves as a standalone adventure - following Bronislaw Czevak into some of the darkest and most dangerous corners of the universe. If you haven't read Atlas Infernal than it serves as a nice introduction to the character.


Hammer and Bolter is out next month and can be pre-ordered here. I share the covers with Black Library veterans Graham McNeill and Dan Abnett, kick-ass ladies Nik Vincent and Sarah Cawkwell and new blood(and newlywed) Graeme Lyon.

Can't wait? Easy. Buy Atlas Infernal today. Click here for print version and here for eBook.

What Would Rob Do? - The Kobayashi Maru

It’s been a while since I’ve done a ‘What Would Rob Do?’ entry. Previous entries have included What Would Rob Do? aboard the starship Nostromo in Ridley Scott’s Alien and What Would Rob Do? at Outpost 31 in John Carpenter’s The Thing. If you want to check these out you can find my solutions below:

What Would Rob Do? Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’
What Would Rob Do? John Carpenter’s The Thing.

This time I thought I would match my wits to the infamous no-win scenario The Kobayashi Maru, depicted in Nicholas Meyer’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Beware: Spoilers.


The Kobayashi Maru scenario was an infamous no-win scenario that was part of the curriculum for command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy in the 23rd century. It was primarily used to assess a cadet's discipline, character and command capabilities when facing a seemingly impossible situation.re is no one answer to the problem.

In 2285, on the simulated bridge, the cadet was placed in command of the USS Enterprise on patrol near the Klingon Neutral Zone. A Neutral Zone is either the equivalent of a modern day Demilitarized Zone (e.g. between North and South Korea) or similar to existing Neutral Zones in the Middle East (the Saudi-Iraqi Neutral Zone and the Saudi-Kuwaiti Neutral Zone, both established in the 1920s and disbanded by the 1990s). Either example results in the same: bordering nations / civilisations and their militaries are forbidden from entering or maintaining a presence in the identified area (like establishing a base or vessel patrols).

In the simulation the Enterprise would receive a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru, a civilian freighter (a neutronic fuel carrier) that had been disabled in the zone after having struck a gravitic mine. If the cadet chose to enter the neutral zone in violation of treaties, the starship would be confronted by Klingon battle cruisers. The test was considered a no-win scenario because it was impossible for the cadet to simultaneously save the Kobayashi Maru, fight the Klingons and escape from the neutral zone with the starship intact. A cadet's choice of how to handle the rescue operation gave insight into his or her command decision-making. Check out a cadet’s failure to beat the no-win scenario below in a clip from Nicholas Meyer’s ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’.



As you can imagine, this is a difficult one. The simulation is programmed to result in defeat regardless of the strategies employed, so beating the simulation is not really possible without cheating. If the situation was actual rather than simulated - and employed strategies had at least a chance of success – then I’d be tempted to employ a less direct approach than the one depicted in the clip. What would Rob Do?


For a start, I’d take my lead from the Klingon Battle Cruiser commanders rather than the Star Fleet officers. For the Klingons to attack so swiftly and detect the Enterprise’s approach (without the Enterprise detecting them) the Klingons were probably already within the Neutral Zone, closing in on the Kobayashi Maru. It was clever of the Klingons to have breached the zone without detection, to have negotiated the area while avoiding gravitic mines themselves and pillage a helpless freighter without even having to discharge their weapons. All they have to do is wait until the life support systems on the Kobayashi Maru fail and then salvage the vessel and/or its cargo.


I think that the key to this is to remain fair to the scenario (i.e. rely only on notions that would have occurred to those involved in the situation and setting). The scenario‘s no-win nature largely comes from the ridiculous inflexibility of Star Fleet regulations and directives, rather than actual futility. More able commanders would be able to subvert these regulations without directly breaking them. Horatio Nelson’s strategies – while not contravening the traditions of the British Royal Navy – were considered new and unusual at the time. Their employment by his contemporaries in both British and foreign navies was largely a result of Nelson’s very public success. In the clip above, the cadet’s actions are textbook and predictable: as is the contrary advice given by other Star Fleet officers on the bridge. I can almost imagine the Klingon flotilla commander sat in his / her chair with a Star Fleet manual open on their lap. Star Fleet might as well have unquestioning robots crew their vessels. This is what I would do.


1. Upon receiving the transmission, establish a course to breach the Neutral Zone and intercept the Kobayashi Maru.

2. Go to Battle Stations. This would include raising shields as a precaution and already having torpedoes and phasers primed. I would also scramble armed parties to the transporters in readiness for a boarding action. If not a real disaster, The Kobayashi Maru could prove to be an excellent trap set by pirates or wreckers to isolate larger vessels in the Neutral Zone. As part of such an early decision to go to Battle Stations, I would order long range scans before I even entered the Neutral Zone. I would be actively looking for enemy vessels and would likely detect them long before the Enterprise does in the simulation. I must assume that there is a good chance that I am going to be attacked: the Neutral Zone borders the Klingon Empire – an aggressive species (e.g. ‘they don’t take prisoners’); the gravitic mines are a clear sign to keep out; my vessel is taking what might, not unreasonably, be interpreted as a hostile and invasive action.

3. Take out some insurance. I would send fake and repeated communications to Star Fleet battle cruisers nearby, instructing them to close and support the Enterprise’s rescue of the Kobayashi Maru in the Neutral Zone. I would assume that the Klingon navy would have fairly detailed knowledge of Star Fleet vessels, so I would use powerful vessels as examples. This would likely make any Klingon vessels in the area think twice before interfering with the rescue mission (they would be outgunned) and it would likely dissuade any of the potential pirates / wreckers identified above, if the Kobayashi Maru actually turned out to be a trap. I could, of course, explain such a strategy away to my crew and superiors by citing Star Fleet regulations that even feature later in the film: "If transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages are to be transmitted on an open channel." I could claim it was a coded message and that entering the Neutral Zone was likely to result in battle. This strategy alone could mean a successful evacuation of the Kobayashi Maru’s crew. Three out of three!

4. Let’s assume the Klingons aren’t fooled. My long range scans would detect the three Klingon cruisers on their approach. They are arming their weapons, so I assume they are going to destroy the Enterprise for breaching the Neutral Zone and breaking the Treaty. Why should I - a Star Fleet officer, in command of a battle cruiser – be any less outraged at the Klingons’ similar transgression. You can be sure that I am going to fire on the approaching flotilla first. Let’s assume that I am at least as battle ready as the Klingons. I destroy / incapacitate one Klingon cruiser, while sustaining some damage from the other two. My raised and ready shields save me from outright destruction / incapacitation.

5. The crew of the Kobayashi Maru were always going to die. They were the victims of a horrific, deep space accident (from wandering into the Neutral Zone, to hitting a mine, to being discovered by not one but three merciless Klingon vessels). A rescue is to be attempted by any reasonable Star Fleet officer but success is not to be expected. This is similar to the way a doctor will still try their best to save a critical patient, even when they objectively know that there is little chance of survival. After so long – even the doctor gives up and calls time on the patient. With the Klingon cruisers engaging the Enterprise and the vessel outgunned, I would stage a mock withdrawal. This is what the Klingon commander would hope for and expect. Both vessels would pursue. I would simply ensure that the enemy cruisers’ most direct route to the Enterprise would run close to the Kobayashi Maru (i.e. put the freighter between me and the enemy). I would then beam a photon torpedo - or ten - aboard the Kobayashi Maru, on a countdown to detonation. While the Enterprise makes good its escape, the torpedoes would detonate, blowing up the Kobayashi Maru. The freighter is detailed as a neutronic fuel carrier. The resulting explosion of ship and fuel cargo would likely destroy the Klingon cruisers passing close by or at very least incapacitate them / delay their pursuit.

6. I would then take the Enterprise out of the Neutral Zone and grab a bottle of Romulan Ale. I need this for two reasons. The first is that I’m celebrating: I confronted and destroyed three Klingon battle cruisers with my single vessel and I’m about to be promoted by Star Fleet command. The second reason is because I’m about to take up a drinking habit and become an alcoholic. It is the only way I can live with the death of the four hundred or so crew and passengers aboard the ill-fated Kobayashi Maru. I also need to drink to cope with the looks of reproach and disgust I’ll receive from my own crew aboard the Enterprise. That’s okay, though, because my promotion includes a transfer to one of the more powerful vessels I alluded to in my ruse earlier.


Verdict: The Kobayashi Maru is a no-win scenario for three reasons. It is unreasonable to expect a commander to save the crew of the Kobayashi Maru, defeat the Klingon battle cruisers and escape with their own vessel intact. I’ll go for two out of three then – which is a better result than the zero out of three achieved by cadets taking the test without cheating and the three out of three achieved by a cheating James T. Kirk That said, I’m ready to have my ass handed to me by an observant fan of the franchise!

Nexus 6 (12-7-12)

It's that time of the week: time to check out what genre-related stuff I've been reading on the internet. Last week the greatest amount of interest focussed on Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford's poor promotion skills. What will it be this time, I wonder? For your consideration:


1. Top 50 Robots and Artificial Intelligence Computers in the Movies


We’re back with the dependable Den of Geek. Here they detail their Top 50 robots and artificial intelligence computer systems. There are many on the list that I’d forgotten. Check it out here and see if you agree with the order.



2. Panic Stations!


There aren’t a whole lot of mainstream board games with a science fiction premise, so it’s really nice to see Panic Station – a board game heavily influenced by John Carpenter’s The Thing. A team of heavily armed troopers enter a desolate army base. The collective mission: destroy the alien parasite that lurks within the darkness. Your team has only half an hour to locate the parasite hive and destroy it. But one member of your team has transformed into a host and will attempt to infect your team… one by one.


Panic Station is a paranoia-driven semi-cooperative game in which you control two characters in the Extermination Corps sent out by the government to investigate the presence of fiendish alien life forms. However, one of the players will become a Host. He must keep this identity secret, infecting as many team members as possible to gain allies and prevent the humans from completing their mission. Only players who carefully watch the behavior of team members will stand a chance against the infected players and roaming parasites. Panic Station is a game of growing paranoia in which no one can truly trust anyone. Players move both their Androids and Troopers through the base, exploring and gathering equipment that will help them to complete their mission: to find and destroy the Parasite Hive hidden somewhere in the inner depths of this doomed location. A player who gets his Trooper into the Hive and plays three gas can cards to fuel his Flamethrower wins the game for the humans. GMS Magazine reviews the game and gameplay here.


3. Herald of Oblivion


Continuing the gaming theme, this week Black Library released their first Path to Victory series gamebook to feature Space Marines. Last year Christian Dunn kicked off the series to great aplomb with Hive of the Dead. Check it out here. The modern master of the gamebook format Jonathan Green picks up the series reins with Herald of Oblivion. Cue blurb:

You are a veteran Space Marine of the Imperial Fists Chapter. Equipped with powerful Terminator armour and armed with the deadliest weapons that the Adeptus Astartes wield, you are a symbol of the Emperor's might. Trapped aboard the space hulk 'Herald of Oblivion' and the only survivor of your squad, you must fight your way through the aliens and heretics that infest the star vessel and find a way to escape the horror and return to your Chapter.


Check it out here. Jonathan talks about Herald of Oblivion and his gamebooks on his website here. I love that Black Library have returned to gamebooks many years after Games Workshop founders Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson began the highly successful Fighting Fantasy series. You can check out what I have to say about gamebooks here.


4. Alien (1979) Test Footage


This is interesting. Aliens relied a good deal on hydraulics/robotics. Alien 3 and every movie in the franchise since used CGI for their alien effects. Ridley Scott’s first Alien film used the old fashioned method of a man in a suit: but what a man! At 7’ 2’’, Nigerian actor Bolaji Badejo was an inspired choice for the alien. Check out this test footage from the film in which Bolaji takes direction and experiments with physicality and movement. Even out of the full suit, in the long corridor and using his body to great effect, Bolaji creates a seriously creepy portrayal of the movie monster.



5. Two Ways Science Fiction Is Destroying Itself


An interesting article here from Giant Freakin Robot in which they look at science fiction film trends this year and draw some interesting conclusions about the direction of the genre. I’m just glad to see that the genre is getting representation. In tough financial times it would be easy to do away with entire genres on the basis of their ambitions and cost of realisation but we also need to make sure that our science fiction diet isn’t becoming too stale.


6. Poor Luke...

Want To Play?: Imperial Navy Idenitification Solution

As promised, I'm providing the answers to yesterday's puzzle. The Imperial Navy Identification proved to be very popular: it seems people really do 'Want To Play'! Thanks to all who took part. If you haven't played and would like to before being supplied the answers - stop reading now and click here. Otherwise, here is the puzzle and the answers. Click for close-ups.





Answers:

A: 4

B: 6

C: 2

D: 3

E: 7

F: 1

G: 5