Drabblecast 078 - Panel Discussion

[McToad]

Now I want to poke at Mr. Tweedy’s thoughts on disarmament. I totally see what you are saying, but when put that way it makes me wonder about our own (US) national policy. We are part of small group of nations with nuclear weapons. That little club works very hard to make sure that no other nations develop nuclear weapons. We have non-proliferation treaties, non-proliferation organizations and we don’t seem too shy about using economic and military force to make sure no one else gets into the club. If what you say is true, does this mean we plan to invade and conquer all the little nations of the Earth? Thoughts?

Also, as you pointed out, any high-energy propulsion system can be weaponized. Does this indicate that our problems with high energy technologies (fusion reactors) and novel propulsion systems is not in fact due to the scientific or engineering challenges we always hear about, but rather due to extraterrestrial interference to keep us from emerging as a threat?

[strawman]

The concept I was poking at was a species ‘like-us’: self-aware, thinking, aspiring, exploring, perhaps with some degree of technological and cultural sophistication. Many people believe that cetaceans and higher primates fall into this category. Some think dogs and other mammals do. I’ve even heard some say the hive-minds of ants, bees and wasps fall into it. Sentient, sapient, what other terms describe this concept? And is it okay to eat them?

I almost sense you are asking for permission here...
I realize, McToad, that this is beyond the bounds of propriety, but could I just ask...(say we were playing 20 questions)... would you describe your appetite as... voracious?

[strawman]

Hey guys! I've got a keen idea! Someone should write a story about a cannibalistic alien who lives in, say, Boulder, who joins a blog of strange bloggers just to... whet his appetite!
By dropping little hints, he teases out of them his actual plot to take over the earth. Maybe they even have a bbardle and sing about it. He gets tremendous alien jollies from having others uncover and describe their own impending doom, but thinking it's only a strange story...
Small wonder that on his home planet, his nickname is Irony Man!

[Mr. Tweedy]

Now I want to poke at Mr. Tweedy’s thoughts on disarmament. I totally see what you are saying, but when put that way it makes me wonder about our own (US) national policy. We are part of small group of nations with nuclear weapons. That little club works very hard to make sure that no other nations develop nuclear weapons. We have non-proliferation treaties, non-proliferation organizations and we don’t seem too shy about using economic and military force to make sure no one else gets into the club. If what you say is true, does this mean we plan to invade and conquer all the little nations of the Earth? Thoughts?

Well, there's a big difference between "give up your weapons" and "don't develop this particular new weapon." If the aliens told us to give up our nukes, I'd say prepare for war. If we heard through the grapevine that they had an Ultimate Death Ray and weren't sharing, well, that would be only sensible of them.

[cammoblammo]

... anyone wanting to ask heavy questions like that should have to think of a ridiculous handle, like McToad or Cammoblammo. It's not healthy to take oneself too seriously.

My mother didn't think the name was ridiculous.

[Unblinking]

I'll never get asked the question about where I get my ideas, but it still annoys me that anyone would ask a question like that. Basically, it's a person with no imagination asking a person with a vivid imagination why they have a vivid imagination. They just do. And you just don't, and never will, or you would never ask such a stupid question.

Yes, that's definitely one of the biggest questions that every big author seems to get asked. I think I understand why people ask it, but there's no good answer for it. A better question, which has the same spirit but is more likely to provoke an interesting anecdote for an interview or conversation, is "Where did you get the idea for this particular story?" Sometimes it was sparked by a dream, or a conversation, or a funny thing that happened to you, and some mundane event turned into a bizarre and wonderful story. Those stories are often pretty interesting.

Anyway, this story was pretty fluffy, but fun. I've only started to going to cons in the last year or so, but I could totally see this conversation happening in this exact way.

[sandrilde]

Found this a bit predictable from very early on, but enjoyable nonetheless. Was relieved it wasn't ACTUALLY a panel discussion from a con, which I expected from teh title.