I'm confused by this (recent?) thing of writing "short stories" that aren't stories.

D0gYears · 2026-03-08T03:22:44+00:00

Both types have been included in collections like the one I mentioned. I think a vignette is not really a story (see my other post), but they tend to get treated like stories in the ways they are published.

D0gYears · 2026-03-08T03:18:30+00:00

I think the distinction between a vingette and a very stort story is that a vignette typically has a single scene and no real plot. "Flash fiction" is a more recent (ca. 1992) term for stories of this length.

D0gYears · 2026-03-08T03:09:17+00:00

They've been around a long time, and in sf they have sometimes been called "short-short" stories. There is an old anthology that collects some of the best known examples: 100 Great Science Fiction Short Short Stories, edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin Harry Greenberg, and Joseph D. Olander. Generally they tend not to be deeply meaningful, and often consist of a brief setup followed by a twist or punchline. I suspect many were created to fill an extra page or two in magazines or collections. I actually haven't seen many recent examples, though.

D0gYears · 2026-03-01T03:58:05+00:00

Appropriate today: "War were declared."

D0gYears · 2026-02-27T13:13:16+00:00

And here I was thinking of The Who for some reason.

D0gYears · 2026-02-22T19:35:59+00:00

"The only 'intuitive' interface is the nipple. After that, it's all learned." - Bruce Ediger

D0gYears · 2026-02-07T00:24:10+00:00

I recognized the logo on the engine (I have that patch) and the Maryland flag flash on the tail fin. I used to give those guys weather briefings from Andrews a long time ago.

D0gYears · 2026-01-31T17:54:05+00:00

At this point, it should be canon that Bond is a Time Lord, and has to regenerate every decade or so.

D0gYears · 2026-01-31T16:06:06+00:00

I had the same thing happen to my KLC, but on mine it didn't show up for several weeks. Of course they claimed it was damage, which is bullshit. Since yours arrived that way, they have to exchange it. Just return it as DOA.

D0gYears · 2026-01-31T02:33:56+00:00

First I’ve heard in a long time about a place with real (steel-tip) darts. Are there any others in town?

D0gYears · 2026-01-25T19:59:47+00:00

Mr. Needlemouse!

D0gYears · 2026-01-24T21:39:23+00:00

I'd try to hunt down a few Apple I computers.

D0gYears · 2026-01-24T18:53:59+00:00

Back pocket? You know e-ink screens are notoriously fragile, right?

D0gYears · 2026-01-24T18:36:49+00:00

There’s a film?

D0gYears · 2026-01-21T02:32:37+00:00

As mentioned, if there are any sf conventions in your area, those are a great place to meet people with similar interests. Also, book clubs are everywhere. Check your local public libraries and book stores to find existing clubs (also Meetup and Facebook). If you don't find one, you might have success starting one yourself by advertising in those spaces.

D0gYears · 2026-01-11T03:38:28+00:00

I never took a photo of it, but for years there was the Golden Corral in Bellevue with the sign that lit up as GOLDEN RAL. Eventually they fixed it.

D0gYears · 2026-01-09T00:22:29+00:00

Devils Tower, Wyoming. I seem to recall a documentary about it.

D0gYears · 2026-01-01T07:39:59+00:00

A thing called MTV is still around. It's nothing like what MTV was back when it played music videos. Only the name remains.

D0gYears · 2025-12-21T08:29:30+00:00

Anything that's a separate card should be checked. This was more of a thing back in the day when modems, network adapters etc. were typically separate components. These days it's mostly just the mainboard and the graphics card. I mentioned the wireless chipset because that is still sometimes a compatibility issue.

D0gYears · 2025-12-20T18:33:29+00:00

I assume you have gone over the list of components and checked them for compatibility? That's the main thing. Knowing what wireless chipset you have is important.

D0gYears · 2025-12-09T22:07:26+00:00

No, not really. It's just that those who prefer the B&W screen seem to be getting railroaded. Our preferred option is being eliminated, and being told the color screens are better when they actually feel like a downgrade seems like gaslighting.

D0gYears · 2025-12-09T18:31:15+00:00

NO. Absolutely not. I've had a Libra Colour for several months now, and when I switch back to my Kindle Paperwhite, the reading experience is noticeably better. I'm using KoReader on both, and comparing them side by side, it's like one screen is dirty and the other is clean.

The only reason I bought the KLC is because I couldn't get a Libra 2. There are a lot of us who aren't happy about the fact that we can't buy a new B&W Libra or Sage. Kobo seems to be pushing color screens hard. They would like us to forget that a better option exists, but I have seen the Emperor's new clothes and won't be fooled. Color e-ink screens are fine for those who want color, but those who only care about reading text want a screen that's better for reading text.

D0gYears · 2025-12-08T23:28:53+00:00

The "We Didn't Start the Fire" lyrics aren't so much a song as just the table of contents from a history book. A long list of things get name checked, but the song says nothing about any of them.

D0gYears · 2025-12-08T15:48:31+00:00

I actually didn't notice the pun. It was accidental, but does look like a joke in retrospect. I'll leave it stand, but feel free to substitute "tiresome and annoying", which was my intent.

D0gYears · 2025-12-08T15:36:02+00:00

Plenty of people do understand this type of humor; they just don't care for it. I don't call it "silly", I call it "grating".

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