DISCUSSION THREAD, July 2019 75-Word Writing Challenge

[johnnyjet]

There were many interesting and unique spins on the theme, a wide variety of stories. Excellent theme, Victoria! However, that made it that much more difficult to narrow down my favorites. Ultimately, I somehow arrived at my Long List, Short List, and *** Favorite ***:

Meadow Flowers in Primary Tones, Manhattan 2011 - Cat's Cradle
Blood on My Hands – Cathbad
A Rocker's Worth More Undead Than Alive – MikeAnderson
The Secret Garden – elvet
Circles – Daysman
Necropolis Artsteroid – chrispenycate
Son Et Lumière - Victoria Silverwolf
Leakage – mosaix
*** Relativity – LittleStar ***
The Deftest Brush – Shyrka
Cubism and the WarpSpace Drive – Parson
Through a Canvas Darkly – Hugh
In the Beginning - Perpetual Man
A Night in the Valentina Royale Theatre - Dr_R_Dizzle
Let AI—and G&S—Entertain You - The Judge
The Stars Before Us – TheDustyZebra

 

[nixie]

Favourites
@elvet
@Culhwch
@M. Robert Gibson

Vote @The Judge

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Here's what stood out for me:
Blood On My Hands - @Cathbad
All in the name of Science. - @nixie
Mid-credit sequence: - @StilLearning
A Gust, a Breath - @johnnyjet
Let AI – and G&S – Entertain You - @The Judge

And my vote
From Under the Martian Yoke. - @Peter V

 

[Vince W]

Spoiled for choice this month. @M. Robert Gibson, @Starbeast, and the @The Judge were all considered but my vote went to @TheDustyZebra.

 

[Parson]

@elvet & @J.C. Scoberg ---- Well today did not match up with the whale watching of yesterday, but I am looking at the harbor of Scagway, which is a thing of beauty!! My wife's bum knee is acting up so we are on the boat and reading. Certainly far from a horrible day.

Thanks for the mention @johnnyjet --- Made my day!

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

My vote this month goes to @M. Robert Gibson for making me smile.
My shortlist: @Cathbad @elvet @Victoria Silverwolf

Well done all, some really individual takes on the theme this time.

Thank you to @Victoria Silverwolf @Parson for the shortlists, very much appreciated

 

[elvet]

I am thrilled with al the mentions this month. Manay thanks to @J.C. Scoberg , @johnnyjet , @nixie , and @Pedro Del Mar .
My shortlist :
@Daysman Circles. For finally explaining why these happen
@Peter V From Under the Martian Yoke I could see them dance, it was so beautiful.
@LittleStar Relativity You captured the sense of time passing and art evolving as one.
@johnnyjet A Gust, a Breath For demonstrating that art only needs imagination
@Ursa major The Gents: Rocking the World for Ninety Years So clever, though I did have to read it a few times to ‘get’ it.

Vote goes to @The Judge Let AI – and G&S – Entertain You. Because it is already happening, and considered a novelty.

P.S. Did Ursa and the Judge time their entries? They both work together quite well.

 

[Shyrka]

Shortlist:

@David Evil Overlord - Carving out a life after politics
@LittleStar - Relativity
@Parson - Cubism and the WarpSpace Drive
@The Judge - Let AI – and G&S – Entertain You

Vote:

@StilLearning - Mid-credit sequence - Basically, I'm a sucker for anything that invokes the ultimate melancholy of the heat-death of the universe!

 

[Daysman]

A diverting clutch of high concept bits this month, mixed with a little opera (comic, space, etc.)

Particularly enjoyed:

• @Cathbad - Blood On My Hands
• @Peter V - From Under the Martian Yoke
• @mosaix - Leakage
• @johnnyjet - A Gust, a Breath (vote)
• @Parson - Cubism and the WarpSpace Drive

Thanks for your mentions @Ian Fortytwo , @Hugh , @johnnyjet , @elvet and for your reviews @Victoria Silverwolf and @Parson

And have a good weekend!

 

[Parson]

Thanks to @Shyrka and @Daysman for the short listings. It is great to connect with some readers.

-----

Alaska update: We spent the day floating among the glaciers. They were sights to see, but sad too. They are losing size rapidly. At one time only 10 years ago there were over 30 glaciers which went down to the sea in Alaska, now there are only 9, and a couple of those may only reach the sea as ice for about 2-3 years. We are now in the Gulf of Alaska (otherwise known as the actual ocean) instead of the Inside Passage so for the first time this week the ship has a noticable swaying motion. I look out the window and see some majestic mountains maybe 20? miles away. The scenery on this trip has been to die for. Often it looked like the kind of thing that could only exist in an artist's imagination. Words fail me! And that's the absolute truth. When I get home I'll post some of my pics, but I already know that they will not do the vistas justice.

 

[chrispenycate]

My shortlist was squeezed down to Cathbad, elvet, Perpetual Man, The Judge, Tywin and Victoria Silverwolf, and I went for Her Honour, the moderators' moderator posting on the Chronicles (enlight'ning us with unexpected data astronomical).

With thanks to Parson and Victoria for the reviews, and johnnyjet for the mention, and yes, we've got a couple of days left, but:- Ashleyne, Cat's Cradle, Culhwch, David Evil Overlord, Dr_R_Dizzle, Elanvitalseries, Garfunkel, IntoTheBlack, Karn's Return, Marvin, MikeAnderson, mosaix, Perpetual Man, scarpelius, Starbeast, StilLearning, The Judge, TheDustyZebra and Ursa major hadn't yet voted when I did, and we've not had a single one of those who missed submission coming in to vote…

 

[Vaz]

Favouirtes &Vote*

Nixie
Peter V
Johnny jet
Littlestar
The Judge *


v

 

[StilLearning]

Thanks to M Robert Gibson for the mention, and to Shyrka for a wholly unexpected vote - I've been away from this so long I was pleased with just getting the mention! As always my long list was more or less everyone. My 'short' list was...

Parson
Ursa major
Victoria silverwolf
David evil overlord
Tywin
Mosaic
Little star
Cat's cradle
Mike Anderson
Ashlyene
Rover
Daysman
Artoriarius
Peter V

Parson got my vote - I love the concept that some of the aspects of reality will need to be expressed as more than just linear logic, and an artistic sensibility will be a vital part of understanding and using them. And the underlying idea had a weird ring of truth to it so I went looking... And found this: Van Gogh painted perfect turbulence : Nature News
So it looks like Parson has managed to sneak a reference to very intriguing science mystery, that seems to be pointing to something very profound, into his 75 word story that already combines art and hard sci fi.

Tut tut sir, did you think no one would notice?

 

[Parson]

Parson got my vote - I love the concept that some of the aspects of reality will need to be expressed as more than just linear logic, and an artistic sensibility will be a vital part of understanding and using them. And the underlying idea had a weird ring of truth to it so I went looking... And found this: Van Gogh painted perfect turbulence : Nature News
So it looks like Parson has managed to sneak a reference to very intriguing science mystery, that seems to be pointing to something very profound, into his 75 word story that already combines art and hard sci fi.

Tut tut sir, did you think no one would notice?

Huge thanks for the Vote!! It made my day, and also thanks for this wonderful note. I don't believe the rules allow me to comment until after the voting, but unless inland Alaska proves too diverting, I do intend to discuss this then.

Alaska Update: We are still in the Bay of Alaska making our way slowly toward Seward. The sea has moderate wave, but in this HUGE ship not too disconcerting. But for the first time on this voyage really no scenery to view.

 

[Ursa major]

Many thanks for the stealth vote, Perp.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Really enjoyed reading the stories this month. Our apartment is almost 90 degrees, and I just don't have it in me to do a long list, so here's my Hot 4:

Cathbad
LittleStar
johnnyjet
The Judge.

Loved all these, but LittleStar's had a slight edge for me, so my vote went there. Victoria's genre/theme choices really inspired a lot of good tales this month.

Thank you LittleStar, Hugh, Ian Fortytwo, Victoria Silverwolf, johnnyjet, and StilLearning for the listings. And thanks as always to Parson and Victoria for the fine reviews. Good luck, all, the rest of the way in the voting, CC

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Cat's Cradle
Cul
nixie
StilLearning
DEO
Tywin
Vince
LittleStar
*TJ*

 

[The Judge]

Some interesting takes on the theme. My shortlist:

​

Cathbad -- Blood On My Hands​

Cat's Cradle -- Meadow Flowers in Primary Tones...​

LittleStar -- Relativity​

mosaix -- Leakage​

Peter V -- From Under the Martian Yoke​

Shyrka -- The Deftest Brush​

Victoria -- Son Et Lumière​

It took a while to pick out the winner, and it came down to a battle between Peter and Victoria, but Peter's dance to freedom just got the vote.


Golly, such reaction to my G&S pasticcio,
Wholly undeservéd by this D'Oyly Carte farrag-i-o!

Many modern model thanks for the mentions/shortlistings Hugh, johnnyjet, MRG, Vince, Shyrka and CC, and multiple beings-animaculus thanks for the wonderful votes Victoria, JCS, nixie, elvet, Chris, Vaz, TDZ and Abernovo!

 

[Abernovo]

This was difficult. Really difficult!

• In the Beginning, by @Perpetual Man just made me laugh, with an alternative idea for the big bang, and the idea that even higher beings might have to listen to their mum.
• Cubism and the WarpSpace Drive, by @Parson spoke to my science-trained little heart; science and art are inextricably interwoven, but it's wise not to take too much licence with relativity.
• Relativity, by @LittleStar left me feeling uncomfortable, but put over so much imagery, and emotion, that it was impossible to ignore.
• The Intergalactic Appeal of Stairway to Heaven, by @Tywin managed to reference not just one of the bands I grew up with, and still love, but distilled how art, in this case music, can affect you.

All these had me reading through again.

Anything written by @Starbeast makes me smile. His offbeat humour is always evident, and brightens the Chrons. Thanks, pal.

An Honourable Mention for @Elanvitalseries - The War Within did not quite hit all the marks for my vote, but I loved the imagery, the fact that it told a full story in so few words, and was very well-written.

However, it came to a choice between titans and, oddly enough, the final two stories posted.

• The Stars Before Us, by @TheDustyZebra is beautiful -- in a very meta way, it moved me in the way only a good piece of art can move a person, whilst describing someone being moved by great art; and​
• Let AI – and G&S – Entertain You, by @The Judge, which had me singing the words, and tapping my toes, as I imagined the words sang in the voice of HAL, and it reminded me of AIs in Becky Chambers' novels.​

In the end, my vote went to The Judge. By the way, thanks for the [expletive] earworm! That's going to be with me for the rest of the evening! (I also love Gilbert & Sullivan.)

 

[Starbeast]

I have to make this quick while my internet connection is holding out.

Firstly @Calliopenjo , thank you for the vote. You made my day shine bright.

Second, I voted for the beautifully written tale by @LittleStar

Third, hopefully I can return online by Tuesday. So my internet provider promises. I'm thrilled I have a connection today, in order to vote and comment.

Fourth, I'll eventually return with my Short List. Tons of awesome entries this month.