#greg bear

[lichqueenlibrarian]

There’s a lot going on with the doctor.

[retroscifiart]

Art by John Harris for Strength of Stones by Greg Bear (1981)

[teaandjumpers]

Finished Rogue Planet and my favorite part is in the first chapter where we get a glimpse of Anakin’s early life in the Temple.

He’s building droids no one wants, sneaking out to race, and making Obi-Wan run around Coruscant after him. Meanwhile, Masters are looking on fondly, saying things like, “He will bring you wisdom!”

[lookcaitlin]

[dougielombax]

Greg Bear: The Forerunner Trilogy is a story about an inevitable tragedy borne of hubris and a failure to listen or learn. It was always going to end this way. It is a story about the dangers of societal stagnation and absolute power. It is also a story of rebirth and rebuilding. A story of hope and perseverance. But it is also a story about the violation inherent in divine destiny. It is a story about the power of ideas and the dangers of blind obedience. It is a story of arrogance and fallibility. A story of the dangers of fanaticism, a story of stewardship, the nature of civilisations, of legacies, and the distortion of history. Above all else it is a story of how we must learn from the mistakes of the past so we can avoid repeating them again.

Gamer Bros With Zero Media Literacy: BRÜH HUMANITY IS TOTALLY WORTHY OF THE MANTLE OF RESPONSIBILITY!!!! OUR SACRED BIRTHRIGHT!!!! GIMME THAT SHIT!!!!!!

Many such cases.

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: SIGMA

[at the White House] Donald Trump: so as i was saying we're putting tariffs on the moon Trump: i know people like the moon Trump: it's a beautiful moon Trump: but it's not pulling its weight Trump: it's gotta go

Trump: some people on the radical left are saying Trump: the tides! what about the tides! Trump: why are you whining about the tides? Trump: i don't take responsibility for the tides

Trump: it's the biggest moon, some say its the best moon- Larry Niven: never fear, mr president! SIGMA is here! narrator: SIGMA is the secret code name for a think tank of costumed science fiction writers dedicated to advising the president on just whatever and stuff

Trump: what's this Larry Niven: we're SIGMA Niven: a think tank of costumed science fiction writers dedicated to advising the president on issues of our expertise Niven: like if you happen to need advice on how to make a dyson sphere Niven: do you need advice on how to make a dyson sphere by the way?

Niven: since the dawn of time, we've advised every US president on important matters of state Niven: for obvious security reasons, of course, we must keep our identities secret- Greg Bear: i'm Greg Bear Niven: Ben Bova: greg bear just said Niven: yes i heard Bear: I'm Greg Bear Niven: Greg could you wait in the hallway Bear: I'm Greg Bear Niven: go talk to Don Jr Donald Trump Jr: i'm donald trump jr Bear: i'm greg bear Trump Jr: i'm donald trump jr Bear: i'm greg bear

Niven: as i was saying Niven: since the dawn of time, we've advised every US president Niven: if you need some really wild ideas, just absolutely unhinged crazy ideas that no sane person would ever consider Niven: you come to SIGMA Trump: no thanks, i'm covered Trump: [into intercom] security

Niven: just give us a moment of your time, mr president! Niven: here, let me give you an example of the sort of great idea that SIGMA can provide to you Niven: so you know how healthcare is so expensive? Niven: ok so what if Niven: what if we spread rumors among the Latino community that hospitals steal your organs, so that they're too scared to seek medical treatment? Niven: eh? eh? Niven: pretty good eh? Trump: you're thinking small, larry

Trump: you're thinking small, larry Trump: way too small Trump: we're not playing passive necropolitics anymore Trump: we're playing active necropolitics now Trump: more and more people are saying it Trump: [on intercom] security we have 3 in here for disappearing Trump: bah bye

Niven: haha you wouldn't disappear us Niven: i mean c'mon Niven: we're white Trump: oh no we're disappearing white people too now Trump: it's a whole new grid

Niven: don't worry, Mr President, SIGMA's got plenty of other wild ideas to share! Niven: what if you made robots that could kill protesters? Trump: you're late to the game, larry

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Beyond Heaven's River - art by Charles Moll (1980)

[padawanlost]

Rogue Planet by Greg Bear

Anakin came awake and blinked owlishly in the warm cabin lights. “You were dreaming,” Obi-Wan said. “Not me. The ship,” Anakin said. “Or maybe we were dreaming together. We were traveling around the galaxy, seeing wonderful things. It was so great to just be free. You were there with us. I think you were having fun, too.” Anakin held out his hand, fingers spread, and Obi-Wan met it with his own hand. A few more years and the boy would reach his full growth. In more than just size.

[stephenist]

Rudy Rucker has posted free epub, mobi and webpage formats of the seminal sci-fi cyberpunk anthology ➡️ Mirrorshades. ⬅️

[lichqueenlibrarian]

Spock’s family: we are an ancient and noble line

Also Spock’s family: mostly mutineers, heretics, assorted black sheep

[ur-haruspis]

halo 4 // halo: epitaph

“Civilizations will rise in our stead, and our job as caretakers will at last bear fruit. Until then, I leave you here, my love. The only living thing in this galaxy, sealed safely away. Spend these ages ahead of you in meditation on your choices. When you wake, you will find the humans. I have ensured that they will grow strong and vibrant . . . They will be our rightful heirs. Their gene plan dictates that the galaxy will be theirs to care for by then. I beg of you . . .” She had left him a galactic cartographer, a key that showed the way to vast reserves of Forerunner technology so that he might use it to assist and guide humanity as they claimed the Mantle of Responsibility. “Find the strength to help them learn from our mistakes. And my husband? Let them teach you something. Please.” When he first heard them, he’d found those parting words intensely condescending. Found her hope that he’d be humanity’s teacher and champion utterly laughable. Yet, he failed to hear the devastation in her voice, the grief, and the raw longing she had for him to live, to continue on in the world, to one day be whole again. But the Domain would be burned by Halo. There would be no connection to its boundless stores of information, no ability to commune and heal and reflect. A thousand centuries would pass in silence. In the madness the Gravemind had created for him. And once the galaxy was reseeded, civilizations rose once more, and he woke to start the cycle of suffering all over again. He was awash in remorse, in the betrayal he had caused, the fury at having been violated and manipulated and used. . . . A pawn! He roared, slamming his fists against the rock with such force that it cracked the stone and left him stricken with sorrow. In the end, after all he had done, all the pain and suffering he had wrought . . . She had still chosen to save him.

[teaandjumpers]

Happy they’re re-releasing one of my favorite Star Wars books, but I think I prefer the original art.

[faecaptainofdreams]

When Riser suggested everyone have a light wash after their first full day in Djamonkin Crater, Chakas didn't expect Bornstellar to be so free with himself...but he wasn't secretly unhappy about it, either~

[dougielombax]

No, Billy!

Humanity is NOT ready to hold the Mantle of Responsibility! And it never will be!

Miss me with that god complex bullshit!

It’s tyranny! Or at least an excuse for it!

You’re going to die!!!!!

[goofyjelly]

you ever read something and start getting a para-social relationship with the AUTHOR?! that's me reading this one specific star trek book.

Like, whenever I recognize a specific thing he does I literally put the book down for a sec and go "Oh, that's so Greg." (Greg Bear loves to end paragraphs with "..." all the time, and also to randomly detail just How Horny Is Kirk Right Now? (updates that we are all dying to know, of course) )

On that note, this post will now become a long post where I drop some highlights of this book. Im having the time of my life btw, this is enrichment for me.

CORONA (by Greg Bear)

first of, yes, that name might not have aged the best- but theres no way Mr Bear could have known that 💀😭

Our main character is Rowena Mason, a reporter from an earth colony on a planet called Yalbo. And prior to this investigative reporting stint she's going on the Enterprise, she's never been off her home planet and has never seen non-humans in real life before.

We stan including that one bit from the movies!!!

Also Kirk doesn't call her Mister and instead moves to a first name basis, so he's the only one calling her Rowena which would be disrespectful if they weren't on the same very specific wavelength so props to the both of them for vibing each other out I guess.

Also it's slightly canonically accurate in the way that no one wants a reporter on the ship, so to preemptively stop her from reporting anything too bad, Kirk starts being a little flirty. we love to see Kirk flirting for the good of the ship.

CRAZY parallels btw. Im just- I don't have anything else to say other than this is perfect and I absolutely love this book. reading is about having fun and I am having so much fun here y'all.

(also, a prime example of the "..." thing I mentioned earlier ^^^. yes I'm insane. yes this is so fun to me. and YES, I have so much joy and whimsy reading books)

She's just a country bumpkin!

also we're 37 pages in and they've reached first name basis after Kirk's not so subtle flirting.

Mr Bear- can I call you Greg? Greg, your mind works in mysterious and fascinating ways and I am loving it.

I had to physically put my book down and take a walk after that one. AND I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN THIS TO ANYONE! NOT ONLY DO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME NOT KNOW STAR TREK, BUT EVEN IF THEY DID-

I'm normal y'all.

I felt the need to share this entire interaction.

I also have no idea how canon this book is (I'm not talking about how canon are ALL star trek books, I'm talking this one specifically).

There are a lotta inconsistencies i.e., they can go up to warp 12 comfortably, every Starfleet officer has a chip in their brain so they can receive confidential information, and, my favorite thus far;

McCoy doesn't record his personal logs on a computer, he has a physical, paper diary and ball point pens he keeps in his quarters. (which, I mean, this could be canon. technically he's never said he *doesn't* have a diary-)

also I just realized that I've been able to do this whole post without giving spoilers for the book's actual plot- like, when plot is going on Greg locks the fuck in, its awesome.

And now, on a note bordering spoilers: why do we put Chekov through so much ? (not just a Corona™ Thing, but the whole franchise just wants this little guy to suffer a bit- that's really harsh 😭)

Also also I think it's a lovely choice how Kirk is just chronically horny throughout the whole novel. Like, every once in a while Greg will drift off into Kirk's thoughts and what he's thinking about and it'll usually end in Kirk being like "shit, nows probably not the time to be horny. I've gotta Lock In". I love it. 10/10 no notes

tldr; I'm having fun reading the Trek Books lol. I've got a few and I've finished around three so far. They're all so fascinating to me (pun definitely intended)

[crownhate]

recent hauls + cat, cat, and cat