tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post7182774256797715789..comments2023-09-07T10:40:00.762+01:00Comments on Stranger Worlds: SS #2: Cuckoo SoldiersEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-69791645054213830412015-12-07T21:52:14.147+00:002015-12-07T21:52:14.147+00:00Amazing! I'm so happy we've finally, uh, g...Amazing! I'm so happy we've finally, uh, got linkers! (Well, one linker. But maybe soon!)Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-13573318199184039482015-12-01T21:23:48.923+00:002015-12-01T21:23:48.923+00:00You're very welcome! I'm looking forward ...You're very welcome! I'm looking forward to the next month. :)Lauren Stoolfirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07777860030600932061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-29502151025392166352015-12-01T20:44:23.633+00:002015-12-01T20:44:23.633+00:00Thank you, Lauren! And thanks so much for linking ...Thank you, Lauren! And thanks so much for linking up!!!Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-8941464338034295192015-12-01T20:43:53.622+00:002015-12-01T20:43:53.622+00:00Thank you. It is definitely, mostly towards those ...Thank you. It is definitely, mostly towards those of Asian ethnicity; right now in Britain there is a lot of refugee xenophobia, or people making racist allegations toward Muslims, because of the terrorist threat. It's a horrible time, to be honest. Where is it that you live?<br /><br />Exactly! I have no idea what my life would be like - what it could be like - without him. I feel like I'd just be drowning in the pit of my own sin. But every day I see him in all the good parts of myself. Makes me think of the old hymn: "You're my best thought in the day or the night."Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-67155306411764009022015-11-28T22:46:51.964+00:002015-11-28T22:46:51.964+00:00This is fantastic and l like the depth to the shor...This is fantastic and l like the depth to the short. So much more than I expected. I could go on but it looks like everything else has been covered in previous comments. :) Lauren Stoolfirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07777860030600932061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-38698771924526210072015-11-27T05:11:12.043+00:002015-11-27T05:11:12.043+00:00You wrote the racism part excellently. It's do...You wrote the racism part excellently. It's done well. If anybody does get offended, it's no fault of yours. I guess it just makes me edgy because where I live its a really sensitive topic (I don't know if it's like that where you live). It makes a lot of sense though that they would all be uniform since their planet seems very militant.<br /><br />I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't the past couple of years? But with everything that's been going on internationally and even what I see day to day in people's attitudes toward each other, it's just been really fresh on my mind. <br /><br />Wow. Lord of the Flies sounds like it really gets into the gritty parts of humanity. That kind of stuff just makes me unspeakably sad.<br /><br />I know! I am so glad God has given us hope. That He didn't just leave us to the ugliness of humanity. There's is great potential for evil in every individual, but with equal degree there is great potential for good too. Only with God can we tap into that good side. He's pretty amazing!a.n.g.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03667996517318905980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-50880968027836764422015-11-26T22:31:13.656+00:002015-11-26T22:31:13.656+00:00Thank you. Ashley (and my mum) said the same thing...Thank you. Ashley (and my mum) said the same thing! The cuckoo thing never occurred to me as silly ... I'm glad I converted you guys ;)<br /><br />That is very true. I'd not thought of it like that, but yeah, you're totally right: that is, pretty much, what we're told in school and throughout life. I supposed it's "the selfish gene", which I mentioned ...<br /><br />I suppose that's the interesting thing about the cuckoos. Cuckoos to aliens isn't quite a straightforward comparison, because cuckoos are part of a life cycle necessary for biodiversity. That's what Katie says -- "It’s Nature’s way". So does that mean that the aliens are, in one way, taking over as part of a natural process, because humanity clearly can't cope with our responsibilities? <br /><br />I don't know. Again, not something I'd consciously thought about, but you're right! <br /><br />Thank you, Victoria, I'm glad you thought it was good! (And thanks, me too! (Am I allowed to say that?!))Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-67416946651541974092015-11-26T09:55:08.654+00:002015-11-26T09:55:08.654+00:00Man, this is deep. I remember looking at the title...Man, this is deep. I remember looking at the title and thinking that it was kinda silly, but then you talked about pushing others out of the nest and it got really serious really fast. <br /><br />"You are monsters. Learn to embrace it." --> SCARY!!!! I think we do that to ourselves quite often, too. We're told that we have to get aggressive to succeed in life (get into college, keep your job, etc.) and we often don't think about the consequences of becoming really aggressive to do so (damage our health, get someone else fired, neglect family) and in turn kind of become monsters. It often becomes more about the numbers than the people and I think that's when we turn to monsters a little. On another note, sometimes we believe we have to become monsters to defeat monsters, which you touched on as well. (For example, we often use war to fight chaos.) <br /><br />This piece also raises some questions about who "deserves" what. These aliens dudes think they deserve the earth because they are better than the humans, but technically they are taking what wasn't theirs to begin with. But then if humanity destroys itself then shouldn't someone or something have the opportunity to do a better job? <br /><br />Anyways. This was super good and really deep at the same time. (And I like the new blog design!!!) Victoria Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15036742461356732142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-63442023220375011852015-11-25T16:30:17.187+00:002015-11-25T16:30:17.187+00:00Thank you. I don't really know where the idea ...Thank you. I don't really know where the idea came from. (Well, from the prompt, obviously, but not sure apart from that!) But, seriously, the sentence "I've never read anything like that" absolutely makes my day.<br /><br />I think so, I'm not sure; that's just how imagined them. I did wonder whether anyone would be offended, but I think I made a point about racism pretty clearly in the story. The dispersing different ethnicities thing would be easier if they had more diversity, as among humans, but I think (?) the idea is that their planet is pretty small ... ? Also that they are completely uniform -- they all wear the same clothes, for example -- and they all look almost entirely the same, like for example they're all exactly the same height (I didn't have a way to work that in, but yeah). So I think that, because of that uniformity, they would all have the same colour skin. However, it's possible that there are, like, different regions of their planet where people look different? I think that Jared and Katie etc. would all be of the same ethnicity, but maybe there are others elsewhere on the planet, which would overcome the issue of dispersion on earth. That probably makes more sense.<br /><br />(Not even going to reread that last paragraph; that was just me thinking into the comment box.)<br /><br />I'm not sure, the italics just felt right. I think they were speaking out loud, but telepathy would be cool!<br /><br />"Humanity is different from being humane." That is a great way of putting it. I too have been thinking about it a lot, especially in the past couple of weeks, but really in the past couple of years; really, in all the time that I've been old enough to read the news. Also in reading Lord of the Flies at school. I don't know if you've read it, but it's about these boys on a school plane (they're going to Australia to escape WW2) which crashes on a desert island. They're alone, without adults. At first they're English boys -- the kind who seem like "good people" -- but soon their situation changes them. Basically the book explores the idea that there are no "good" people; we are all bad people, ultimately, and it just depends on the conditions you're exposed to. Sure, I may think I'd never kill, but what would I do if I were living somewhere where I might get attacked? Where I had to fight for food? That's LotF.<br /><br />I guess that this story expounds the same theme; that it's easy to discriminate against other people (as the racism thing highlights), or to view others as evil, but ultimately there's no good people and bad people, us and them, humans and aliens; there's humanity, mired in sin.<br /><br />Which isn't a cheery thought.<br /><br />Aren't you glad we have Jesus?!<br /><br />Anyway, I'm really glad you enjoyed the story!Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057480293595295502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797055056494841024.post-49359400353205328942015-11-25T04:36:07.334+00:002015-11-25T04:36:07.334+00:00Wow. This is really deep. And good. They're ta...Wow. This is really deep. And good. They're taught to be monsters and be proud of it. I've never read anything like that. But it makes sense considering the situation.<br /><br />Um, do they all have black skin? Because I think that might be a bit too much. . . ? I don't know. I just see controversy arising from that if that is the only color every single one of them are. (Which is ridiculous, but you know.) Although it does make sense that collectively they looked as if they were from various ethnicities so as to disperse them across the world?<br /><br />Okay, at first when I read "cuckoo soldiers" it was hard to take seriously because of the "cuckoo." But immediately after the teacher had that one student define what a cuckoo is and does, just everything me dropped. Right there is where "cuckoo" because serious and scary.<br /><br />Also, in the class setting, were they communicating telepathically? The italics made me think they were and I could really just see it. Or is it just because they're not of earth?<br /><br />That last part though. O_O<br /><br />"they were not needed to bring humanity to its knees. By itself, it was doing very well. Eventually, the cuckoos forgot to pretend to be human, because there was no longer any point, or any difference."<br /><br />No longer any difference. Just, man. That's heavy. And true. I've been thinking about it often lately. Humanity is different from being humane. Yet, both words are derived from a common root word. Isn't it such a paradox? It's really ugly though. Humanity is its own predator. It makes me sad and angry everyday to see it at work. <br /><br />This is really awesome! It definitely makes you stop and think!a.n.g.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03667996517318905980noreply@blogger.com