Vampire poll

If I say, "Vampire," to you is what you picture:
* A member of the undead
* A monster, but not undead
* Not a monster & not undead
* Something else?

(not a paid account, so hit the comment link to answer)

30 Days of Flashfic - Day 25 - Prompt: noir style

This a Flashfic based on a prompt from ravenswept's 30 Days of Flash Fiction Meme

My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page

Day 25 – Prompt: Noir Style

Setting: A bit of what could be RPG sourcebook fluff, giving a peek at a SF RPG setting I pondered doing something with in the early 90s.

( RPG sourcebook fluff under the cut )

Awesome entry tag

I have just noticed that james_nicoll has a, "memetic prophylactic recommended," tag. Nifty tag and good advice to keep some of those on hand.

From James Nicoll's review of Rocket Girls

From James Nicoll's review of Rocket Girls (the novel)

"Japanese Space True Believers seem much less annoying than Anglosphere Space True Believers. I wonder why that is? It cannot just be that it is a comedy; Anglosphere Space True Believer comic SF exists and is generally pretty horrible.

[From comments:

I have a theory about why this worked for me where an Analog-style Purest Lead Comedy wouldn't: the people Nojira spends the most time casting as comic figures are the people on his side, the staff of the SSA. My memory of such comedy musings as the Captain Empirical stuff is that the main targets were uppity third worlders and feminists: the author's enemy.]"

(Note these are both from James Nicoll, top part in the review, the bottom part in the comments section)

You know, I think this is good advice in general. Treat your opponents fairly in what you present, and if you're going to tease then tease your own side. For one thing it suggests that you are yours are capable of taking a joke. It also implies a degree of confidence since you aren't being hyper paranoid.