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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Episode 25 - In Which We Techno-Babble

01001000 01100101...er, I mean, Hello! I write to you through the wonders of electricity, fiber optics, Pentium chips, and other things that work by magic AKA science. This episode, Nick and Tim examine how technology not only continues to change how stories are told, but what stories are told. We also resurrect Our Take on Tales with short stories by Ray Bradbury and a darker anime series.

So, hook up the electronic audio system of your choice and imbibe the first episode of Derailed Trains of Thought of 2012. It's not the flying car you were promised, but it's almost as awesome.

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1 comment:

  1. I'm not sure where to start on this one. While I'm part of "Gen Y," I get overwhelmed by all the new methods of publishing stories. It seems...impersonal to me. I prefer to have a real book in my hands, but I do understand like eBooks and the like. But I also feel like it's too easy to lost in they deluge, despite all the opportunities it offers. There's a lot of "noise" on the internet, and you have to either "shout" really loud or be very clever to rise above it.

    As for technology in stories. I hear what you say when it can be used as an easy solution to the problem (at least, I think you discussed this. It's been too long since I listened to this episode). That was actually one of my gripes with "Star Trek: The Next Generation." While I love the show, it often got bogged down in "techno-babble." An episode would start with this great set-up and concept and then be explained (or explained away) in a bunch of scientific jargon. I'm not opposed to such things being included (I write science fiction, so I like that stuff), but it shouldn't be overdone. Plus, writers shouldn't rely too heavily on using technology to solve their stories' problems. At some point it becomes a bit of joke. (Seriously, can Mr. Fantastic ALWAYS invent something to get him and the Fantastic Four out of trouble?)

    I want to see more of "Death Note"! I love for the same reasons Tim mentions. However, I want to see it in English. It's one of the few animes that I think is better in English.

    And Ray Bradbury is the man!

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