[tor dot com] Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

Post by James Nicoll
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-25 16:58:52 UTC

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Post by James Nicoll
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

a***@yahoo.com

2021-05-25 21:45:13 UTC

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Post by Dorothy J Heydt
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-25 23:13:46 UTC

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Lynn McGuire

2021-05-25 23:50:44 UTC

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

That was probably the day that the Earth was wiped out to make room for
the new intergalactic highway.

Lynn

pete...@gmail.com

2021-05-26 01:42:52 UTC

Post by Lynn McGuire

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

That was probably the day that the Earth was wiped out to make room for
the new intergalactic highway.

A Bypass.

"You have to build bypasses."

Pt

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-26 03:41:03 UTC

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

That was probably the day that the Earth was wiped out to make room for
the new intergalactic highway.

As good a hypothesis as any. I don't have a copy of the book,
and I'm not going to fire up the DVD at this hour of the night
(quarter to nine, and I've already taken my pill).

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Robert Carnegie

2021-05-26 22:21:42 UTC

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

Pretty much so? <http://www.towelday.org/faq/index.html#whydate>

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-27 01:33:50 UTC

Post by Robert Carnegie

On Tuehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Daysday, May 25, 2021 at

Post by a***@yahoo.com
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8:43:25 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:i> Five
Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might qualify, especially today....

Why today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

Oh, okay. But why May 25? Chosen at random?

Pretty much so? <http://www.towelday.org/faq/index.html#whydate>

Okay, as good a reason as any. Thanks.
--

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Michael F. Stemper

2021-05-25 19:57:55 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

I find it interesting that three of the five are not stand-alones
but are series of varying lengths. Any theories on why that might be?

--
Michael F. Stemper
Psalm 82:1-4

James Nicoll

2021-05-25 20:41:58 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/
I find it interesting that three of the five are not stand-alones
but are series of varying lengths. Any theories on why that might be?

Because sf authors like to live indoors and series sell.

Michael F. Stemper

2021-05-25 21:34:50 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

Because sf authors like to live indoors and series sell.

But none of your other "five stories about ..." reviews were
predominantly series (to the best of my recollection). I was kind of
wondering what it is about xeno-forming that makes series more likely
than stand-alone.

--
Michael F. Stemper
Why doesn't anybody care about apathy?

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-25 23:14:38 UTC

Post by Michael F. Stemper

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Post by Michael F. Stemper
I find it interesting that three of the five are not stand-alones
but are series of varying lengths. Any theories on why that might be?

Because sf authors like to live indoors and series sell.

Well, if you're going to go into detail about xenoforming, it's
going to take more words.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Lynn McGuire

2021-05-25 20:16:59 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Chtorr !

I have read all four of the Chtorr books several times.

John Varley's Eight Worlds saga comes to mind: "The Ophiuchi Hotline
(Eight Worlds)".
https://www.amazon.com/Ophiuchi-Hotline-Eight-Worlds/dp/0441634842/

"The invaders came in 2050…They did not kill anyone outright. they said
they came on behalf of the intelligent species of Earth—dolphins and
whales. The Invaders quietly destroyed every evidence of technology,
then peacefully departed, leaving behind plowed ground and sprouting
seeds. In the next two years, ten billion humans starved to death."

"The remnants of humanity that survived relocated to the moon and other
planets. But they are not alone in their struggle—someone or something,
somewhere in deep space, is sending them advanced scientific data via
the Ophiuchi Hotline. And by the twenty-fifth century, the technological
gifts from the Hotline—especially its biological and medical
solutions—have created a world unlike any ever known or imagined…"

Lynn

Lynn McGuire

2021-05-25 20:29:43 UTC

Post by Lynn McGuire

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Chtorr !
I have read all four of the Chtorr books several times.
John Varley's Eight Worlds saga comes to mind: "The Ophiuchi Hotline
(Eight Worlds)".
https://www.amazon.com/Ophiuchi-Hotline-Eight-Worlds/dp/0441634842/
"The invaders came in 2050…They did not kill anyone outright. they said
they came on behalf of the intelligent species of Earth—dolphins and
whales. The Invaders quietly destroyed every evidence of technology,
then peacefully departed, leaving behind plowed ground and sprouting
seeds. In the next two years, ten billion humans starved to death."
"The remnants of humanity that survived relocated to the moon and other
planets. But they are not alone in their struggle—someone or something,
somewhere in deep space, is sending them advanced scientific data via
the Ophiuchi Hotline. And by the twenty-fifth century, the technological
gifts from the Hotline—especially its biological and medical
solutions—have created a world unlike any ever known or imagined…"
Lynn

BTW, I tried to post this to the Tor website but the edit control
refused to allow me to paste to it using FireFox on Windows.

Lynn

Lynn McGuire

2021-05-26 21:32:11 UTC

Post by Lynn McGuire

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Chtorr !
I have read all four of the Chtorr books several times.

Is it time to speculate, once again, whether Chtorr will ever advance past book four (let alone, to a conclusion)?
(I knew of Chtorr, and deliberately waited about a year and a half after the publication of book four to start reading any of it, assuming that this would set me up nicely to not have to wait very long for the concluding book. The joke was on overly-optimistic 1990's me.)

David Gerrold has stated in his various blogs over the years that he has
books 5, 6 and 7 written. He also states that he is not happy with book
5 so he was rewriting it. That has been the statements over the last
20+ years.

I believe that some day, David Gerrold will die and his adopted kid will
publish the books as is. Or not, who knows. But I do know that his kid
sometimes does ebay sales for him of his memorabilia.

There used to be several preview chapters of book 5 on the intertubes
but they seem to have hit the bit bucket. Book 5 now seems to be called
"A Nest For Nightmares":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Against_the_Chtorr

Lynn

Lynn McGuire

2021-05-25 21:37:02 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

So could the terraforming of Mars in KSR's Mars trilogy be regarded as
aliens reshaping a planet ?
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Mars-Trilogy-Stanley-Robinson/dp/0553560735/

Lynn

Jaimie Vandenbergh

2021-05-30 10:41:00 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth
https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/

Looks like you've been twice automiscorrected to Amelia from the correct
Amalia in Dorothy's entry on this list.

Cheers - Jaimie

--
[Chlorine trifluoride] is also hypergolic with such things as
cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos,
sand, and water -- with which it reacts explosively.
- "Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants", J D
Clarke

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-30 14:22:59 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/
Looks like you've been twice automiscorrected to Amelia from the correct
Amalia in Dorothy's entry on this list.

Yeah, I noticed that. No offense taken. Computers are stupid.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

James Nicoll

2021-05-30 14:38:31 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/
Looks like you've been twice automiscorrected to Amelia from the correct
Amalia in Dorothy's entry on this list.

Yeah, I noticed that. No offense taken. Computers are stupid.

I will get it fixed but since I don't have editing permissions on my pieces,
it won't be until Monday.

Dorothy J Heydt

2021-05-30 15:32:22 UTC

Post by James Nicoll
Five Stories About Alien Attempts to Reshape the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2021/05/25/five-stories-about-alien-attempts-to-reshape-the-earth/
Looks like you've been twice automiscorrected to Amelia from the correct
Amalia in Dorothy's entry on this list.

Yeah, I noticed that. No offense taken. Computers are stupid.

I will get it fixed but since I don't have editing permissions on my pieces,
it won't be until Monday.

Take your time. And kudos to Jaimie for noticing.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

Jaimie Vandenbergh

2021-05-30 18:08:32 UTC

On 30 May 2021 at 16:32:22 BST, "Dorothy J Heydt" <Dorothy J Heydt>