Comments 37 - From the Goblin Cave to the Stars

Try talking to Nobel winning epidemiologist Luc Montagnier -- maybe he knows a bit more about the science than primary care doctors.

RebeccaR

It's funny you mention this, Alan. I recommended they read Solaris a couple weeks back. I think it would be an excellent addition to the strange stories of the HPLLP.

Ben A

I can't remember which comments show did it, but one made me wonder about Venus as a colony for werewolves. No moon means they can live in peace, no unbidden transformations and ravaging everyone who they come across. This also means don't use Mars, Pluto, Saturn, or, especially, not Jupiter. Too many moons.

Don’t forget the AD&D creature of Vampire Moss!!! Combining the most fearsome aspects of both vampires and moss!! http://www.mojobob.com/roleplay/monstrousmanual/p/planvamo.html

Alan Ricks

Have you ever considered doing Lem’s Solaris? I recently finished the book after years of putting it off probably because the Clooney adaption made me think it was just a sci-fi romance and there are some elements of that but it is so much more and so much weirder. Lem was always great at making alien aliens, to the point where humans can’t simply understand them enough to even be able to make contact. It approaches weird fiction. An entire planet of living ocean that can change its planetary trajectory at will, that is alive but other. A god in the fringes of space. A planet where hundreds of explorers and researchers have given their lives to make contact with this other but every attempt has been a fatal failure. I’d love to hear what you guys think the other visitors are and their connections to the scientists, what Solaris is attempting to achieve, what happened to the visitor in orbit... The book and both movies are so different. I read the 70s translation which for decades was the only english version available. Lem apparently didn’t like it, probably because it plays a telephone game from polish->french->english. A few years ago a newly translated direct from polish version was released as an ebook and audiobook and people have good reviews of it but I really only do print media for my reading and some copyright thing is keeping that version from being released.

Alan Ricks

Coming back to this, I think the argument about character competence meaning there's no narrative is particularly asinine because it can actually make the story *more* exciting. I rewatched a modern horror film called The Collector recently. (I recommend it only if you handle a bit of torture porniness, because it does get gruesome in parts.) It's your basic (figurative) monster in a (literal) house story, but with a novel twist. The protagonist is a thief that's spent months casing a house, but when he finally sneaks in it's already broken into by a serial killer who did the same. Both have detailed knowledge of the space they're in, both have an advantage—the killer has trapped the house, but he also doesn't know the thief is there—and above all the protagonist is *good* at what he does. He knows how to be stealthy, he can keep his breathing under control when in pain or startled, and he has good ideas. But he's physically outmatched, and his opponent is good at what *he* does, too, so you end up with a bit of a life-or-death battle of wits instead of a guy who just wins all the time. My point being this: horror (and thrillers like "Black Destroyer") thrive in uncertainty. If you feel like the character can actually succeed, when they fail it makes it all the worse.

Mandy Reznor (She_It)

Thanks to Chad for calling out the culture of mindless arguing <3

Sludgecrawler

James White wanted a setting that would allow for some dramatic tension other than a war story.

Ben Gilbert

Another great Dick story is The Father-thing, another pod people story that reminds me somewhat of the movie Invaders from Mars.

Ben Gilbert

The great thing about that example is, after it went horrible, the scientists still went into scientist mode about recording all the data even though they, personally, were screwed. ...I now want a Horror movie where the head researcher gets laden with alien eggs early on and spends the rest of the film casually charting his sympoms as he heads towards popping like a pregnant spider.

Mandy Reznor (She_It)

On the subject of the portrayal of scientists as doing lots of dumb stuff being unrealistic, I have three words... two of them are “demon core” and the third is “screwdriver”.

Michelle Elbert

I think in terms of the hanging stranger de ja vu.. everyone was remembering the podcast called Fictional by the guy who does Myths And Legends. He also did Call of Cthulhu which is when I went searching for a lovecraftian podcast and have been listening to you all ever since 3 years later.

I loved the discussion on judging stories succeeding or failing to follow their own logic and how often people who despise or look down on scifi or horror will use that to dismiss criticism from a serious fan. These days it’s likely to come up with Marvel or DC movies as the casual goer (i.e. virtually everyone) yawns or laughs at the comic geek for caring what Cap and Red Skull would’ve said to one another at their soul stone meeting or how any of these stand-alone films could take place without all the other heroes at least phoning up to say “No Bro, can’t make it. Sorry Bats about that Bane dude taking over your whole town. I’ve articles to write for my other fake/not fake job.” But it was so good to hear you guys use Alien to demonstrate how when a story uses its own logic, its own established canon it can succeed and further views can be even more rewarding. As much as everything about the Nostromo’s first trip and the actions of its crew makes sense, we can only conclude that barely 30 years earlier (Prometheus time) people were just really dumb. Those movies really reminded me of Waterworld where everyone seems to be wandering around completely shocked that their living on uh how do say world covered in water?

"By day, Chad Fifer. But at night, when the moon is rising, ..."

Thunk

The whole licking section reminded me of this poem by Salena Godden which is both gross and hilarious. https://youtu.be/s6bLQEQyE1U.

Beccameriel

Thank you both for encouraging people to get vaccinated. There's a lot of folks who are hesitant for one reason or another right now, and I think frank conversations like this are an important part of overcoming those fears.

Also, it feels good to know that i’ve contributed something to the Lovecraftian canon.

Robert Curtin

We need a stand-alone release of Wuthering Heights!

Robert Curtin

It is also in The Black Hole. In this case a woman with a chip to let her communicate with a robot.

Great show. I'm a little concerned about the "For now, I'm Chad Fifer" comment. Concerned and intrigued.

Foolish of me - thanks!

Sector General, Sector General!

Andrew Brown

Hi guys, wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your reading of my comments on "The Black Destroyer," particularly my capsule summary of SLAN — you absolutely nailed the tone I was going for.

Tinderbox is the best. So underrated.

Brian J

Comments Shows are kinda like candy. They're a little treat in between more toothsome fare. Also, Chad, I'm a she.

Mandy Reznor (She_It)

This play list is the bee's knees! (... could use more 'Be Fleet' though...)

Murder She Rothenberger (Wrote In Burger)

The concept of a wifi chipped brain communicating with another can be seen in the episode "Living Hell" on The New Outer Limits. I watched it on television back in 1995.

Aaron Gullison