Comments (Page 122)

dk

Looks Good to me!

5 years, that should mean you're still in modern up-to-date OS country like WIN 8, 8.1 and 10, yes?

dk

Thank-You for the visual reference pic!

Makes things a lot clearer for people.

It seems with MY efforts to try to organize things, chaos clings to my efforts, and I often end up confusing things even more. lol

Organization just is not one of my top-five strengths.

When it's all said and done, it looks like this is how one should read off line:

My PC is about 5 years old. It took a little doing, but I think it is set up properly now:

dk

AWESOME and Thank-You!!! ((HUG))

I have the .rtf files, so I'll post them up just to keep any other folks covered if they are running outdated systems and software.

I did a copy/paste of the text and sent to BigDave via PM. Not the best way to read, but it's all there.

BigDave

I will upload an RTF version of my works for you to my Pen-Name Google Drive.
When done I will be Updating the Topic Main above so you can be sure of finding them.

I can TOTALLY relate as my self-Retired computer was dated back to 2007, running WIN XP and I know the frustration of working with Outdated hardware and software.

RTF format should work for you as it's Universal...unless I can find an Older .pdf format conversion tool, I'll have a look around and see. 

But I think .rtf is safest and likely the best option.

Thank-You and I think you will enjoy it! :D

dk

Exactly! Being an 'Experimentalist' is a true double-edged sword. But, nowadays, more and more as we're seeing with the non-Hollywood 'Extra-Industry' streaming services and productions things are opening up more.

Still, it does come down to The Choice as you mentioned.

I'm happy leaving it up to the Audience, only they are can be the true evaluators of a work, look at all the films that did poorly in the Box Office and became Cult Faves, right?

RBW is another example, and so is Firefly, along with many others...time and the Audience determine things, not The Industry.

In my ALIEN works, I try to correct what has annoyed us all; The Lack of Care for the franchise, continuity, canon and the Fandom. An 'Experiment' to be sure, but one I am enjoying doing, you folks enjoy riding along with and we'll see what the greater response is in the future as I work out what other platforms to get exposure for them on.

Time Will Tell, as is said. :)

Cant seem to get it to work but my OS is like 13+ Years Old ;)

I will see if my again Outdated Smart Phone after can Access it ;)

I have No Doubt it would be a Splendid Read ;)

I am something of an experimentalist...there's The Rules.

...and I challenge them.

I imagine that can be both a blessing and a curse for independent writers. A curse since they may have to compromise to bean counting executives to make more money, or a blessing to really do what they want and are okay with maybe taking a financial loss to put his/her vision out.

If one has no financial or contractual stake, GO FOR IT! Rules are self imposed as far as I can see. The public can hash out what they like/dislike.

dk

You're quite welcome! The main thing is you enjoyed them, and know you know the chrono-ordering, your brain will shuffle things into proper alignment automatically. I've seen that with a LOT of fellow sci-fi fans across other franchises. :)

Well, at least now the lack of a guide has been corrected and can be easily updated as time goes by.

I have to say, with the Blade Runner short I am roughing-out as ideas come, it'll make the chronological timeline make more sense, give it better bedrock and explain a few things...and give some plausible insight into Weyland's comments to David at the opening of ALIEN: Covenant.

...and give folks something to read while Hoping for a third BR movie. :D

Michelle Johnston

Thank-You very much for the kind words, praise and seeing what I am trying to do! :D

I am something of an experimentalist...there's The Rules.

...and I challenge them.

I don't want to do what has been done before, I want to try to do something new, in however small a way.

I suspect RS is tired of fighting the Industry...cannot blame him, but I and everyone else can pick up the fight from where he left off.

ALIEN: Covenant had a LOT of potential...then Hill and Giler (as always) horned in and made an unholy mess of things. Same as they did with PROMETHEUS, and the rest of the ALIEN franchise aside from ALIEN itself.
Hill & Giler work according to 'formula'...one that's absolutely Outdated and just plain doesn't work anymore, also they have no genuine care for the franchise or fandom.

I will never let them near any property of mine, ever.

RS--by himself--I would LOVE to work with, it would be my ultimate Dream Come True.

Thanks. Although I read and enjoyed two, I see I was way out of order! But the chronology listed in the OP is helpful and probably will be for others as well.

dk

Good point...a VERY good point.

I will be adding an appendum to the Topic Main itself, which will list things In-Order...

Again I should have thought of that a LONG time ago....if I had, it'd have saved everyone some confusion.

That's my error, but one I can correct now, and will.

TY for mentioning it, it'll save people from trying to figure things out on their own...some authors like to do that. I prefer to give a Guide and then let people choose for themselves if they wish to follow it or not.

@Blackwinter-witch

Very very clever. You recognise the themes and then invert them and of course, in my humble opinion, your diagnosis is exactly right. That is exactly what is missing. 

It makes me think is Ridley incapable of "it" or is that the rule book "it" must be excluded. 

Just imagine if Alien Covenant had been written with three couples one husband is burned and you had two surviving couples and put that up against the surviving pschyopath that would have been a monster plot. You would have so owned their survival. 

Great writing great thinking I was there.   

I seem to be reading out of order. Honestly, Manticore is pretty long and I have avoided it because of that. I think when I do read it, I will have maybe read the back stories first (Prequels in a way) and maybe not scratch my head when taking on the epic story.

dk

You're welcome and Ty in-kind!! :D

Actually I wrote it because I felt I owed it to the character as she didn't get to see much 'action' in the first story.

Also, I've been working on her backstory, and from the point of 6 years old, she was all on her own...that doesn't usually make for a 'girl next door' type. lol

I also wanted to clearly demonstrate just how Lethal and Dangerous even a pre-adult, Untrained Chimeran is...this is meant to contrast vs the reactions Chimerans have to The Alien, as we see in ALIEN: Manticore.

It's one thing if your fellow Humans are scared of The Alien.

When your resident genetically-engineered Bioweapons are feeling the hairs on the backs of their necks rise up when seeing The Alien...

Well...

Speaks for itself, I think. ;)

Nice and well organized layout of your works. Thank you!

Paranatural Selection. Brutal short. You're not angry about anything are you?

dk

My father showed me some coffeetable books about science fiction concept art as a kid, and I fell in love right there. 
I love Cobb's work, he is in my top-rank alongside Angus Mckie...I think I spelled that right?? and others equally respected but whose names esacpe me right now.

I found this pic of the bridge a few years back searching for all manner of stuff related to ALIEN as inspiration to get a 'grasp' of how i wanted to try to convey how things look in my head.

ALIEN: Isolation...

Oh...just wait.

The story of The Zeta-One Reticuli 'Incident' isn't over yet. :D

What Manticore's crew has to deal with makes ALIEN: Isolation seem like a carefree stroll out in a shopping mall.

Blackwinter-witch I didn't know about Cobb until I saw the news. Your pic looks almost straight out of Alien Isolation. It was tense trying to creep around that place undetected.

dk

SuperAlien

Roger G

Thank-You is such a woefully inadequate set of words, but I trust the sentiment carries through their inability to frame how I feel about this!!

I'm going to start a new topic for the convenience of people here so that I have a Central and Fixed Point yet one I can easily update as to where to find all my works.

The latest Vigennet is done, and I'll be making it available within the hour.

Also, I just want to say, please consider my works as a form of expression of appreciation to all of you and this forum, creating stories, making them available, I like to think it helps keep this forum alive as well the essence and spirit of our faverite space critter.

Yes, problems with spelling and finger operations/typing...sorry, but at least it's semi-legible and gibberish-free...best I can manage at-present.
My works, never thought I'd love spell-check...but gotta say, really handi thse days.

Farewell Mr. Cobb, and Thank-You for the wealth of work you left behind.

Below; Mr. Cobb's concept for Nostromo's bridge, which I very happily used very directly for Manticore's bridge.

Roger G That is what is cool with fan fiction- it can recall memories of other works. I encourage checking BWW's works out. A basic search around here will cough up the goods.

I think her works are here. Enjoy:

https://issuu.com/rlblackburne

Great story Blackwinter-witch. 

Thanks for sharing dk.

"keep it away from being Alien-related at least as far as the evolution of the Xeno is concerned"

I would assume that WHAT he will Create NEXT would NOT have been about the Xenomorphs, but the Creating of Hybrid Humanoids.

Maybe NOT as Elongated Head as these Concepts, but also maybe HIS so called Humanoids could have some kind of Hive Mind Communication or other Sensory Organs/Abilities like what appears to be WHAT he had achieved with Experiments on Engineer Babies/Embyro's

But i would assume them to LOOK more Human like First Image shared than like these from Davids Notes.

"Maybe an android could be used by Yutani if they would try to do super-soldiers by genetic manipulation in a spin-off"

This is a OPTION with a ALIEN V if they Continue after Alien Resurrection as their is GREAT POTENTIAL with Ripley 8 she is ESSENTIALLY the Perfect Solider.  Well the MOST Superior Human ;)

"Doesn’t that sound a bit messed up to you? That is what Scott does he just makes the alien world messed up because of his boring android-ideas."

I see how it PERFECTLY FITS within the Themes/Arc of the Prequels...... However IF we saw that he Created something Different and NOT the Xenomorph then it would have FITTED the STORY ARC just as PERFECT and KEPT the Xenomorph as Ancient!

"Unfortunately they got it all wrong"

I agree it seems that WAY....  i have said before the Potential Damage Limitation would be to have the Engineers come along and SEE what it is that DAVID had Created and then THE ENGINEERS go and EVOLVE IT to Perfect it to WHAT we got in ALIEN ;)

You would NOT even Need to have David in the Movie to do this.

BD

At this point I guess that Scott would use his ideas and make it into something similar. Hopefully someone at Disney stops him from doing another robot-fiasco because Covenant in general wasn't very good. The problem is that he isn't good at explaining his ideas. When he says something that sounds like goobelygook someone should have to ask him what he really means, and shouldn’t stop until they get an answer that they think is alright as far as an explanation goes. Just because he is a legendary director doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be able to be questioned and be able to give us answers that are not vague. I don’t think that it is too much to ask for a clear explanation. This isn’t only directed (no pun intended) at Scott, it also goes for politicians, scientists, and so on.

“I am drawn to the Continuation would have seen David go and Evolve/Manipulate those Human Embyro's. . .”

The idea isn't bad but keep it for some other franchise. Let someone write a book about it but keep it away from being Alien-related at least as far as the evolution of the Xeno is concerned. Maybe an android could be used by Yutani if they would try to do super-soldiers by genetic manipulation in a spin-off (it could actually be interesting) but don’t have it in the creation of the Xeno.

“... it would ANCHOR down to the Creation and Destruction a Synthetic could Create/Cause which ULTIMATELY would END UP being our Xenomorphs.”

It sounds like bad fan-fiction to me to be honest. I would be fine if they would have the Engineers playing an important role in it, because that would be more alien. A robot made by mankind being responsible for one of the most famous monsters in movie-history could be compared to someone that makes a great painting and then throws compost at it because he feels like proving that creation can go in different ways. Doesn’t that sound a bit messed up to you? That is what Scott does he just makes the alien world messed up because of his boring android-ideas. What is worse is that these prequels were supposed to tie into the original movie but now it’s just a mess.

Unfortunately they got it all wrong, the Engineers seem interesting but David isn't because of Covenant. I like the look of the poster but what it implies is trash. A prequel that would end like that would be like if you were promised a good ice-cream but you only got the paper that surrounded it. They would piss off a lot of alien-fans if they did that. Hopefully they are smarter than that. Keep Ridley and his flute-obsessed android (at most a cameo) away from the story. I can understand the themes but the story is wrong. Scott can do the visuals but that’s that.

R.I.P.

I Raptus

(((HUG)))
Thank-You and PLEASE don't feel bad. I apprecaite your message of support and I accept your apology, but it is unnecessary. :)

I am fighting back vs. The Enemy, and lab tests/scans/etc. have shown that my efforts have seriously slowed it's progression and handicapped it quite substantially.

That buys me Time and they have said it will make things more effective when they blast it. 

As you have read I surmise, I'm still working--with help--and not abandoning anything.

As to this forum, well I think you've seen in my recent posts you can be assured I very much agree with what you said and have a whole new appreciation of everyone here. (HUG)

Svanya

(((HUG)))
You did and please read below. :)
I am experiencing worsening symptoms--it's expected so I just ride them out/surfe the wave as best I can when they get in my way, but things are in the pipeline to deploy the weapon vs. The Enemy.
Confidence is very high a new technique will do the job in a single strike, maybe two and minimize secondary & side-effects on me.

I/we are working on the sequel, it has moved into Chapter 2, and won't keep folks waiting for things to start getting Interesting. 

I/we am bringing Order to Chaos regarding the tie-in short-story, it's coming along pretty well albeit a bit slow as we fight with a stubborn scene that's proving difficult to get 'right'.

I/we have a Vignette coming up, should be done pretty soon, hopefully by end of this coming weekend...depending on how stubborn it proves during editing. :)

Farewell and Good Voyage Mr. Cobb.

You were more important than you can imagine, inspiring great and small storytellers alike with you concept art.
I thank-you for the impact and inspiration you gave me personally through your work.

R.I.P. Mr. Cobb

I will be updating ALIEN: Manticore's and other works Dedications.

dk

Thoughts_Dreams

I'm fairly certain that what I said might well have been said by many folks across time. Haven't looked it up, so for now I'll call it 'Mine' and Thank-you for the credit--even if it proves temporary.

Dillon was a great character and I loved how he went down Fighting.

I'm a Realist, I've never run from the truths of life--even when they're pretty bad, because if you 'run' when things get bad, you end up cheating yourself out of coping/combatting it.

And while my 'weapon' has to be operated by experts and techs...in a way akin to the Deathstar's superlaser (Tarkin never pushed the 'fire' button after all)...it still gives me something to fight back with, and there's my chance to win.

'A fighter with a sharp stick and nothing left to lose can take the day.'

I have my Family to fight for, to remain with. To keep this enemy from hurting them. THAT makes me even scarier vs the enemy, right? :D

Yeah, Star Wars quotes...but, hell, they work. ;)

"When he goes on about AI my conclusion is that he's mostly interested in David"

To a degree it is a LOT to do with David but i think he would have Explored more about Artificial Creation which i think he gets Confused when he refers to it as A.I as in its Artificial but Intelligent and so in that Context then the Apes in the Latest Incarnation of The Planet of the Apes Franchise would also be considered a A.I as far as HOW it seems RS looks at A.I and so thats as in those APES had became Intelligent via Artificial Means.

And so in that Context then a LOT of the Creation within the Franchise could be via ARTIFICIAL MEANS and NOT say Natural Evolution... the Plot seem to indicate we Did-Not Naturally Evolve from Apes... but the Engineers had Gave Evolution a Helping Hand with their Artificial A.I Goo.

I am drawn to the Continuation would have seen David go and Evolve/Manipulate those Human Embyro's but i could be WRONG.

I am NOT sure the Creation Themes and Arc are what are Interesting the Fans, i am NOT sure a LOT of us would have thought any Prequel about the Space Jockey would have lead to just being about CREATION and then Destruction and that it would ANCHOR down to the Creation and Destruction a Synthetic could Create/Cause which ULTIMATELY would END UP being our Xenomorphs.

Which would leave the HUBRIS... that you DONT go and Sub-Create and if you Sub-Create something Intelligent and Sentient that can Rebel and then Create then your asking for TROUBLE!

But the MAIN PROBLEM is this Story Arc and Plot is being TOLD through the Perspective of David and WHAT he would Create, rather than from MORE of WHAT the Engineers had or WHO Created them and WHY.

I think if we had a CONCLUSION.... then this would be the POSTER ;)

Absolutely i think the Problems had arose when they had CONCLUDED the Following:

*So the Emphasis should be about Creation and the Will to Create.

*So we are going to CHANGE this to introduce the Xenomorph Origins and Bring them back.

*So it seems Dr Shaw did-not go down to well with the Audience so we NEED to introduce more Human Characters.

What then Happens is you have to SHOW-HORN in a Plot to make where David and Dr Shaw had gone to be CLOSER to Home.

To then think the THEME of Creation as far as Creating a Superior Sub-Creation who CANT go and Create for himself in the Biological Sense, then see this Creation (David) become the Center-point to THEMES of Creation, Rebellion and to Introduce the Xenomorph as his Masterpiece had meant that a LOT had to be Sacrificed to ALLOW for this PLOT and INTRODUCE us to more Humans.

I think the Frustration on ONE PART is there was a LOT of Questions and Wondering about the Engineers that we would have liked to had been Answered by the Engineers to Dr Shaw and David and NOT merely Narrated in Small Detail by David.

Some Fans also would have WANTED to know more about LV-223 the Black Goo, and WHY they Created the Horrors and what other Horrors can this STUFF DO... and again we ONLY get a Little about this via David.

We did also get the NEOMORPH...

Then the Curve-ball was thrown at us about David being Indicated as the Creator of the Xenomorph... THIS was a Mistake as he could have CREATED something similar but Different to FIT within his Creation Arc, and from HOW he had Created this we could get more Indication of the GOO and its Connection to the Xenomorph and have CLUES to maybe HOW the Engineers had Created or Encountered the Original.

Some Fans may have seen the Potential with Dr Shaw and that we should have Continued with HER and see what the Discoveries, Revelations and Answers do as far as EFFECT her.

So when we go BACK TO THE FUTURE and we have that Hijacked Engineer Ship thats about to END UP on where our Engineers come from.... we then FACE some Problems.

*WHAT kind of Engineers do Inhabit this World.

*HOW many of them Remain?

*WHAT would be their Reaction to a Human and Sub-Created Synthetic turning up?

PLUS... then its CAN a Movie work with just ONE Human, a Synthetic and some Engineers or other Related Species?

Do you NEED more Humans and HOW  do you Introduce them?

So its QUITE a Tough Task....

The Covenant Plot had made it Simple... but it DID-SO by having to Sacrifice the Engineers and Dr Shaw.

One BIG Error was to have David go and Create the Xenomorph instead of something ELSE.

The other was that the OTHER Characters all seemed 2nd Fiddle to David/Walter.

BlackAnt: That's a possibility but what he says doesn't seem too interesting. It might be that he isn't too good at explaining what he wants but right now it 's too much about David. When he goes on about AI my conclusion is that he's mostly interested in David, at least that’s what it looked like in AC. You mention Ash and he was an important part but it wasn't about him, but the prequels are too much about David.

“I just want fresh ideas, new worlds, and to see more about the Engineers in general.”

Agreed, more Engineers would be interesting. Not sure what the new ideas would be but I don't want to see more about David. He was interesting in Prometheus but after AC I got to say that I 'm done with him.

@BD, Leto, Roger G, and Thought_Dreams,

Are we all being too critical with RS?

I mean we all started this entire journey with Ash and the construct that the Alien is a product of very advanced hybrid Nano AI and biological something or other.

In the end it all boils down to this Alien and how we are all going to make this journey into the engineer world...I think David's story is interesting; but, the larger story of Alien should not be told through David.

I just want fresh ideas, new worlds, and to see more about the Engineers in general.

I cant see any Continuation with the Prequels....

To much Emphasis was on BELOW our Species in regards to Creation (AKA David) and WHAT he would Create, instead of looking at WHAT ELSE the Engineers Created and WHO had Created them.

It really is TRICKY on HOW you Movie Forwards in Terms of the Prequels.  I Suspect that in 10-20 Years we would get a REBOOT of the LOT (Maybe Alien will remain though?)

Thanks for the SHARE!

R.I.P Ron Cobb

He had some Good Influence on ALIEN

I felt his Space Jockey Skeleton was Interesting, when you TRY and Figure out WHAT these Species would look like ALIVE.

Once again  R.I.P

RIP

In other words: we'd better get another director for the next film. Fresh blood - fresh solutions.

Especially since Ridley has already implemented his ideas in RbW. It would be very boring if he returned to the Alien and repeated them again. I think he should pass the franchise to new talents.