The Falcon's Crag

Transferring My Flag

2012-02-08T20:30:00.002-05:00

I am now officially transferring my flag over to http://raptorsclaw.wordpress.com/ .
WordPress simply is a bolder platform to work from. What does this mean for The Falcon's Crag? This blog will still exist, though I shall do my main posting over at The Raptor's Claw. I'll keep this site around, as I do have many Blogger blogs which I read, plus I've spent a lot of time building this site, though you may find some of what's here duplicated over at TRC.

My next move is to begin re-branding my work with the new URL...

If you want to follow me, go to this link: http://raptorsclaw.wordpress.com/

Rodney C. Johnson

The Sword In The Stone

2012-02-04T22:41:00.001-05:00

This is an inset picture for my short story "The First Technomancer". And yes, I was inspired by "Camelot". Everyone does know that Excalibur and The Sword In The Stone were two different weapons right?

Click to enlarge!

SyFy, The Stupid Network

2012-02-02T21:56:00.004-05:00

Is this Zoe, or Tamara?

OK its no secret I have issues with the Syfy Channel. I liked it much better when it was called Scifi for starters, I grew to loathe it when they axed Caprica. Yet with Caprica's demise, Syfy did hold out an olive branch with a new BSG series titled Blood & Chrome. A show which would be a great deal more action oriented.

First lets touch on the notion that Battlestar Galactica was about action and spaceships blowing themselves up. It was not. If one goes back and watches the show, you'll notice there are only two points where the series goes on into an F/X "lets blow it up real good" extravaganza. The action-ers were either at the start of a season, or at the end of a season. Much of the series was actually a great deal of walking and talking strewn with a Viper launch here or there. The more gadget prone, action centered fans used to complain about this.

But moving on, Syfy's stupidity. Mark Stern (he who claimed to back Caprica "All the way") mentioned they're trying to figure out the economics of getting Blood & Chrome on the air. You see the series being almost entirely "green screen" means there's an effect in every shot. If you fudge something like that, its going to look really cheesy.

Now you see the economics are the same as that which are keeping Star Wars: Underworld off the air. All virtual sets/each episode would cost a small fortune to produce - yet George Lucas could if he really desired to spend his own cash to make Star Wars: Underworld, even he's not willing to take that financial risk... Syfy Channel does not however have that cushion when it comes to producing Blood & Chrome yet they're trying to surmount the same hilltop with fewer resources.

The irony is, they cancelled Caprica, a show with STANDING SETS, a fan base, oh and a Cylon robot model which someone sunk money into with the hopes of putting on this more action centered show that actually began life intended to be a web series and may yet end up as just that.

Did that Cylon mock up ever get auctioned off?

Is This An Issue? REALLY! Star Trek 2 Rewrites...

2012-01-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

"A few days ago, Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto let slip that there were still rewrites being made to the Trek 2 script WHILE filming was underway. Hearing that, a lot of fans started fearing it meant bad news for the quality of the script—enough that it spurred Trek writer Roberto Orci to defend those rewrites."

OK, that does it! Trekkies/Trekkers it seems overall DO NOT GRASP HOW ENTERTAINMENT IS MADE! They have limited imaginations and no understanding of the nuts and bolts of good storytelling. Is that a slam? Why yes it is. My experience on fan forums bears this out.

It is a fallacy to think that a script is ever "locked" and that the end product resembles the page from which it was born on. Nowadays with digital film making the editing process has become part of the production itself while filming and not simply what you do at the end after you've collected all your reels of film to splice together. Sometimes this calls for rewrites as new ideas come along. In point of fact, one of the worries during production of the first installment was that the Writers Union Strike had been going on and the production team could not tweak the script as they filmed the movie as they were barred from legally doing so because of Union rules. JJ Abrams even commented he wanted to insert a scene but could not as he was restrained to work with what was on the page.

Now look, they're fine tuning it and still Trekkies are complaining about it!

Being able to organically amend things as you are building the movie is very helpful to telling the story you want to get across to the audience.

No Personality AKA Photoshop Abuse

2012-01-31T12:29:00.002-05:00

What I'm about to say is not directed at any Indie, or Self-Published author. Speaking from my own experience you have to do, what you have to do.

During a recent trip to Barnes & Noble and my excursion into the Sci-Fi & Fantasy stacks one thing above all else jumped off the shelves at me. Mainstream publishers are abusing Photoshop. It did not really hit me until all the book covers under "the new releases" blended into one colorless mush the reason why I was reacting with a big old "meh" as I glanced over the books, all the covers were photo manipulations of one sort or another.

Its not good when I go into the scifi section of the bookstore and all the covers blend together because they're not even very good Photoshop manipulations. Literally the same style: Models with Photoshop jobs done to them.

This works for Romance & Vampire novels, even a few Science Fiction books, but almost every book cover I saw was a manipulation of some sort. Often I could tell the models were not even in the wardrobe they were "painted in".

I mean, these are the rich big leagues. Can't any of these publishers hire an artist to draw a picture?

One of the things I liked about book covers from the 80's, 70's, and 60's - They had personality! Were occasionally outrageous to one extent or another but at least you could look at the cover as a piece of artwork all its own. This is one of the reasons I'm attracted to the more, what some might say abstract "comic book" like covers with stylized human depictions (see Roark Dallas's image of Frederika, or any Michael Turner Aspen cover) on them. It does not need to be photo real to be interesting. I'd actually like it more if it were not.

Come on guys, you Big Six publishers are supposed to be "the professionals" get an artist to make a drawing, or try to steer the trend in cover style away from the vampire genre norm. At least the Advanced Dungeon & Dragons books had actual drawings on them. By which I mean, they might even have been touched up in Photoshop, or pure digital artwork, but they were drawings all the same.

The Thing Itself

2012-01-31T11:43:00.001-05:00

I keep seeing the notion among some people that they still prefer paper books over ebooks. This is an understandable assertion among those who don't have ereaders - reading on a monitor is very painful for long periods of time, my experience of it was less about light being reflected back into my eyes, than having to sit in a chair and look straight on into the screen.

Whereas with a paperback you can recline in a cushy chair or your bed and read away. Yet I am beginning to see that there is more to it than a matter of light strain on the eyes, or sitting position. I think there are those among us who cling to a limited notion of what a book actually is...

To me, a book is about the story on the pages, and not what those pages are printed on. They could be on lambskin scrolls, or oak leaves and still be a "book" even if they are not stitched between two covers.

All this gets back to is that an old style paperback is a thing, an object unto itself - in many ways the printed book is a work of art, its layout, cover art, or internal illustrations all serve to make it an object of value.

At first blush the above does not seem to hold true of an ebook. You can't touch it (unless of course you have an ereader which lets you interact with the pages...) and an ebook does not seem to be a standalone object. But make no mistake, an ebook is an actual thing.

Ebooks are things in and of themselves, as much as any computer program can be a thing. That copy of Photoshop, or whatever version of Windows you might be running is an objects of value. But you say: "Yes I have the CD/DVD, its mine to hold and own!"

OK sure, yet that piece of plastic impregnated with writable material is not the object of value, and sure its nice to be able to hold onto it, though its pretty useless until you load it onto a computer. The object of value is that ethereal string of 1s and 0s composed into a workable program which lets you interact with it that matters.

An ebook is a thing itself.

As an aside, I am finding ebooks far more easier to read. They are less cumbersome and I never, ever lose my place as my Nook always remembers where I left off, even if I do not bookmark a page!

Not Everyone Has A Kindle

2012-01-30T22:59:00.003-05:00

I have not said much about Kindle KDP Select though a lot has been made out of the requirement that in order to join KDP Amazon becomes the one outlet for your work, which even though Amazon's arm is long, to me it makes little sense to limit oneself in this way to just one "publisher" as it were.

However there's another issue which has not really been touched on, though it does fall under the single distributor issue as well. Not everyone has a Kindle. That is to say, there are other ereaders out there - many of which use EPUB and not Mobi files.

The only way KDP would make any sense to me is if Amazon offered downloads in various ebook formats much in the same manner that Smashwords (or even Feedbooks) does, otherwise I'm limiting my readership to only those with Kindles. Now of course, anyone can get the Kindle for PC app, which is fine and everything, though I myself always found it hard to read on the PC - Once I got my Nook Tablet I was able to enjoy the digital reading experience far better than when I was trying to read on the PC. I know I'm not the only person who has had that issue either.

Personally when comparing apps I liked the Nook app better, with the Sony Reader coming in second place, and Adobe Digital Editions third for when I had to read on my PC. Things never looked quite right to me on the Kindle app.

Your Theology Seems Rather Mormon...

2012-01-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I've been working on a Merlin story, which promises to be a different take on the legendary figure, while being more Science Fiction than Fantasy in presentation. The story itself is a direct follow up to Falco Invictus: Light & Fire (FREE on Smashwords BTW) and its main focus is the relationship between "The Devil" and his son Merlin who is trying to come to grips with his overwhelming power.

However one of the things I've established is that "The Devil" aka Iblis Jinn and Jesus, who goes by the pre-incarnation name El-Shaddai are twin brothers and that "God" is a separate transcendental entity from both.

It would seem such a theological structure exists within Mormonism where Jesus and Satan are depicted as brothers. I've come to learn this is something of a touchy issue for "Traditional Christians". Being a Deist I find it all very fascinating myself. The family unit of God, Iblis Jinn, and El-Shaddai serves my fictional universe which I've set out to depict just fine.

Yet I wonder: Will this touch of "Mormonism" which is not really rooted in a Mormon belief system annoy some readers? Should I care? I mean, I made the 12th Imam a product of controlled eugenics, so I guess I probably am not very bothered that my fictional theology might run counter to that of the big religions...

Also, I'm not very sure I should have uncorked this Mormon bottle... but here you go...

Just some musings.

RIP Nicol Williamson

2012-01-26T03:52:00.000-05:00

The actor who made "Merlin" all his own, and in my opinion stole the show, when it came to Excalibur has passed away. From what I can gather he died December 16, and his son Luke Williamson has now made the official announcement of his father's passing.

Bette Davis bitches about ingratitude (I Found This Interview Interesting)

2012-01-26T03:37:00.004-05:00

One, I'm stunned to see Bette Davis openly smoking during the interview. That couldn't happen these days. What jumped out at me was how she described not getting getting gratitude from studio heads such as Jack Warner, but she herself holding them in affection for being willing to take gambles. Her description of how she left the Warner Brothers lot is what made me post this.

Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis

2012-01-24T03:15:00.002-05:00

Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis is a work of fan fiction by Edward T. Yeatts III. And I must say, it is EPIC. As some of you might know, I do not often praise fan fiction - this though is a special case.

Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis

I've been suffering from Battlestar Galactica, and Caprica withdrawal, even though I own both series, I crave something new. When I stumbled across Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis on Smashwords I thought I'd give it a glance and am very pleased that I did. It provides a glance into a much referenced, though not explored period in Ronald D. Moore's BSG 'Verse, the period when humans lived among their gods on the planet Kobol. the birthplace of humans and Cylons alike.

Now, of course none of this is "canon" though a part of me would like for it to become officially sanctioned materiel. Like I said Edward T. Yeatts III provides us with an epic Kobellian landscape well worth reading if you're a BSG fan - I might even say, even if you've never watched the series at all, its a valuable science fiction read all on its with its tackling of Resurrection technology and the creation of the organic Cylons.

The origin of the Kobollian Cylons are explored as well as the nature of the Lords of Kobol. The author picks up many threads and implications which were presented to us by Ronald D. Moore and his writing room.

What can I say? Go read this book!

Edward T. Yeatts III blog: http://lordsofkobolbook.blogspot.com/

Lords of Kobol Book: http://www.facebook.com/LordsOfKobolBook

Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis (Smashwords)

‎99 cent two day deal! Get it while its on fire!

2012-01-23T22:40:00.000-05:00

‎
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122377

Promotional price: $0.99

Coupon Code: FD85R (Not Case Sensitive)

Expires: February 25, 2012

Falco Invictus On the Forge of War - Second Edition

2012-01-16T03:58:00.000-05:00

For 2012, a second edition of the first installment with a spiffy new cover, which I've titled "Hatchling".

This alludes to a scene in the book. I'll be honest, I really wanted to go for more blatant Tits & Ass, yet those blasted wings hide all the naughty bits, I hadn't noticed until much later the nearest wing hides the under curve of her breast. And of course I wanted to make sure my readers had a good notion about what Falcanians actually look like physiologically speaking.

Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Smashwords

The First Technomancer - PREVIEW

2012-01-15T12:39:00.001-05:00

Given I have not posted in a long time. Have a look at my latest project. A short story. This ties directly into Light & Fire, as you can see Iblis Jinn plays a central part in my version of Merlin.

===================

The First Technomancer

Chapter 1. The Devil Comes...

Who said Merlin is dead? If my discovery at Granith Tor is any indication, the man that history recalls as Merlin Emry's roams this universe still. Certainly the Lady Imogen Drake's recovery, and restoration of the weapon Excalibur to King Odin confirms the existence of the warlord Uther Pendragon, which implies also a King Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sir Thomas Mallory just didn't get all the details exactly right. There is little doubt. Merlin was real! Born of a demon, he was both a would be Messiah, and madman of the forest glen.

– Oriole “Orin” Amirjeen, Private Correspondence With The Arclayht Triad

[653 BC Achaemenid Empire, Persia]

The pillar of whirling sand and white fire resolved itself into a form, that of a humanoid male, notably though, a winged being whose crystalline-like feathered pinions folded down and out-of-the-way to be hidden beneath a billowing black shroud. Glancing about, the sharply goateed man sighed, while he thought: Transmutation requires of me much too great power to build such a crude shell to contain a likeness for my code. He painfully realized without Araboth's resources he'd need be very careful with his matrix as well, no new pod awaited for him to hatch out of, no resurrection for an outcast. Though, that thought provided him a mirthful chuckle, what he was about to do here went against all Vril culture and teachings. Yet, it's the only way to interact with these creatures. And I have a goal!

Indeed, the newcomer to Earth did have a goal. His rebel Legion had gathered intelligence that El-Shaddai, his very own twin brother had begun to lay the groundwork for their father's master plans and that it somehow involved persuading these humans to join them in everlasting faithfulness.

Better to beat them at their own game. He thought.

The newcomer had a name. Actually he had many names. This was not his first time on Earth, and the humans who either feared him or embraced him applied varying terms of accuracy to his personage. Upon his expulsion from Araboth the title Shaitan stuck as a name, though his one and only proper appellation, Iblis Jinn would've been his preference to be glorified under.

Iblis Jinn realized hunger clawed at his newly materialized internal organs. Mortal coils are so fragile. Bodies born of sand and fire require nourishment. Ah, but he thought, yet only with a body can I father a Messiah!

I Love My Nook Tablet!

2012-01-03T00:36:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone. Happy New Year!

I got a Nook Tablet for Christmas and LOVE IT! Its like holding a digital paperback book in my hands. Turning pages with a swipe of the finger - RULES!

Now, it originally was the specs which attracted me to this device. Overall I enjoy its performance. I do wish Barnes & Noble would be a little bit more open with the device, such as in the memory space allocation for none B&N content - after all, that is why I like EPUB over Mobi, one is an open format, and the other is a way for Amazon to try to regulate content.

Other than that, I can't really complain, the Tablet does what it does really good and meets my needs for reading and looking at the web when I need it to.

I will also say there is a certain thrill to be able to hold my own books in my hand compared to looking at my writing on a computer screen. In some ethereal way, it made them more "real", actual books.

Merry Christmas/Happy Yuletide - FREE BOOK!

2011-12-22T01:03:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas/Happy Yuletide - FREE BOOK!

Hello all! In honor of the holidays, and until the new year arrives, I'm making the first installment of The Falcanian Legacy Series, "Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War" FREE with a coupon code over at Smashwords.

Also, this will be my final post until the New Year arrives. So happy holidays, and good reading!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/103412

Promotional price: $0.00
Coupon Code: JW84F (not case sensitive)
Expires: January 3, 2012

Rodney/RCJ

John Carter Warhoon TV Spot

2011-12-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

I know some people are really going to hate this movie. ME, I'm all pumped up for it! New film based on classic Sci-Fi literature - I'm there!

Camelot vs. Merlin

2011-12-19T03:58:00.000-05:00

Joseph Fiennes as Merlin

Starz late series Camelot is by far more tolerable, read: enjoyable than Syfy/BBC's Merlin. I don't know what it is exactly, but there's something about the BBC's Merlin that makes me cringe.

I've watched many an episode of Merlin and no matter what, I just cannot get into it. Perhaps its because I really don't find any of the characters interesting or likable?

And by the way. No this is not about Merlin not being "accurate". When it comes to myth and legend turned into consumable fiction, there really aren't any rules one need follow, or liberties one should avoid taking with the material. Pretty much every retelling of the Arthurian cycle has been embellished from the start, beginning with Geoffrey of Monmouth.

I think perhaps it might be the atmospherics. And it does not hurt that, Starz provided a venue for more "adult situations". Joseph Fiennes as Merlin intrigued me, whereas the BBC's depiction of Uther's (and now Arthur's?) jihad on magic users - felt really, not simple, yet lacking depth and almost forced to me. Oh, and teenage servant Merlin does not raise my interest.

FYI: A Note On Comment Settings

2011-12-16T08:34:00.001-05:00

FYI. I've elected to return to bloggers native comment system, rather than third party software. And just to force a little bit of effort on those who might feel any invective in my general arena, I've also enabled CAPTCHA - Even though I as a commentator really hate it when I stumble across it.

Regretfully this also means I've lost a good amount of blog comments, and others, which were hidden under the third party software however have now returned.

I was sort of on the blade's edge with this choice. When I switched over to "IntenseDebate" I did notice some of my regular commentators from when I had begun this blog did not seem to leave any thoughts, though of course I gained more regulars along the way. I hope this does not inconvenience you, my friends in any way.

George Takei, Broker of Peace

2011-12-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

"Gone is any sense of heroism, camaraderie, or epic battle. In its place we have vampires that sparkle, moan and go to high school. Now, I'm not above mixing in a little sex appeal to spice up the fantasy, but sci-fi fans be warned, there are no great stories, characters or profound life lessons to be found in Twilight ... In Twilight, the only message that rings through loud and clear is: 'Does my boyfriend like me?'" - George Takei

Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein Failures?

2011-12-11T04:26:00.000-05:00

Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein Failures?

Frank Herbert

Isaac Asimov

Believe it or not, I stumbled across a blog post (which I shall not link to... no free traffic from me) recently which asserted that the above luminaries of science fiction literature were indeed hacks, and failures, who in the long run of human history would not be remembered within the body of great writing.

You know what raises red flags for me? People who bash Frank Herbert or Robert Heinlein (the inclusion of Asimov in this absurd assertion was actually atypical). Its a tell, you're engaging in overwrought absurdity and I will doubt your credibility.

The context was a well meaning bolstering of Philip K. Dick, who overall got a raw deal and only really began to be recognized after his passing. I'm all for PKD boosterism, yet not at the derision of three pillars of the science fiction genre. You know what PKD's widow, Tessa stated on the Self-Publishing Review forum? That she wished her husband had been around for the advent of Indie Publishing, because he would have greatly benefited from it. There's a lesson here.

Robert Heinlein

Philip K. Dick

You Hated It!

2011-12-10T06:26:00.002-05:00

Its my new policy to showcase "bad reviews". This though does not seem to be a review of a specific piece of work. Rather its a critique of me, or at least that's how it reads, as it takes on a very personal tone. You be the judge.

I guess something I wrote in my Q&A didn't go over very well with "Avalon" to spur such a response.

Hey, no one's obligated to like my stuff - There's plenty of entertainment and works of fiction which I don't care for either. If you follow this blog you no doubt have seen me rant about things on TV, movies, or even in writing which rub me the wrong way.

Anyway, to see Avalon's "review" go here and scroll down to the comments.

I ponder: Do Indie Musicians and filmmakers, or comic book producers invite this same sort of invective?

Things Yet To Be...

2011-12-08T02:35:00.000-05:00

Pristine, poised, haughty, and nude there she stood. Hand on left hip at the center of the monumental cathedral, completely unadorned without jewelry or baubles of any fashion, not an ounce of makeup, yet everlastingly she remained a queen. Clear light illuminated her rich cinnamon complexion, a thin strip of metallic brown and black pubic feathers shimmered under the high contrast illumination that shone from out of the organic-metal walls. Wet, lengthy brunette tresses clung to shapely curves and hugged her ample torpedo breasts where brown areolas and nipples peaked.

Weight fully on her left foot, calmly, totally unsurprised she stayed, lifted a right tip toe. Gears worked quickly in her genius-level brain while she gauged what circumstances had been thrust upon her person. Almond blue eyes keenly watched her keeper. Though she could not perceive his precise thoughts, she could behold his power, and immediately comprehended exactly what sort of being she stood near. At last the gorgeous woman said slightly annoyed: “Are you just going to gawk?” she exhaled in a huff. “There’s a bit of a chill,” she smirked. “Besides, my crude flesh must appear positively prehistoric, if not animalistic to a being like you.”

From Falco Invictus: At the End of All Things - Book III "Ascension".

Khaaaaaaaaaaan!

2011-12-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

‎Grrrrrr! Just because you're using the same characters, a "rehash" does not it make. Look I can't say for certain Khan will be in the next movie - but like I keep saying, it would be stupid of them NOT to utilize an iconic Trek villain... with a whole new set of variables at play, it is NOT a rehash by any definition.

Yes, its an alternate reality, which part of the "fun" of such an animal is to gaze into the familiar through a different sort of lens. The new Trek films need to ride something of a wave of nostalgia as well as being "new" and innovative. I mean if people wanted a truly blank slate - those in charge would have gone with, well a completely blank slate. Yet they did not - they resurrected familiar iconic characters - I'm doubtful they'll reject a chance for a "rematch" and the only villain to ever corner Kirk in the no win scenario. It would be like making a Batman movie series without the Joker showing up...

And IF he is in it - I'm betting we're going to see the fruit of that augment seed risen to an empire. All thanks to the incursion into the time line, the Botany Bay's systems were somehow triggered early - could even blame it on Nero himself, just for continuity sake and Khan, with his genius built a world that would rival even the Klingons for its intensity.

Plus it would be nice to see the augments as a thriving culture and not a band of pirates as they have been depicted, but at the height of power.

On that note: Del Toro will not be in Star Trek 2. Yet Khan rumors persist, and have even been "confirmed" by "sources" close to the production. Like I've said - Believe nothing until you see a trailer!

You know, i'm glad Trekkies aren't doing the writing on these films. They've a very myopic view of how storytelling and entertainment work.

Say, You Made Jesus An Alien...

2011-12-05T00:40:00.000-05:00

Say, you made Jesus an alien...
Yes. What of it?
That seems a little sacrilegious.... just saying.
Any transcendental, extra planetary being, regardless of its connections to our planet, or that of the human species, would by most definitions be an "alien". God and his angels can be both "supernatural" entities as well as alien lifeforms.
Oh, Ok.

Do I have your attention yet? If so, good because I wanted to tell you, For the rest of December, with this coupon code: XJ98N (not case sensitive) Falco Invictus: Light & Fire is FREE on Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101249

Enjoy, or be enraged.

--- Rodney C. Johnson