>>Are you basing your lensman references off the books or the movie?
>
>Strictly speaking, neither, but of the two, mine are (I think) a lot
>closer to the books. (I say "I think" because I haven't seen the
>movie; I suppose it's conceivable that my version might parallel the
>movie version exactly, just by sheer coincidence.)

Not unless your version is also STAR WARS with the names filed off. ;)

>Smith's writing is very, very dated today - his prose is extremely
>purple by modern standards, and a lot of the concepts his future world
>is based on seem hilariously naive (and often hilariously
>misogynistic) today

Having read a few, I get the same impression that I do from Heinlein (also a man of his time, and please, no Heinlein flamewar here): the premise seems to be that men are good at some things, and women are good at others, and each should focus on their strengths. This is not, in itself, a terribly offensive statement to me - what it is, IMO, is a sweeping generalization with many exceptions. The main problem is that it's easy to SAY "separate but equal", but almost impossible to actually HAVE it for any length of time. Someone always ends up getting the short end.

In any event, the modern era (in Western countries, at least) has brought with it more flexible ideas of gender and the roles and capabilities thereof, with the result that Smith's musings on the subject do often seem terribly dated and stiff.

The thing I really do like about the Lensman books, though, is that they suggest that the "special ability" of humans is that we Don't Give Up. Ever. Even when logic tells us the cause is lost, we struggle on out of perversity or love or stubborness. We reject the no-win scenario and are always looking for a loophole. We are all, as the Moties said, Crazy Eddie.

(ReRob, in PHOENIX, seemed to be saying much the same thing with his note that the sort of disrespect for authority that produces, among other things, hackers is a uniquely human trait in UF. Tell a human there's something he can't do, or isn't allowed to see, and what's the first impulse that comes to his mind? :)

And sometimes, because we refuse to accept that something is impossible, we prove it isn't.

Heh. Yeah, a lot of alien races have that opinion of humanity in UF, too. (And in other things - remember Delenn's "they have the potential to walk among the stars like giants" speech to the Grey Council?) I've always liked that sort of character trait - witness my immense fondness for Utena Tenjou, whose personal philosophy I echo, to my own detriment, when playing Robo Rally. ("Never shut down! NEVER SURRENDER!")

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/

It's a theme that I've seen throughout Science Fiction and Fantasy - the thing that sets Humans apart from the rest of the universe. I have no idea how true it will prove to be once we do encounter other sentient species, but it does seem to be true for now...

Offsides

#include <humanity.h>

#91;...#93; in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.
-- David Ben Gurion
EPU RCW #pi;
#include <stdsig.h>

"Are we on?
"This is... this is the President.
"I have just been informed that the midrange military bases at Beta Durani and Proxima Three have fallen to the Mimbari advance. We have lost contact with Io and must presume that they have fallen to an advance force.
"Intelligence believes the Mimbari intend to bypass Mars and hit Earth directly. They say the attack could come at any time. We have... We have continued to broadcast our surrender, and a plea for mercy. They have not responded. We can only conclude... that we stand on the twilight of the Human race.
"To buy time for more evacuation transports to leave Earth, we ask for the support of every ship capable of fighting to take part in a last defense of our homeworld.
"We will not lie to you. Survival... is not a possibility. Those who enter the battle... will never come back. But for every ten minutes we can delay the enemy advance, several hundred more civilians may be able to escape to neutral territory.
"Though Earth may fall, the Human race must have a chance to continue elsewhere. No greater sacrifice has ever been asked of a people. But I ask you now to step forward one last time....
"One last battle to hold the line against the night.
"God go with you all."

Hey, that was on TV over here just a few days ago! ^_^

Another good exaple is from an episode of ST:DS9, I don't remembe wich episode or what Quark said exactly, but it was along the lines of "This Humans. If you take all their replicators and holodecks and luxuries away from them they become even more fearsome warriors than the Klingons or Jemhadar could ever hope to be."

----------------
"And what _are_ we dealing with? Little green men!?"
"No. Little green blobs in bonded polycarbite-armor!"

I personally feel this is one of the better ways in which to regard humanity in a sci-fi series. Too often aliens are given loads of 'kewl powers'(tm), due to their alien nature, and humans are left with...

... our 'adapability', huh, not very exciting or fair IMHO (not that life, or even novels, are fair). I like the concept that humans are special beacuse we persist at something even in the face of adversity. In the Beginning is one of the B5 'episodes' (Yeah, technically it's a movie) that actually brings tears to my eyes in parts. Something which I don't do too often, I normally get more attached to characters, rather than scenes or concepts.

>I've always liked that sort of character trait - witness my
>immense fondness for Utena Tenjou, whose personal philosophy I echo,
>to my own detriment, when playing Robo Rally. ("Never shut
>down! NEVER SURRENDER!")
>

*blinks* Why do I have the image of a little Robo Rally robot figure with a shock of bright pink hair charging around the board dueling every other robot now?

Hrm. Must try that in a game.

>--G.

--
- H - gladius@abandoned.co.uk
"Ajax: We have to save Dod from his raging Eggo.
Mambo: Ajax, I think you mean ego.
Ajax: Oh. Once again I have confused Dod's psychee with a toasted breakfast food. Although the image of being attacked by a bloodthirsty waffle remains a favorite in the playground of my mind."
-Duckman

Let me guess. Something that can't be quoted like the EA President's "Line" speech. Something that begins with a bunch of Celtic "music-to-slash-your-wrists-to" music by Christopher Franke. (Or, music to charge into a task group of Minbari Cruisers with... but I digress.)

Oh, Londo's narration wasn't bad either. ;)

Hm. Wonder if Vir will get a Lens? (Trying to stay on topic.)

Patrick Chester
"...could you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?"

Indeed, 'one last battle against the night!' that line always gets me. But then I'm rather fond of that theme in general, as the quotes in my .plan attest.
'Do not go quietly into that sweet night...' is another one I've always been fond of, along with a quote from the back of The Cassini Division (a Ken MacCleoud(sp?) book) that escapes.

>Oh, Londo's narration wasn't bad either. ;)
>

Indeed, I really am fond of Londo as a character, and he was at some of his best in ITB.

>Hm. Wonder if Vir will get a Lens? (Trying to stay on topic.)

Oh yes. Ahem. Topic. Um. Vir, a Lens.... Hrm.

I'd pay good money to see this in anything, never mind an EPU production, where it's most likely to happen :)

>
>Patrick Chester
--
- H - gladius@abandoned.co.uk
"What do I want? I want your head on a spike. And when I see it, I will wave at it, like this."
-Vir, Babylon Five, probably badly misquoted.