The Pub Discussion Board

The thought screaming to be released from my head after reading this fever dream is “Wow David sure doesn’t disappoint.†  Hope your muses come back.

Last edited by Timberwolf92 (2021-09-07 05:45:41)

Elessar wrote:

I’m excited about a story, some time after the war… not 100-200 years, but like 10-15 years.

And... what about this excites you, specifically?  Given that he'd almost certainly still be teaching at the Academy...

Eric Storm

Allow me to add that we fans find even the mundane act of David shopping for a birthday present to be of interest. I wish I could explain the joy I felt as I was reading new words featuring David Stroud. To a certain extent, this is why Star Wars and Star Trek is so popular. Before ST:TNG aired, I read just about every book published featuring Kirk and Spock just to get more stories. You may not understand why we feel this way, but you should accept the fact we do and be happy.

Personally, I'd love to read about his transition taking over the conjuring department, Vivian's role tackling "discipline even worse than when David was DIRT captain", the school's recovery from losing half its teachers, now having a military presence on campus, David settling in as husband and father, etc., Some random things I've wondered about as the story ended - Does Cat ever appear as ghost Cat to make sure David is actually raising her kids (not her ex-husband) and that the kids are doing okay? Does David ever give his parents a method of conacting him in case of an emergency? I ask because I feel if David's mom kicked the bucket, his father might reach out to him... Will he ever be hexed while teaching rendering him invisible and revealing demighost prejudice amongst newer students?

And as to what David could be learning, I suggest he keep a toe on Earth so he keeps up with technology. Perhaps he goes and gets a college degree from an Earth college, perhaps majoring in computers so he is able to keep up with changing times on Earth. It would be funny if he were able to find a way to link up a computer with Earth Internet capability in Lord Woodward's workroom in the castle. No offense to your Duggeran sensibilities, but how many times have I read that David is bored or that the ghosts are bored. David certainly has the fnancial means to create a home theatre with a massive BluRay collection or maybe a Neflix account or the like that streams. Can you imagine the castle ghosts getting hooked on "Days of Our Lives" or "Real Housewives? How funny would that be. If anything, David could have the biggest DVD collection on the planet and fill in some of those boring hours.

Last edited by bigfoot (2021-10-17 09:39:42)

Eric -

Here's an idea for you to shoot down (smile). As a departmemt head, David gets to know the professors he didn't know as a student as well as he new professors brought in to replace those fallen at the Battle of Hogwarts. In doing so, they hire a new professor to replace the recently killed Prof. Keisha Bahkeir from the Art Department. Professor "Newman" is a Master Wizard who was born on Earth and spent time in Hollywood working in TV and the movies. Prof. Newman approaches David to fund the creation of  new department that focuses on performances that can be mirrored (is that the right term?). These performances eventually become something akin to American daytime soap operas but made specifically for Callamandians, deal with Wizarding issues and will feature all-'wizard' actors, perhaps even some down on their luck Hollywood wizard-actors.

Unless there is something like Hollywood entertainment in Callamandia that I missed reading about, there is a ton of untapped potential for this world for writers, actors, directors, technicians, craft service pixies, etc.,. The potential is obvious particularly with the stories from the war fresh in everyone's mind. I would think historical documentaries would be very popular, especially David's pet project, "The Lord Woodward Story." It could also be used as a way to educate Callamandians on life on Earth as most residents don't seem to have any clue about their sister planet. If anything, David can use his money in this new venture to fund passion projects highlighting charities or people who've done good. As an aside, he could work with Gwen to develop large screen, HD-Mirror technology and help her set up production for the avalanche of orders (and granas) that'll come her way as she dramatically improves standard mirror technology.

Just a thought or three...

Last edited by bigfoot (2021-09-09 22:03:39)

thehilz:  I list it as non-canon actually for all the reasons you just mentioned.  If I make it canon, I have to "put it in its place": when did it happen, why was he in Earth to buy a present, etc.  It also means that if I break down and write another David Stroud story, I have to make sure that either this hasn't happened yet, or that I incorporate any potential after-effects...

Point is, I just felt like writing a scene, without having to worry about how it fit into the larger world.  It wasn't that I thought there was something that wouldn't work within the Dugerraverse.  I just don't want to have to worry about it.

bigfoot:  Actually, there's nothing wrong with this idea... well, except there's no way I'd call the new professor "Newman"...  Little things would have to be tweaked, of course.  A few things that aren't quite right:

It wouldn't be a new "department", it would be part of the Arts Department, if it was part of the school.  It would just be a new "program" within the department.  This is just semantics, of course: I'm sure this is basically what you meant.

I don't have a word for mirror broadcasts.  To "mirror" someone is to call a specific person.  I never came up with a word for "broadcast mirrors".

Now, as I think about it, what you're talking about would take two forms:  "Scheduled broadcast" (the Dugerran version of cable TV), and the Dugerran version of DVDs.  Video-on-demand is not possible, as far as I can see.  The reason is that a mirror can only show one thing at a time, and VOD would require it to be able to show every moment of the movie, all at once, to various different people.  That's just not possible.

Now, one misconception you have is the idea of "HD mirrors".  Mirrors are analog technology: there's no "standard definition" versus "high definition".  There's just "reality definition".  However, special mirrors would be required, in order to access the (obviously restricted) broadcast mirrors, and to collect the subscription fees necessary to make this kind of system work in a business sense, so Gwen would definitely have a product to produce/sell.  In fact, quite a few, since the recorders, the editing equipment, and all the playback equipment would go through HasterScan (TM).

About the only real problem I can see with this idea is actually the side-effects.  Because people must be citizens to hold jobs in Callamandia, it could conceivably increase the number of students staying through their fourth year (much easier to break into Callawood than Hollywood...).  That could cause some issues for the colleges (increased attendance means more professors needed, more dorms needed, larger cafeterias needed, etc.)  That problem would settle itself out over a short trouble period, I imagine, assuming the system didn't explode into a massive industry that threatened to consume all of Callamandia as Hollywood seems to have consumed all of America...

Eric Storm

You tell me.  Their premiere college teaches how to use magic for sex... and requires an actual sexual act to complete the section of the course.

Eric Storm

bigfoot wrote:

... so one assumes they have been around TV's in the past.

I want you to imagine you're a Dugerran.  Your normal "technology" is your wand, a mirror, and candles.

You enter a hotel room, whereupon you see what looks like a black mirror.  It's kind of thick for a mirror, but the only large, flat, shiny surface you're familiar with is a mirror.

But you can't seem to make this mirror DO anything.  It won't connect to mirror broadcasts, you can't use it to contact anyone... it just sits there.

Remember, you are NOT familiar with things like power buttons and remote controls.

So... do you ever actually learn what this black mirror does?  Probably not.  You aren't going to ask, because that just opens up a huge can of worms about why you don't know already.

They hadn't seen or had knowledge of limos

Limousines are not common transport.  How often have you seen one in person?

and even Joe was completely clueless about airplanes, zoos, etc.,

You say "even Joe", like he should have some special familiarity or insight into Earth culture.  Joe had never been to Earth before joining the Rimohrs, and had never taken Earth Studies.

If I were the author of this Universe, my answer would be that Dugerrans essentially look down at technos for any number of reasons.

Good thing you're not the author of the universe, then. 

Dugerrans are not condescending of technos, they are ignorant (in the "don't know" sense, not the "they're stupid" sense).  Most Dugerrans do not travel to Earth.  They were born in Dugerra, they were raised in Dugerra.  Maybe they took that "one trip" to Earth, like we take that "one trip" to Japan, or Australia... or Disney World...  It's not going to breed any kind of familiarity.

This is a case of you... kinda not paying attention.  Throughout eight books, I introduced far more characters who had never been to Earth, than I did characters who had visited regularly.  In fact, the only Dugerrans who had visited regularly were the Hasterscants.  Somehow, you failed to connect this concept to the fact that most Dugerrans would have no exposure to Earth culture, beyond (perhaps) their Earth Studies course.  (And Earth Studies is an elective, so most of them won't have taken that, either.)

The more I think about this, the more I think you would be better off writing a story about Gwen and Jess attempting to convert Earth devices into desirable Dugerran products beyond what they have done so far.

Um... where's the story in that?

Gwen can develop a home based mirror that will receive programming from a company David creates that develops content like documentaries, live sports, reality mirrorvision, music videos, live news, porn, etc.,

Live sports are already mirrorcast (Hey, I just invented a term for it!  )

It could/would fundamentally change part of Dugerra and has the potential to explode into a mega business. The fallout to Dugerran society could be intriguing (as you jokingly mentioned).

I wasn't joking.

David actually discovers why it is so difficult for people to get pregnant in Dugerra and invents a pregnancy potion to greatly increase the likelihood of getting knocked up on this world. Talk about a societal change! I wonder how that would affect the desire for larger families if it were as simple as taking a potion before copulation. What would Callamandia look like in 100 years if that became the default setting? Suddenly, a family with five children like Gwen's would be the norm and not the exception.

David would bury the existence of such a potion as deep into his archives as he possibly could.  In fact, he'd never try to invent it in the first place, and he would bury the knowledge of what's causing the difficulty, instead.  He would understand how this would destroy Callamandia's way of life, which is something he has come to appreciate over the Earth way of life.  He wouldn't allow himself to be the instrument of its destruction. 

In fact, this would be a limiting factor in all of this.  David would resist doing anything that made major alterations to Callamandian society.  The entertainment industry, if kept reasonable, wouldn't be a major upheaval.  A few years of difficulty at the schools, and maybe some housing issues, which would take roughly the same amount of time to settle out.

It's also possible that David might ask the king to pass a law allowing for "work visas", which would allow magicians (2-year education) to enter and work in Callamandia, but only in the entertainment industry, and only on a contract-by-contract basis.  That way, the disruption could be kept to an absolute minimum.  A few individuals would have to be trained in how to actually make the recordings... Gwen or David could have a "technical school" that would teach these things.  The actors would just have to figure out how to act on their own.  (If you'll recall, the Arts Department is closed to anyone less than a 3rd-year, so they can't learn it there.)


Eric Storm

I'm really not looking for ways to write more in this universe right now.  I have three other stories I'm supposed to be working on.

I'm writing these because they're the ideas that pop into my head, and I'm hoping that writing SOMETHING at this point will kickstart my muses.

Eric Storm

As I've stated previously, the problem is not in the knowing what to write.  It's in the writing itself.  My muse is on hiatus.  Until the little bitch comes back to work, writing is going to be difficult.

Eric Storm

You realize you just hoped for my writer's block to continue, right?

*waits for the lynch mob to assemble...*

If this seems to be a real trend, I may consider it.  Right now, I consider it a reward to those who are actively visiting, that they will be aware of these and get to read them.

Eric Storm

PS:  Weren't you supposed to be working on some stories a while back? 

Hmm.

Maybe I'll have a talk with your wife, get her to withhold sex until you actually complete a story... 

Eric Storm

I know he is, but I like him, anyway...





Eric Storm