Gilbert M. Stack's Blog, page 143
March 24, 2018
Today in History: The Quartering Act
On this day (March 24) in 1765, Great Britain passed the Quartering Act which became one of the Intolerable Acts that helped to spark the American Revolution. The “need” for the Act came out of the French and Indian war (1754-1763) in which British forces needed to be fed and quartered while fighting the war and the colonial governments were often slow to provide such quartering. In response, the British authorities took over private homes, forcing the owners to feed and house soldiers. This was illegal, but in the midst of the war the British generals frankly didn’t care about legalities.
After the war, the British government decided to leave troops in the colonies and demanded that the colonial governments pay for them. The colonies understandably asked why a standing army was needed in the American colonies now that the French threat was gone. Most refused to cooperate, leading to the Quartering Act that once again put the burden of supporting British troops on private citizens.
March 23, 2018
Blood Ties Coming This October
I've finished the first draft of my supernatural thriller, Blood Ties, which I'll be publiishing this October in honor of Halloween.
Today in History: Gemini 3
On this day (March 23) in 1965, the United States put Gemini 3 in orbit. It was the first time the U.S. had put a two-man capsule into space. (The Soviet Union had already put a two-man and three-man capsule into space.) And it was the first time anyone had changed a capsule’s orbit (they maneuvered to a lower altitude). Up until this time, capsules had been dependent on the orb it established by their rocket boosters when they were launched into space.
March 22, 2018
Today in History: The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag
On this day (March 22) in 1621, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony forged a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoag. The treaty stated that neither side would harm the other and if one did do harm, that person would be turned over to the harmed side for punishment. Thefts by either side would be restored. Both sides would render military aid to the other if they were attacked and they would publicize this fact. And finally, neither side would bring weapons into the other side’s settlements. The terms of the treaty were straight forward and simple and helped to cement an alliance which lasted through the first generation of the Plymouth Colony.
March 21, 2018
Introducing the Written Gems Discussion Group
I’m excited to announce the creation of a new discussion group on Goodreads dedicated to the wonderful but often underappreciated works that form the roots of Fantasy and Science Fiction today. This will include such greats as: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, and more—plus the occasional author you may have never read (but will be very glad you did).
These authors not only influenced the development of their genres but are still frankly fun to read today. We want to explore these works together and seek out more—and we’re inviting you to join us in our endeavor.
Joining me in this noble cause are authors William L. Hahn and Chris L. Adams. Will is an expert in epic fantasy and Chris is an authority on the pulp classics of the first half of the twentieth century. Together we’ll explore a new work each month, seeking to understand not only what made the novel fun in the past, but why it has endured, and what it has to offer for audiences today.
If you’re interested, why don’t you take a look at Written Gems on Goodreads where you’ll find more information about our group?
We’re going to start the discussion on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 with Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic, A Princess of Mars. This novel has inspired two movies, numerous comic books, and an amazing amount of both fan fiction and authorized sequels by ERB’s estate, which certainly goes a long way to establishing its modern relevance. It’s also an important piece of literature in its own right as it (and its many sequels) popularized the science fiction subgenre called the Planetary Romance.
Planetary Romance is not a term that’s used a lot today, but anyone who’s seen Avatar knows exactly what this subgenre is all about. The hero (or heroine) encounters adventure on a foreign planet and moves heaven and earth because of love. Another prominent modern example is the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk comic series. Classic examples can be seen in Buck Rogers, Adam Strange, Dune, Pern, the World of Tiers, Darkover, and the Hainish Cycle.
A Princess of Mars reads as a pretty straight forward adventure piece. Earthman John Carter finds himself on the planet Mars, meets the woman of his dreams, and moves the Martian equivalent of heaven and earth to rescue her from a horrible fate. Along the way there are loyal and heroic friends, terrifying monsters and epic fights and battles. When you sum it up like this, the novel doesn’t sound that ground breaking, and yet it has inspired the dreams of generations of readers and many of those readers (such as Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Jack Vance) grew up to inspire even more readers of all ages.
We hope you’ll join us.
Today in History: The Sharpeville Massacre
On this day (March 21) in 1960, the Sharpeville Massacre took place in South Africa. The massacre occurred during a civil rights protest against the pass laws—ordinances which required men over 16 (and starting in 1959, women) to carry passports internally in South Africa as a means of controlling the movements of blacks. Between 5000 and 10000 people (men, women and children) converged on a police station in Sharpeville to demand that they be arrested for not carrying their passports. The protest started out peacefully, but become more agitated as the day progressed and the crowd swelled to 20,000. Police reinforcements were rushed in including four armored personnel carriers. Sten submachine guns and Lee Enfield rifles were distributed to the officers. Fighter jets flew as low as 100 feet over the crowd. Stones were thrown in response. The police attempted to arrest a protestor and the crowd surged forward. The police then opened fire killing 69 people (including 8 women and 10 children) and injuring 180 others. Many were shot in the back as they fled. Today, South Africa commemorates this massacre as Human Rights Day.
March 20, 2018
Today in History: The Republican Party Is Born
On this day (March 20) in 1854 the Republican Party was organized in the United States in opposition to the Democratic Party. Early Republicans were drawn from anti-slavery advocates, modernizers, ex-Whigs (who had pushed westward expansion during the 1840s but collapsed over the slavery issue), and ex free soilers (a single issue party opposed to the expansion of slavery into the western territories). Their original slogan--free labor, free land, and free men--summed up their early focus on ending the corrupt economic system then dominating the southern economy and southern politics. They successfully burst out onto the national stage with the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in 1860.
March 19, 2018
Today in History: Daylight Savings Time
On this day (March 19) in 1918, the U.S. Congress established time zones across the United States and began the practicing of adjusting the clocks for Daylight Savings Time. The idea was first proposed by George Hudson in 1895 as a way of maximizing sunlight in the evenings so that industrial workers would be able to enjoy daylight at the end of their workdays.
March 18, 2018
Today in History: The Hawaii Admission Act
On this day (March Eighteen) in 1959 the Hawaii Admission Act was signed by President Eisenhower. The Act followed a referendum in Hawaii on whether to make the islands into a state. Out of a population of 600,000 people, 155,000 were registered to vote and 140,000 voted in favor of statehood.
March 17, 2018
Today in History: St. Patrick
On this day (March 17) sometime in the fifth century, St. Patrick is believed to have died. He was born into a wealthy Romano-British family in Britain, the son of a deacon and the grandson of a priest. (Priests were permitted to get married for the first millennia of Christianity.) At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland where over the next six years he learned to speak Gaelic. At the age of 22 he believed that God directed him to flee to the coast where he convinced sailors to return him to Britain, but he didn’t stay there. After becoming a priest, he returned to Ireland where his fluency in the local language made him a much more effective missionary than those who had preceded him. He converted thousands starting a process which eventually drove the druids (i.e. the snakes) out of Ireland.
