ommadawn.dk - Me

Goodbye to one blog, hello to another blog

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Science fiction

Quite quick: In the future I will blog on https://stuff.ommadawn.dk/.

Goddess, 4

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Pictures

A fun day. Click picture to enlarge.

Goddess, 3

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Pictures

What does a goddess do? Stare intently at an apple! Click picture to enlarge.

Goddess, 2

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Pictures

Okay, so the light was added in Photoshop, but you get the idea, right? Click picture to enlarge.

Goddess, 1

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Pictures

Recently I was on a photo shoot, where I pretended to be a goddess. Click picture to enlarge.

Reflections

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of �Refleksioner� (�Reflections�), by Stig W. J�rgensen, read in Det virtuelle cocktailparty (The Virtual Cocktail Party).

Outline: Longer and shorter articles about time grammar, SF swearwords, and other stuff. Some of these are from the blog Ekkorummet (Echo space).

Is it good? As I've noted earlier, I find Stig intelligent, a good writer, etc. (Or, I think I've said it earlier. Or, maybe that was on another time line?) So it's just yummy to get some more. At the same time, it's nice to know that, if there's not enough Proximas in the world, you can just read Ekkorummet, too. And then I have to admit, that even though I'm subscribed to Ekkorummet, there's a lot here I hadn't read before. Even though I'm very much for stuff being available electronically, and read short stories and novels electronically, there's something about long blog posts that takes it out of me. Blog posts are supposed to be short; that's my state of mind, when I read blogs. So hurray for a second chance to read it here!

Note: I've also read the 2 remaining parts of the book, even though I haven't talked about them ("Portr�tter"/�Portraits� and "Punktnedslag"/�Hitting points�). I'm just not saying anything about them, because I'm not a big lover of Erwin Neutzsky-Wullf, Brian W. Aldiss, Samuel R. Delany, John Crowley, Arthur C. Clarke, interviews, and reviews. But, I'm very flattered to see my own name on p 293. Blush ...

Alternatives

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of �Alternativer� (�Alternatives�), by Stig W. J�rgensen, read in Det virtuelle cocktailparty (The Virtual Cocktail Party).

Outline: A beginner's article about what alternate history / alternate worlds are, and 3 reviews of 1 anthology and 4 novels within this genre.

Is it good? Well, I like when stuff is grouped nicely. And the intro, drawing threads back to history, physics, psychology, and philosophy/linguistics is pure gold for me; and on top of that, I know these fields quite well, already. Things just fall into place, and I can read (or reread) the following reviews from a new angle. Ah, so that's why it's one thing, when a world not at all like ours still has a Kennedy, and another when a world is like ours most of the way. At the same time, the grouping fits some ideas I already have about grouping SF, in general. The right thing at the right time.

Universes

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of �Universer� (�Universes�), by Stig W. J�rgensen, read in Det virtuelle cocktailparty (The Virtual Cocktail Party).

Outline: Universer af papir -- en introduktion til science fiction (Universes of Paper -- An Introduction to Science Fiction) was published as a book originally, and now it rises again as the beginning of an essay collection. The genre is split into 5 groups (the political future novel; space; time; the changed man and man's creations; and end of the road), which again are split, and finally represented by books, which are summarized and linked with other books out there. The purpose is to let newbies see what SF can do at it's best (in Danish), thereby getting a better view, in general.

Is it good? I'm new enough for this to feel just right. I've read some of the book, the rest is put on my shopping list for later. Stig seems like a seasoned reader, able to pass on his knowledge and overview. -- The content is presented clearly, with page numbers and new-pages in the right places. -- And yes, of course, there are small laughs and missteps: the trees shouldn't grow into the sky. I haven't seen, elsewhere, that people from Mars are humans, and I'm surprised Verne isn't mentioned; not even with a note explaining his absence. (Wells is here.) There are a few spelling errors here and there, mixing singular and plural, and common gender and the neuter. But it's not much, just enough to bother my inner editor. And it's a question of taste, whether you need that many exclamation points. There's linguistic energy for talking about humans and dolphins, �wanting to get their hands (etc.) on� something. He. -- So, let me say it again: this is just right.

Doing Many Odd Things

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of Mange s�re ting for (Doing Many Odd Things), by Svend �ge Madsen.

Outline: An atheist writer gets an assignment from God: write a defense of God. And right after �rhus Festuge (�rhus Festival) there's a body, dangling from the top of a church spire.

Is it SF? Well. There are some predecessors, clearly SF (Mnemosynes b�rn, Lad tiden g�), and looking-at-the-past machines and, indeed, playing havoc with time plays a certain part. But, I still have some doubts, though I can't quite say why.

Themes: The deceased, dangling from the church spire, was called Adam. With Holger and Hanumag, he was very much into a project where you could look at the Earth 2,000 years ago. Even more to the point: what did Jesus do exactly? But now Adam is dead, and Holger and Hanumag have disappeared. Their 3 students, Dja'far, Klaus and Devala respectively come to �rhus, to figure out what happened. -- Felia is trying to solve the murder, that's already been committed, and a few more that happen later. -- A different project altogether is to find the truth about Jesus through DNA analysis. -- Here and there and everywhere there's foreboding, fun with time, destiny etc. -- The writing is full of half sentences, words tripping over each other etc.

Is it good? I have a clear sense that there's more to this book than I could wrestle from it. And I constantly tripped over words. But, I am left with a somewhat clear image of the plot (why and how did Adam die, etc.), and that's cool.

Note: The name of the book is from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 7:29, King James version: �Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.� By some freak of interpretation, in (old) Danish �sought out many inventions� becomes �doing many odd things�.

Both-And Monday

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of Baade-Og Mandag (Both-And Monday) (gratis), by Jesper Knallhatt - Lene Andersen.

Outline: Celebrity Cornelius and journalist Tenna have a long talk. Or rather, Jesper Knallhatt has written a long talk between two fictitious persons. Or rather, editor Pamfilia Severinsen finally publishes the manuscript of Knallhatt in 2035. -- Knallhatt is sort of a mystery, it might be a pseudonym. Or rather, Lene Andersen holds the copyright for a novel, with the names Jesper Knallhatt and Pamfilia Severinsen on the cover.

Is it SF? Even though it pretends to be science, interviews and other stuff (non-fact in other words), then yes, it's a novel, and it's SF. Both �writers� refer to stuff we know hasn't happened (yet). So we're in something like an alternate history / the future.

Themes: As the book says: 'Using the headlines What are we Doing? How is Everything Connected? Who are We? the book describes the latest technological development, as well as theories of the �mechanisms�, according to which the world develops: chaos theory, complexity theory, and the theory of scalable networks. The book also has 15 hypotheses for societal and global development, and finally, the book ends with a tour de force through the idea history of the last 2,500 years.'

Is it good? No. It's kind of fun reading 2035-Danish, that's much closer to English than 2010-Danish. Then it got a little tiring reading Tenna and Cornelius fight (�I want to interview you�, �well, you can't�). And when it finally got rolling, it was just a long speech from Cornelius (even though Pamfilia meddles with small footnotes that are kind of funny). A lot of tell, not a lot of show. So I only reached page 35 of 409. Which is sad, because I know this series is about stuff, I find exciting! It's just very un-excitingly presented.

Behind the Sky

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of �Bag himlen� (�Behind the Sky�), by Richard Ipsen, read in Dr�mmetid (Dreamtime).

Outline: He's always on the move, but finds peace under the starry night sky.

Is it SF? Astronomy, discovering life in space etc. Oh yeah!

Themes: Communication galore. The narrator communicates with Karoline a lot, even though she's deaf. And they both communicate with beings on another planet. But others don't communicate that well.

Is it good? A good short story from a good collection, yes, baby!

Russian Roulette

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Danish, Me, Review, Science fiction

Review of "Russisk roulette" (�Russian Roulette�), by Maria Kj�r Madsen, read in Ingenmandsland (No man's country).

Outline: Kimberley takes another walk in her virtual rain forest, while she's waiting to trade it for something more exciting.

Is it SF? One aspect of virtuality we haven't seen before, and another kind of society: yes.

Themes: Should you do what you love, or what you're good at? And, if the answer implies boredom, isn't it okay to look for the ultimate excitement/thrill? The two themes are connected. Students can both get bored studying and look for excitement elsewhere, in some virtual reality / internet / something environment. -- The characters have English names: Kimberley, Jim, Melanie, Casper.

Is it good? I want people to be able to live the best possible lives that they can, seen from within; so I'm shocked when somebody says otherwise. I would feel bad if I could only study what others said was best for me. So the short story shocks me in the best possible way. At the same time, I have small annoyances: why is only one half of the theme (the ultimate excitement) still with us on the last page? And why do the characters have English names, when there's no other reference to where the short story is taking place, and the characters could be from all over the world and speak random languages? But mostly: satisfying, and a good short story from an author, I will pay more attention to in the future.

Conversations on the Wedding Day

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Me, Science fiction, Stories

Recently I've gotten confirmation that the short story "Conversations on the Wedding Day", written by Glen Stihm�e and myself, will appear in the APA called FAPA. It should appear online as well at some point. I look forward to this, because these APAs have a reputation for lots of commentary, so I hope this story will get a lot of constructive critique. Below a snippet from the text.

And I couldn't have guessed where we ended up anyway. That I would become a water technician, and help build the dams around Copenhagen, but move to Ringsted myself, because it was more practical living far from water. That the weekend cottage, we were convinced we would have, would be a boat.

Game FAQs

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Education, Games, Me

Yes, I play a lot of games. And some times I get into a game in a way, where I have to produce an FAQ or something. This has happened twice sort of recently.

FAQ, heroglyphix, non-technical.

Crazy Penguin Catapult Hints.

Outline for Misery

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Me, Stephen King

What would an outline for Misery look like? What can I learn about writing novels from this novel?

Outline.