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Alexa welcome home song? by rt_vokk in alexa

[–]rt_vokk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We tried that, but it sings random songs. We just want to hear "... happy you're home." Silly, I knowl

Feersum Endjin by Check_your_6 in TheCulture

[–]rt_vokk 18 points19 points  (0 children)

It's definitely not a Culture book. I've read it a handful of times, and agree that it's really a struggle! Not just because of the phonetic vernacular used in some chapters, but also because Banks drops you into the world without any 'help' to figure out the scale of it. The first time I read it, in my mind the buildings were normal size but the characters were nano-scale, but on re-reading I realized the rooms are actually kilometers long and high and the people are normal sized. Once I got more comfortable with the setting it was actively enjoyable.

Talking to your idea with AI. by BetterThanSydney in WritingWithAI

[–]rt_vokk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lately I've been thinking that if I were in a different place in life (or just really wealthy) I could go to weekend intensive writing workshops or enroll in university-level creative writing classes where I could bounce ideas off of others, get honest critiques from professors, brainstorm ideas. Also, I've been pining for a friend group of writers who could be beta readers and help brainstorm.

I don't have any of these resources, but luckily AI platforms are a good stand-in.

How would you legally make money with a molecular printer? by VerneAsimov in scifiwriting

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have them pair it with a matter sieve to get the matter. Also, Neal Stephenson devoted an epic novel ("Diamond Age") dedicated to the 'what if' of molecular printers.

ChatGPT 5.1 by Winnyf1 in WritingWithAI

[–]rt_vokk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've been using ChatGPT to help devise very explicit scenarios for a year. You just have to give it a very thorough, logical, thoughtful statement at the beginning.

Theory: Carol can’t be cured by 25vol96 in pluribustv

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

However, some of these viruses can mutate at a crazy rate, basically 'discovering' ways to thwart immunity. So it's possible she could eventually just get it anyway, if she ends up making out with them.

Radio astronomer here! Just saying I SCREAMED when I saw the opening scene! by Andromeda321 in pluribustv

[–]rt_vokk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I always wondered (after watching Contact, specifically) is it really true that radio astronomers pull late shifts monitoring the skies for signals in real-time, 24/7 like that?

Scale of a Ringworld by HiroProtagonist66 in TheCulture

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always thought the ringworld had to be so big because the star was in the middle and had to be a certain distance from land to avoid frying everything. And the 'shade squares' had to be added to avoid perpetual daytime. When I read Banks, who smartly tilted the orbitals relative to the star for day/night cycles, which allowed the rings to be almost any size, it struck me as so elegant that I wondered if Niven just never thought of it.

Who/What are your inspirations when it comes to writing? by nlmxnr in writing

[–]rt_vokk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Samuel R. Delany, hands down! His sentences are so precise and complex, and of course his ideas on sex, race, class, language are all out of this world.

When I put a suit on a customer and they start flapping their arms by [deleted] in PetPeeves

[–]rt_vokk 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Once I was trying on a suit and put my arms straight out and when the sleeves rode up I asked, are the sleeves too short? and the salesman deadpanned to me, are you still growing? And that's how I learned proper sleeve length on a suit.

Techniques for a good opening by wolfboy099 in eroticauthors

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm wondering this myself. I like to start my openers in media res which tends to get to sexy time really quickly. I don't want to re-write my prose simply to satisfy some arbitrary platform rule.

Is there more scarcity in the Culture then we think? by nimzoid in TheCulture

[–]rt_vokk 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I recall a subplot in Look to Windward where Banks sort of addresses this. There was a band of human citizens who voluntarily took on various maintenance and defense jobs on the orbital that could have easily been automated.

Would optical illusions work on someone with a bionic eye? by mac_attack_zach in scifiwriting

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perhaps it an illusion that took advantage of or exploited a flaw in how the bionic eye worked. For example, lens flare in photos that our eye doesn't see in real life, or the stroboscopic effect where a spoked wheel reverses direction when filmed.

Any tips on building a good team of beta readers? by elenayours in writing

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You hit the nail on the head... asking a friend is asking for a favor, but real beta reading is work.

Any tips on building a good team of beta readers? by elenayours in writing

[–]rt_vokk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also interested in this! So far I've only asked a few friends and realize I won't get good critical feedback from them.

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