John C. Wright's Blog, page 30
March 27, 2015
Eulogy
Mrs Wright shares her thoughts about the passing of Leonard Nimoy:
History has overlooked one of my favorite Star Trek characters. You never hear her name any more, even though you hear Uhura all the time. But no one ever mentions Nurse Chapel, but I loved Nurse Chapel as a girl.
Because she loved Spock.
The thought of the unrequited love that this fine young woman (played by Roddenberry’s wife, Majel Barrett, who was also the voice of the ship’s computer) held for the calm, logical Mr. Spock delighted my teenage heart. Especially in the Amok Time episode, where she looked so hopeful when he suddenly got emotional.
I felt so sorry for her.
See the rest here: http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/2015/03/27/i-heart-spock-my-meandering-reminiscence-of-my-life-long-love-affair-with-a-certain-superversive-vulcan/
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 21, 2015
Some details on the Sandbar Fight
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbar_Fight#Brawl
On September 19, 1827, both Bowie and Major Wright attended a duel on a sandbar outside of Natchez, Mississippi. Bowie supported duelist Samuel Levi Wells III, while Wright favored Dr. Thomas Harris Maddox, both of Alexandria, Louisiana. About 16 men were present. Wells had also brought supporters, including Major George McWhorter and General Samuel Cuny. Maddox was supported by Colonel Robert Crain, Carey Blanchard, Alfred Blanchard, and several unnamed others.
Wright was late, and had not yet arrived when the duel began.
The duelists each fired two shots, and, as neither man was injured, resolved their duel with a handshake.
As the duelists turned to leave, Bowie came forward to meet them. Seeing this, Maddox’s friends ran forward to join the group. Cuny, who had previously fought with Crain, is recorded as having called out to him, “Col. Crain, this is a good time to settle our difficulty.”
Crain fired, missing Cuny but striking Bowie in the hip and knocking him to the ground. Cuny and Crain then exchanged fire, with Crain sustaining a flesh wound in the arm and Cuny dying from a shot to the chest.
Bowie, rising to his feet, drew his knife and charged at Crain, who struck him so hard with his empty pistol upon the head that it broke and sent Bowie to his knees.
Wright appeared, drew a pistol, and shot at the fallen Bowie, missing. Wright then drew his sword cane and stabbed Bowie in the chest, but the thin blade was deflected by his sternum.
As Wright attempted to pull the blade free, Bowie reached up, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him down upon the point of his Bowie knife.
Wright died quickly, and Bowie, with Wright’s sword still protruding from his chest, was shot again and stabbed by another member of the group. As Bowie stood, pulling the sword cane from his chest, both Blanchard brothers fired at him, and he was struck once in the arm. Bowie spun and cut off part of Alfred’s forearm. Carey fired a second shot at Bowie, but missed. As the brothers fled, Carey was shot and wounded by Major McWhorter.
The Battle of the Sandbar lasted more than 10 minutes, leaving Samuel Cuny and Norris Wright dead, and another four men—Alfred Blanchard, Carey Blanchard, Robert Crain and Jim Bowie—wounded.
Crain helped carry Bowie away, with Bowie recorded as having thanked him, saying, “Col. Crain, I do not think, under the circumstances, you ought to have shot me.” One doctor reputedly said “How he (Bowie) lived is a mystery to me, but live he did.” The doctors who had been present for the duel managed to patch Bowie’s wounds.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 17, 2015
Footnote on the Wisdom of Solomon
The deuterocanonical books, including Wisdom, were published in the original 1611 King James Bible. The deuterocanonical books was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D.
Many claim the deuterocanonical books should never have been included in the first place, raising doubt about their validity and divine inspiration. Others (including this writer) believe them valid, hence should never have been removed. These books were part of the Bible for nearly 2,000 years, and removed a little more than 100 years ago.
From St. Iraeneus alone there can be no reasonable doubt that the Canon of the Gospel was inalterably fixed in the Church by the last quarter of the Second Century. The Epistles, the Book of Acts, and the Revelation were authoritatively fixed in the canon during synods at Rome in the AD 382 and at Hippo in AD 393.
The authenticity of the scriptures was disputed by Reformers. Luther regarded Hebrews, James, Jude, and Apocalypse as altogether uncanonical. Zwingli rejected the Apocalypse as uncanonical.
Sixteenth Century scholars, consulting Jewish experts, could not find the deuterocanonical books, including Wisdom, in any survival original Hebrew manuscripts known to those times. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating back to before AD 70 contained parts of the apocrypha books in Hebrew, including Sirach and Tobit [source], which calls this conclusion into severe question.
The deuterocanonical books were removed because in part for doctrinal reasons (a passage in Maccabees, for example, seems to support prayers for the dead, hence the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory) and it was convenient for reformers, despite their professed doctrine of Sola Scriptura , to look to extra-scriptural sources, such as the current Jewish scholarly opinion, to edit the scripture so as to remove inconvenient counter-arguments to their various heretical opinions.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 14, 2015
A Glimpse of Somewhither
Dear readers, the claustrophobia of time has not allowed me the leisure to write a All Saint’s Day Eve story as is my wont, so instead I proffer for your reading entertainment the opening chapter of SOMEWHITHER, which should have enough elements of the eerie to serve for this day. The novel is unsold, unpublished, part of a trilogy that is unfinished, so this is the only venue where there is any chance to see this work. Here is the first glimpse. Speculations as to what is really going on and who is really insane are welcomed. Enjoy.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
A Glimpse of Somewhither (Update of the Update)
Dear readers, I proffer for your reading entertainment the opening chapter of SOMEWHITHER. The novel is unsold, unpublished, part of a trilogy that is unfinished, so this is the only venue where there is any chance to see this work. Here is the first glimpse, here updated, so as to make it a second glimpse. Speculations as to what is really going on and which of the characters is really crazy are welcomed. Enjoy.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 13, 2015
A Glimpse of Somewhither (Updated)
Dear readers, I proffer for your reading entertainment the opening chapter of SOMEWHITHER. The novel is unsold, unpublished, part of a trilogy that is unfinished, so this is the only venue where there is any chance to see this work. Here is the first glimpse, here updated, so as to make it a second glimpse. Speculations as to what is really going on and which of the characters is really crazy are welcomed. Enjoy.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
A Taste of Things to Come: The Somewhither Cover Art
Here is the preliminary cover art for SOMEWHITHER, my crosstime kitchen-sink action fantasy and anti-Dan Brown novel, due out later this year from Castalia House.
The artist is Jeremiah Humphries, who merits a round of applause. If you read the book, you will understand why I am so taken with this picture. You can see more of his work here (http://j-humphries.deviantart.com/)
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 10, 2015
Review of Architect of Aeons
Publisher’s Weekly has this to say:
Wright continues his latest space opera (following The Judge of Ages) in this galaxy-spanning extravaganza with nods to the Odyssey, Shakespeare, and Japanese legend, as well as classic visionary and military SF. Brilliant posthumans Ximen del Azarchel, suave and snobbish, and Menelaus Illation Montrose, earthy and stubborn, continue their multifaceted relationship as friends, allies, deadly foes, and bitter rivals for the love of the Princess Rania, who long ago departed from Sol’s planetary system. As the two geniuses debate whether to oppose or welcome the invasion of the solar system by planet-sized intelligences sent from afar, their ongoing dispute over the princess also continues unabated, sometimes in jests between the two and at other times in actions that affect the fates of millions of people. The years roll by in the tens of thousands while humans ascend to the stars, revert to barbarity, and ascend again. Wright revels in a linguistic phantasmagoria, including Montrose’s detailed and colorful cursing and numerous multisyllabic scientific and pseudoscientific terms…
To see the whole review, click here
I cannot recall to mind what Japanese legend, if any, my manuscript adumbrates.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
Sad Puppies — Last Day!
If you bought a membership you should have your ID and PIN from Sasquan. Allow me to remind you that today, 10 March, is the cutoff for nominations.
Here is our suggested slate.
https://bradrtorgersen.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/sad-puppies-3-the-2015-hugo-slate/
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
March 9, 2015
How to Give Atheists the Chance to Give God a Chance
Below is the written version my remarks to the Society of Patrician’s meeting held 9 March 2015 at Saint Veronica’s in Chantilly.
Do you believe in Santa Claus? Most adults do not. When addressing the question of how to give atheists the chance to give God a chance to save them, we look to them like adults who believe in Santa Claus, for they dismiss our faith as being as childish and irrational, and far more dangerous.
The question before us this evening is a hard question, for that degree of skepticism we face.
Before I address the hard question, I should like to say why I am qualified to answer it.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
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