Stopping a Goliath, part two

Murray the Alchemist: Last time, we tried the brute force approach with Titan. This time, we'll use finesse and maybe get a better explosion. My lovely assistant Tachyon--I know, don't ask about my social life--will use his mastery of time and a pack of gum to wipe out a Goliath.

Titan: I like how eager the volunteers are, but they're crowding the stage. I'll brush 'em back with my gun.

Calamity Kid: That's some gun. You know we don't kill, don't you?

Titan: It's okay. I'm just blowing their mechanical legs off. They can still applaud.

MtA: Okay, Tachyon, your job is to chew this pack of gum in a couple seconds.

Tachyon: That's more Titan's job--he has the super mouth. But I'll do it. Gah! That was bad! I won't be able to open my mouth at all tomorrow.

Titan: Which proves God still does miracles after all.

MtA: Now stick it in one of the smaller barrels of that Goliath.

CK: You've gotta be kidding!

Titan: No, it'll work: the gum doesn't have to stop the ammo, just slow it down enough that the explosive force behind the bullet has nowhere to go for a moment. There! See? Like that.

CK: Okay, but we still don't have suits that let us speed up time.

Tachyon: Talk to your wardrobe people.

CK: The deal was, you guys would show us how to stop Goliaths. So far, it's stuff we can't do.

MtA: What's the "CK" for, "Constant Kvetcher"? Shut up and learn! I guess you can't send a superhero to do an alchemist's job, though, and the last few explosions have been pretty pathetic. I wouldn't mind a gun like Titan's...

Titan: Private property, Murray. It'll go boom if a non-superhero messes with it.

MtA: So it's time for my never-fail method. Here, I'll slip off the robe and put this on...

Goliath: Surrender, Fundi dog!

MtA: Hey, watch who you're calling a Fundi! I'm from the pizza place on the corner--that's right, the one you bozos almost blew up! We'll give you a free pizza to aim at someone else.

Goliath: Your pizzas are that effective as weapons? Oh, no, wait. You mean a bribe, right? Okay, I'm good with that. But remove any pepperoni first! I wasn't born yesterday.

MtA: Your loss--they're the best part. Okay, there. Now say "Aah"!

Goliath: Wait--I didn't want anchov--

[Earth-shattering KABOOM]

MtA: Idiot. Only an amateur would mine the pepperoni. Anchovies are better for that, and since no one eats them anyway, it's no loss.

CK: Why didn't the blast kill you?

Titan: Murray's immune to explosions. And every pesticide we've tried so far.

CK: Okay, but what about the pizza? How'd you get it in there?

MtA: C'mon, you don't think a guy would get into something like that if it shut him off from pizza, do you? There had to be a pizza delivery slot.

CK: It's not in the specs.

MtA: That's the kind of important info you only get by word of mouth. Like a secret handshake.

CK: How can you get a secret handshake by... Hey, wait! The Goliath operator is lying there with his eyes exed out! I told you we don't kill!

Titan: Relax. It's just a cartoony way of saying he's in his happy place. And Darklight says this is gonna be an unhappy place in just a minute, so we'd better leave before the janitors show up. They hate people who leave a mess behind. We can discuss this over lunch.

MtA: I'll bring the pizza!

What others say:
Fantasy Thyme
jamessomers.blogspot.com
Write and Whine
Hoshi to Sakura
Wayfarer's Journal
BlogCritics Interview
Daniel I Weaver
Disturbing the Universe
Grace Bridges
Queen of Convolution
Virtual Tour de 'Net
Christian Fiction Review Blog
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Review
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Interview
MaryLu Tyndall
Cathi's Chatter

The Book, etc.:
FrankCreed.com
BooksoftheUnderground.com
Purchase Flashpoint at Amazon.com
Purchase signed copies of Flashpoint

Stopping a Goliath, part one

Murray the Alchemist: In the book Flashpoint, Goliaths are big scrapheaps that make life hard for the good guys. Kind of like Shecky the Paladin. So as a gesture of... Oh, sorry--wrong gesture. Anyway, some of Ansric's characters are showing this dweeb how to handle Goliaths without even a sling and stones!

Calamity Kid: How'd you like some nap time, Murray?

Titan: It won't make any difference. He talks in his sleep.

MtA: And you're both talking over my intro! We sent the One State an invitation to the First Annual Fundies vs Goliaths Games, and here they come. You gotta like an enemy who drops everything and sends you free toys whenever you want. I'll send them a thank-you letter bomb later.

CK: Are you nuts?

Titan: If you don't know by now, that gum's rotted your brain.

CK: The Neros'll be all over us!

Tachyon: No problem. Darklight's not only jamming the Goliaths, he's telling their base what they want to hear. When we're done, the guys can even listen to an inspirational talk on getting to know God. Your Hacks worked it up for us. You know e-girl, don't you? She's nice.

CK: You are nuts. She's my sister.

Tachyon: So it doesn't run in the family? Being nice, understanding computers? Hacks do a lot of the important stuff in Flashpoint.

Titan: Stop him before he starts singing the Hack Anthem! So Allen's got a girfriend! What did you say, "Hey, nice avatar"?

Tachyon: That's "Tachyon" to you, Titank.

CK: Those Goliaths are getting close! I'll try to hold them off...

Titan: Nah, here, I'll get the first one. Whoa! Frisky guys...

MtA: Goliaths are two-legged tanks with lots of firepower. Well, lots by some people's standards. I bet I blow up more stuff by 10 a.m. than they do all day. How's it feel, Titan?

Titan: Halfway between the time you fixed the chili and that first time we met when you offered to fix the gas grill.

CK: They hit you with enough firepower to kick a tank for a field goal! How come you're still standing?

Titan: My shields route the impact through hyperspace to blast the daylights out of a nearby piece of real estate. But here's a new trick: I can set the destination closer. I'll just put my left hand on this Goliath and wait for somebody to shoot--Whoa!

CK: At least that knocked you back.

Titan: Of course--I was right next to the blast. But now watch this! Come on, turn around, you tin gorilla. TURN AROUND, STUPID! I want your good side, and it's not your front.

CK: Great. Now you're mooning me with a Goliath?

Titan: No, I'm just trying to get behind it and... Hyaah! Tadah! Huh. Okay, I guess you can't give a Goliath a wedgie. At least the insurance company can't say I didn't try.

CK: I never saw a Goliath walk that way.

Titan: Yeah. Maybe they'll ship it out to California.

CK: This is real interesting, but we don't have suits that let us walk right up to Goliath and pound it.

MtA: Okay, next time I'll show you how to stop a Goliath with a pack of gum.

CK: You're not getting my Winterfresh Extra!

MtA: Relax! I prefer cinnamon anyway.

What others say:
Fantasy Thyme
jamessomers.blogspot.com
Write and Whine
Hoshi to Sakura
Wayfarer's Journal
BlogCritics Interview
Daniel I Weaver
Disturbing the Universe
Grace Bridges
Queen of Convolution
Virtual Tour de 'Net
Christian Fiction Review Blog
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Review
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Interview
MaryLu Tyndall
Cathi's Chatter

The Book, etc.:
FrankCreed.com
BooksoftheUnderground.com
Purchase Flashpoint at Amazon.com
Purchase signed copies of Flashpoint

Frank Creed: The Genuine Fake Interview

I was going to interview Frank Creed, author of Flashpoint, but a few of my own characters (mostly Darklight, who can change his appearance) decided to hijack the proceedings on the grounds that their responses will be more colorful and controversial than his.

Could be.

Ansric: So you're Frank Creed.

FC: As close as you're getting to him, anyway.

Ansric: And you're a cat.

FC: What, that again? "Oh, you're a cat! Read any good mice lately?" What's everyone's problem?

Ansric: Well, we kind of get the impression you're human.

FC: That's Scott Morris. I don't know why people get us mixed up; we don't look that much alike. I've told him to shave his beard.

Ansric: And on your Shoutlife photo page, you're listed as "Mavis."

FC: Have you tried publishing something like Flashpoint as "Mavis the Cat"? I have to use a pen-name.

Ansric: But isn't "Frank Creed" just a pen-name for Scott Morris?

FC: Ha! No way! Scott can't write!

Ansric: Really?

FC: Not even a grocery list. It's sad. That's why I do all the writing.

Ansric: So what does Scott do?

FC: Carries me around, mostly. And he types. He's a good typist. Well, good enough that his wife can clean up his work.

Ansric: You can't type?

FC: Not with these paws. Computers are supposed to improve access, you know, but they still don't have a cat-friendly interface. And don't do any mouse jokes.

Ansric: Do you ever bring your, uh, feline viewpoint to your stories?

FC: I try, but The Man is always censoring me.

Ansric: "The Man"?

FC: Your species as a whole. Not that I'm prejudiced. I tried getting a story through recently, but The Man blocked me.

Ansric: I'm sorry to hear that.

FC: Yeah, but I'm rollin' now. I have my own Shoutlife page under my own name. Scott's been doing his usual cutesy stuff, but I've been talking to Calamity Kid, and he thinks it's time for a coup.

Ansric: Okay, thanks for sharing that. But what about Flashpoint? Did your felinity influence the story?

FC: Of course! You don't think a human would come up with all the "wire-fu" stuff in the book, do you? Cats have been doing that forever! The book's about action, and cats are all about action. That and day-long naps.

Ansric: So do you hope to be the first cat in the Who's Who of Wu Shu?

FC: Maybe.

Ansric: I bet you can't say it five times fast, though.

FC: It. It. It. It. It-- Gah! Got a hairball on that last one!

Ansric: Well, that looks like an interview-ending injury to me, so we'll post some links that can't help but be more informative:

What others say:
Fantasy Thyme
jamessomers.blogspot.com
Write and Whine
Hoshi to Sakura
Wayfarer's Journal
BlogCritics Interview
Daniel I Weaver
Disturbing the Universe
Grace Bridges
Queen of Convolution
Virtual Tour de 'Net
Christian Fiction Review Blog
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Review
Yellow30 Sci-Fi: Interview
MaryLu Tyndall
Cathi's Chatter

The Book, etc.:
FrankCreed.com
BooksoftheUnderground.com
Purchase Flashpoint at Amazon.com
Purchase signed copies of Flashpoint

The Horror!

And now, a sight so horrifying it will probably scar you for life. If you're like me, you're a junior geezer with a lot of scars already, so one more won't matter. But for the kiddies, note: Please ask your parents first. It will probably go like this:

You: Is it okay if I look at something on the Web that will scar me for life?

Mom: Is it kinky or illegal?

You: Uh... No.

Mom: Then your father probably hasn't seen it yet. Ask him.

Dad: Does it cost money?

You: No.

Parents: Great! We'll get the popcorn!


Anyway, click if you dare! (It'll prepare you for the next few days...)

Spiritual RPGs--summary

Do RPGs have to be spiritual? If you mean, "Do they have to feature witnessing and prayer meetings?" then the answer is No. But I doubt a Christian will (yes, or "should") feel comfortable participating in a world that by its nature excludes God. I'm not advocating "Church: the Roleplaying Game!" (that happens too much as it is), just RPGs that are open to my faith. And as I discovered in my writing, not only does giving God the best seat at the table leave plenty of story lines, it also leads to better ones.

A narrative (purposeful, creative) emphasis is more in tune with Christian views than a random, mechanistic one.

Immersive games are more likely to affect your views and behavior. An old-fashioned dungeon-crawl game on the computer isn't as likely to harm you as a first-person shooter or a game where you're stealing cars and beating people up.

On the other hand, it would be interesting to see some games that feature a Christian premise without trying to mechanize the spiritual aspect. For example, a Christian version of Dogs in the Vineyard set either in early times or perhaps in a "post-Apocalyptic" (Hollywood sense) period would be good. (An RPG based on on Frank Creed's Flashpoint is under development.) I would tend toward a "rules-lite" approach such as Risus for general gaming and narrate the spiritual phenomena.

I'd like to hear about any games you come up with along these lines. Perhaps if we can pioneer instead of just cloning secular games, we'll get some useful, even evangelistic, dialog going. For a truly Christian RPG that encourages thoughtful, biblical narrative could make it Satan's turn to ask whether RPGs are "threat or menace."

League of Superheroes on Flashpoint, Part 2

Ansric: But what did you think of the story itself? Would you buy it?

Genie: I don't usually buy books. I either get them online or read them at a library.

Tom: When it's closed.

Genie: It's easier that way. Otherwise I'd have to assume a visible identity, and even then they wouldn't expect me to speedread a stack of books.

Ansric: What about the rest of you? Would you buy Flashpoint?

Rod: I would.

Allen: I'll agree with the big guy on this, though I still think more hacking would be better--and maybe a Catholic character or two. What did you think, Genie?

Genie: I have no preference about denominational representation, but it does seem odd that they would use physical conflict over cyber-terror. Given the probable cost of their equipment and their refusal to take lives, hacking would be more efficient. If they targeted components whose loss would not harm people, they could still effectively bring the system down. Trading identities and information on people at random would be good, or they could simply de-classify all information and randomly boost ordinary people's bank accounts. The chaos and humiliation could be leveraged into a campaign to get the local governments to re-assert control.

Allen: That does sound reasonable.

Charlie: But it wouldn't do anything about the spiritual conflict, which is the main problem. God gave us these bodies not only to interact with his creation but to interact with the spiritual world. I don't think you can do spiritual warfare with hacking. Mr. Creed got that right: a spiritual problem needs a spiritual solution. Our technology only positions us for the same on-our-knees work Christians have always done.

Genie: I would think that superhumanity would imply super-spirituality. If I became a Christian, my mind would still be an asset, wouldn't it?

Charlie: No more than any other mind that's yielded to God. The power and glory are his. And I think you'd find--I think you have found--that all superhumanity magnifies is sinfulness. If we could improve our spiritual state by our own efforts, that would be salvation by works, so all that gets improved is the fleshly side of us--our sin nature.

Genie: I don't know. There are other superhuman characters; what do they say?

Ansric: Heather from "Changelings" and Martin both agreed that the arm of flesh counts for nothing; only the power of God matters. Mike Q. Fagin from The Janus File just said that the book wasn't written by a superhuman, or he would know that we aren't made for that anymore. Then he said something about a curse and walked away. Colin from The Gate of Hell agreed with him.

Rod: He would. They're almost twins, except Mike's a nutcase and Colin's doom incarnate.

Genie: Mike is not a nutcase. He's the most intelligent person I've ever met, but his powers are a burden to him. That's why he goofs around. I thought his salvation somehow mitigated his problems, though.

Ansric: Others like him are generally sociopaths, and he isn't. That's a big difference. Anyway, Heather and Martin said that the key is superhumanity God's way, by the Spirit of God coming upon people--though they allowed that it still doesn't make much difference in spiritual matters. Their unusual spiritual insights and powers are gifts from God to help them perform their duties. And even Guardians and Heralds fail. Now, last call for opinions.

Tom: I like the humor, and the spiritual points were well done. Dad was bothered by a few things, but he said he wanted to see the next installment before deciding.

Rod: I think it's pretty good. And it's simple enough even Allen could read it.

Allen: I think it should have pictures to help people like Rod. Oh, I forgot--there aren't any people like Rod.

Charlie: I think the Holy Spirit can deal with any problems, but it is a good start.

Clarice: I wish he'd told what happened to Legacy. And I think e-girl should tell the story sometimes.

Genie: It's outside my field in more ways than one, but I think it's a good example of Christianizing the genre.

League of Superheroes on Flashpoint, Part 1

As promised, we have the League of Superheroes, including Genie, the supergenius who got them started, to talk about Flashpoint by Frank Creed. I should identify them:
Rod Davies is Titan, a walking tank. He's a math and physics genius.
Tom Reilly is Darklight, an invisible spy. He's a language geek like me.
Allen Peters is Tachyon, able to speed or slow time. He's a hacker.
Clarice Peters is his little sister. She goes by the handle "Goodcheer." Don't laugh; it's cruel.
Charlie Taylor is Micromegas, a size-changer. He wants to be a medical missionary.
We'll start with... Oh, Rod, of course.
Rod: I liked it. Good action, fun dialog. Dad said he'd nail me if I talked that way, but he seemed to like it too. He didn't care for that Lix female, though. Too kinky.
Allen: I thought you had a wallpaper of her on your handheld.
Rod: I do not! Don't joke about stuff like that--Dad's listening. Yeah, okay, Dad. Here, see? Hey--what's with the "Huggie Bears" wallpaper? Allen!
Allen: They always blame me.
Rod: Well, it sure wasn't Tom!
Allen: Maybe it was Uncle. He's pretty good. Besides, Clarice likes the Huggie Bears.
Clarice: That was last year. Where is Uncle, anyway?
Ansric: He said he'd leave this to the younger crowd. Stick to Flashpoint.
Allen: Well, I thought it was pretty cool. The action was good, though I thought it would've worked better if Calamity Kid had done some hacking in the field. That would be the best way to deal with the Goliaths.
Rod: With my suit, I'd just blast their legs off and pry them open. That would teach the wimps inside a lesson.
Allen: Well, I'd just stroll over to them and paint over their sensors and stuff their gun barrels with whatever was handy. Or I'd isolate their power supply and age it a few years.
Charlie: I think we're supposed to talk about the story as it stands. There's a role-playing game for people who want to try alternatives.
Rod: I bet they don't have tech-based superpowers, though. You'd just shrink down to bug size, fly under a Goliath, and and show it how tall a Goliath could really be!
Charlie: Actually, I would shrink down, fly inside, and witness to the operator. Sooner or later he would either get saved or flee the vehicle.
Rod: What about you, Tom? Oh, yeah, I forgot: you don't have any offensive powers.
Tom: I shouldn't argue with the Death Star--you're the most offensive guy I know. But I could do a lot of what Allen--I mean Tachyon--could do. Besides, some of my counter-intelligence gear could really confuse a guy in a Goliath.
Ansric: Okay, but the story--
Rod: Hey, Genie! What did you think?
Genie: I haven't read it.
Rod: Allen's got it on his computer.
Allen: Sent it.
Genie: All right, but it'll take a moment...
Rod: And while she's doing that, I'll count to one. Ready?
Genie: Yes, I'm ready. It emphasizes the spiritual more than I like, but I suppose compared with "Star Wars" or more obviously the "Matrix" series, it's good enough.
Allen: You used compressed time, didn't you?
Genie: Of course. I didn't want to put people through Rod's counting to one.

To be continued...

Crouching Matrix, Hidden Christians--Leaping Lizards!

From time to time I'll review or just write about a book, and I thought I'd start off with Flashpoint by Frank Creed. I got the idea when a golden-eyed guy in a duster tossed me a copy and then began minutely inspecting his sword.

So where do I begin? Flashpoint is roughly a Christian answer to the Matrix, but most of the action (including sword fights and martial arts displays) occurs in the real world, courtesy of combined high tech and spiritual power, so there's a certain amount of Americanized wuxia going on, too. And it all happens in a not-too-distant future where the U.S. has surrendered its sovereignty to foreign powers in the name of security. Christians, meanwhile, have been branded as terrorists and driven underground.

But some of the underground Christians got a high-tech power-up when a believing scientist working for the government defected to the underground with some toys that turned out to offer both physical and spiritual enhancements to the so-called terrorists. The Christians now seek to rescue their own and wake up Americans to what has happened to them and their country. Enter a couple of teens with more experience in cyberspace than in the real world, and the whole situation becomes even weirder.

Does it work? The Elfwood community, a secular site for speculative fiction, thought so: Flashpoint earned the 2006 Best Science Fiction Novel award there. The action is intense, the characters are lifelike against a larger-than-life background, and the spiritual points in general are well presented.

I checked for further reactions with some of the many characters in my head. Murray the Alchemist from "At the Mountains of Lunacy" (featured in the anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness) said, "Eh, it's okay. But with a title like Flashpoint, it should have a lot more explosions. I mean, swords and all that jumping around are for people without the right chemicals!"

The response from the League of Superheroes crew was more involved, so I'll let them comment tomorrow.