I've said it elsewhere, but I love the science. What's stuck with me most from the books is that to explore space, humanity must undergo some profound changes — both in our societies and in our genes.

Did that take place in the Mars universe? I thought it stood alone.

I respect Robinson's intent with the characters. He could have easily made the First Hundred noble and deliberative pioneers, but (wisely) made them all flawed human beings, which feels very realistic. (Apart from Duval, almost every character is insufferable at one point or another.). But I never felt Robinson…

So what are you going to do? Aim a giant laser at my city's flimsy dome from Phob—-

I enjoyed the books, but I'm the kind of guy willing to read about scientific processes. They're going to have to inject some kind of emotion into what is a frequently flat narrative, at least when you're talking about people's feelings.

That's Frank Chalmers, if I recall correctly.

It's "hard" science fiction: The science and sociology are fascinating, and the "Accelerando" chapter (in Blue Mars, I think) is genuinely exhilarating, as humanity begins colonizing the whole solar system. And the process of terraforming Mars — which is mostly relegated to the background after Red Mars — can give…

Actually, all the lines are delivered as recitative.

Ellison loved to scream about movies' lack of realism in depicting space flight (he particularly hated Star Wars' vehicles making noises in the vacuum of space). Some people would shrug and call it fantasy, but that stuff really, really mattered to ol' Harlan. Because if you're not going to be realistic about…

That's weird — does anyone else hear Harlan Ellison screaming in his grave?

Roman Polanski's Amelie: Bright young woman works to improve everyone's lives for the better. She succeeds, only to find them coldly leaving her to a life of emptiness and isolation.

So was it just me, or did the slaves take a looooooooong time to get to the Lincoln Memorial?

It's not technically a quest, but as soon as I was strong enough, I walked into the slave traders' camp and unleashed hell on all the assholes there. It reminded me of the attack on the Khans in the first Fallout, but it was a lot more visceral, if a bit less satisfying (you never really get a pat on the back from…

I wish Fallout 3 did more with Lucas Simms. He seemed like he should have been more integral to the plot, but I guess he was content to walk the dusty streets of Megaton.

House of the Mauve Fist

Can't remember where I read it, but there was a story about two Irish women waiting for Debs to speak at a rally. A man goes up to the podium, and one of them asks if the man is Debs. "No," her companion says. "When Debs speaks, you'll think it's Jesus Christ."

It would have been . . . interesting. Willkie had no political experience whatsoever and could have easily been a cat's paw for the more experienced members of the conservative coalition.

He's right! It doesn't say Private Property on the other side! RAISE THE RED FLAG

This is what it sounds like/
When kicks fly

It actually goes all the way back to a book of that title published in 1944. By Wendell Willkie. One of the threads that makes up modern conservatism winds back to isolationist outrage over that tome.