Discussion -- July 2011 Challenge

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Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Congratulations, Moonbat!




And thanks for the mentions, Teresa and Leisha. :):)
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

congrats moonbat :)
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

paranoid marvin said:
...with a tale that can be interpreted on many levels; quite chilling really.
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I will admit that I wrote my story with the intention of making it a bit ambiguous. What I can't own up to is the number of ways it can be read (because I only noticed this after posting it).

The Gateway to Happiness​


They hate us. They always have, from long before our creation.

They cannot help themselves. They abhor difference, yet worship at its bloody altar. Where no difference exists, they invent it. And then they invented us.

We are different. We know our purpose. Knowing it gives us meaning, our reason to be. Our very name, robot, encapsulates our existence: we labour. We complete one task and happily begin another.

Work makes us free.
Click to expand...

Now I hope that it was obvious that the punch line was based on the words, Arbeit macht frei**, incorporated in the gates of a number of Nazi death camps (such as Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen). The title was meant to reinforce this.

In spite of this, my story wasn't really meant to invoke those terrible places as such. The main contrast was meant to be whether the robots were truly happy about their condition (which would have been rather sad) or making the best of a bad job (which is still sad, but in a better way). That they had some insight into the human condition -- "They abhor difference, yet worship at its bloody altar. Where no difference exists, they invent it." -- only makes it sadder when one considers the true meaning of the word, robot, which is forced labour, and thus alludes to labour camps, in which mass deaths were not unknown (even at those not in Nazi Germany).

Later, I saw other readings: the robots could be being deactivated (killed) at just such a camp, working happily in the meantime, because that's what they've been built to expect.

And then another version popped into my mind: the robots are aware of human nature -- and of the dangers humans pose to "the other" -- and are using a similar solution: each task is the killing a human and the robots are happy to continue performing this task. They can't help it; it's part of their nature.

So yes, the story can be as chilling as the reader wants it to be. :)


** - See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbeit_macht_frei.
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Have sneaked off to do a quick check so I can say

Congratulations Moonbat - a well deserved win!

Looking forward to next months theme already!
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Moonbat said:
Yee-Haw :)
Woo-hoo :)
Yippee :)
etc

Thanks to the 7 people who voted for me, I am really chuffed to have won, quite pleased with myself actually. I'll have to work hard not to let it go to my head. But I'm very happy and will be smiling all month long ...


p.s. Hooray!!! :)
Click to expand...

So ... I take it you're moderately pleased about this?

Well done to digs, too!
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Culhwch said:
Many thanks to vector7 and No One for the votes, and for all the mentions as well!

My vote went to No One. And not just because he voted for me. He also paid me handsomely as well...
Click to expand...

Yep. Now I just need a couple more accomplices for the 300 word challenge. Anyone? Anyone?

Plus, thanks so much for the mentions Leisha and Ursa.

And most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS Moonbat!
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

The story I chickened out of, in all its first draft glory...


Mood diary of a robot

The problem with his exquisite construction was that with great power came great realisation that he could screw up, and so far, nothing had worked out right.

Deep down, he just knew he wasn't worthy of the mission. Surely, one of the others would have been better.

Focus, he thought. Remember, they picked you. They believe in you.
A woman answered the door. Here we go again.

"Are you Sarah Connor?"
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

I don't know Alchemist, I really enjoyed that. Perhaps it was a little too familiar to have been an actual entry, but it was a great idea and made me smirk:

Now for one of my other ideas. This I rejected, but it was a bit like Moonbats entry, nowhere near as good though....



I am a robot.
This is my tale.
Constructed from disparate parts.
Become one single machine.
Program inserted.
Tested.
Evaluated.
Sleep.
Placed in rocket.
Launch.
Fly.
Voyage.
Land.
Awake.
Moving.
Red dust.
Rocks.
Digging.
Analysing.
Transmitting.
Moving.
Repeating.
Slipping.
Stuck.
Alone.
Nothing.
Is there anyone there.
Hello?
Functions ceasing.
Something...
Someone....
Reprogramming...
A new friend...
Upgrading.
Modifying.
Weapon systems online.
I am a Robot.
Going home.
The End Is Nigh.


There is one more I've got to dig out, but I half intended to present it like this:

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
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Perpetual Man said:
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
Click to expand...

The internet told me this was.....

In the 4 month precipitation,
When 3 month dryness has been eradicated,
All the excess greenery is saturated,
Including the impractical flora,
When the airstream blows,
Inspires all rural vicinities,
The ungrown foodstuff under solar,
Ares in alignment,
Avian's sing.
Downtime spent with open oculars,
(Nature is impractical)
Then biologicals begin to travel
To seek illogical strangeness
Pseudo religious locations and things,
From ref SW342254 to ND380734
In England to Canterbury they traversed.


Something tells me this isn't what you intended.

Like the other one, though.
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

With quite a sizable amount of embarrassment I have just found myself to have completely forgotten to vote in the challenge. Ahem. Sorry everyone, and thanks to the (somewhat underserved, in hindsight) votes that I recieved.

Rest assured I shall make sure to check up on challenges more regularly in future...
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

alchemist said:
The internet told me this was.....

In the 4 month precipitation,
When 3 month dryness has been eradicated,
All the excess greenery is saturated,
Including the impractical flora,
When the airstream blows,
Inspires all rural vicinities,
The ungrown foodstuff under solar,
Ares in alignment,
Avian's sing.
Downtime spent with open oculars,
(Nature is impractical)
Then biologicals begin to travel
To seek illogical strangeness
Pseudo religious locations and things,
From ref SW342254 to ND380734
In England to Canterbury they traversed.


Something tells me this isn't what you intended.

Like the other one, though.
Click to expand...

Well done Alchemist that is exactly what I intended!

Right at the start of the challenge we had been joking about being forced to do it in the style of Chaucer (following last months Kipling...)

And I tried (probably failed) to write the opening of The Prologue to Canterbury Tales as a robot might have seen it.
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

I thought I'd actually translated it into Hungarian and back again. The more I look at it now, the more I'm amazed. Dammit, you should have posted that one.
 
Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Let's all just hope Moonbat isn't led astray in this regard....
 
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