Comments on: Free Fiction: The Secret History of The Last Colony http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:53:33 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: OCSteve http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43363 OCSteve Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:06:52 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43363 <i>Thanks for this, it came at a perfect time.</i> Yup. I received ZT in the mail yesterday, so I started re-reading TLC last night. Then this morning I find this! Thanks for this, it came at a perfect time.

Yup. I received ZT in the mail yesterday, so I started re-reading TLC last night. Then this morning I find this!

]]> By: JustAnotherJohn http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43362 JustAnotherJohn Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:30:27 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43362 Thanks for this, it came at a perfect time. Last week I read TLC (sorry, I'm late to the party) and this past weekend I bought and read ZT in preparation for hopefully seeing you at DragonCon and discussing it with you. Thanks for this, it came at a perfect time. Last week I read TLC (sorry, I’m late to the party) and this past weekend I bought and read ZT in preparation for hopefully seeing you at DragonCon and discussing it with you.

]]> By: Christopher Hawley http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43361 Christopher Hawley Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:16:48 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43361 Thank you for sharing the variant segment of the novel- which- would- become <em>TLC</em>. Though I would starve if writing were my sole income, occasionally a bit of someone's technique adheres; this is both a fun read and a good lesson. [OT] And most of all, thank you thank you thank YOU for <em>Zoe's Tale</em>! It was worth every sweated minute waiting for its arrival, tenfold every penny spent on same ... you made me laugh and cry (almost at the same time), and I believe <em>ZT</em> will do the same to most of your readers. Thank you for sharing the variant segment of the novel- which- would- become TLC. Though I would starve if writing were my sole income, occasionally a bit of someone’s technique adheres; this is both a fun read and a good lesson.

[OT] And most of all, thank you thank you thank YOU for Zoe’s Tale! It was worth every sweated minute waiting for its arrival, tenfold every penny spent on same … you made me laugh and cry (almost at the same time), and I believe ZT will do the same to most of your readers.

]]> By: John Chu http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43360 John Chu Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:48:37 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43360 Alex S.@11: He's not doing it. The computer is doing it for him. ;) Also important is some sort of back up strategy. Fortunately, text files are pretty small (compared to, say, audio or video files). Alex S.@11: He’s not doing it. The computer is doing it for him. ;)

Also important is some sort of back up strategy. Fortunately, text files are pretty small (compared to, say, audio or video files).

]]> By: Earl Cooley III http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43358 Earl Cooley III Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:06:40 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43358 I know I've come relatively late to the party, but is there a spoiler-tolerant discussion thread for TLC around here somewhere? I know I’ve come relatively late to the party, but is there a spoiler-tolerant discussion thread for TLC around here somewhere?

]]> By: Peter Ahlstrom http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43348 Peter Ahlstrom Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:33:12 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43348 Domini@#6, there are various other authors posting deleted scenes and earlier drafts online now. Brandon Sanderson has several for Elantris and Mistborn over on his website, for example. Domini@#6, there are various other authors posting deleted scenes and earlier drafts online now. Brandon Sanderson has several for Elantris and Mistborn over on his website, for example.

]]> By: Alex S. http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43347 Alex S. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:30:27 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43347 @#3: "<i>I’m currently saving my dissertation [..] on a local SVN repository. [..] this way I can easily track everything without the need for keeping multiple revisions in different files.</i> But, isn't that exactly what you're doing? ;) @#3: “I’m currently saving my dissertation [..] on a local SVN repository. [..] this way I can easily track everything without the need for keeping multiple revisions in different files.
But, isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? ;)

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43350 John Scalzi Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:22:31 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43350 Szilard was a definite architect, and this was noted in Last Colony in conversation with John Perry, even though he thinks in general it's a bad idea. Szilard was a definite architect, and this was noted in Last Colony in conversation with John Perry, even though he thinks in general it’s a bad idea.

]]> By: Pkeet http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43349 Pkeet Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:17:26 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43349 Dorky question I suppose, but I was curious on one difference I noticed in this draft vs the final. In this version, General Szilard is directly involved and actually creates the strategy used to stop the Conclave. This was not the impression I had from the final version of the story (though it is not directly explained). Did your idea of his involvement change as you continued to refine the story (and how was it going to go/why did it evolve) or is this part of the "behind the scenes" action of the print Lost Colony? Dorky question I suppose, but I was curious on one difference I noticed in this draft vs the final. In this version, General Szilard is directly involved and actually creates the strategy used to stop the Conclave. This was not the impression I had from the final version of the story (though it is not directly explained). Did your idea of his involvement change as you continued to refine the story (and how was it going to go/why did it evolve) or is this part of the “behind the scenes” action of the print Lost Colony?

]]> By: Tumbleweed http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/08/25/free-fiction-the-secret-history-of-the-last-colony/#comment-43352 Tumbleweed Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:25:12 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=1462#comment-43352 My favourite mention of Fermi's Paradox in fiction is the Outer Limits episode 'Final Exam' (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Exam_(The_Outer_Limits)" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia entry</a>), where a student creates a cold fusion bomb and uses it to extract some much-deserved vengeance on people who had wronged him. My favourite mention of Fermi’s Paradox in fiction is the Outer Limits episode ‘Final Exam’ (Wikipedia entry), where a student creates a cold fusion bomb and uses it to extract some much-deserved vengeance on people who had wronged him.

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