When Four Worlds Collide This essay confronts, by pairs, these four science-fictional worlds: “Star Wars”, by George Lucas; “Babylon 5”, by J. Michael Straczynski; “Star Trek”, by Gene Roddenberry; “The Culture”, by Iain Banks. Star Wars Meets B5 Minbari goldfish-ships outclass most Imperial ships. The Death Star is evenly matched with Shadow or Vorlon planet-killers. The Force is, to B5, just teeking; B5 concentrates more on teeps. Morden: “What do you want?” Emperor: “Power!” Morden grins. ...
Seeker-Stress see-cur-stress: The pain of misplacement When a possession goes missing, it leaves behind a void more vivid than the thing itself. The hole glows with bright darkness, in photographic-negative colors. Only the normal light of the lost thing, held in hand, can quench that burning shadow. So you run around, in frantic search of your lost possession. You look behind things, and under them. You ransack your pockets and your room and your mind. You review in intricate detail the day’s travels; you picture what you lost, and you wonder how to do without it, if you must. And when you do find the thing, it was in the most obvious place, but only in retrospect. With its return, relief flus...
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