Fantasist's Scroll

I just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night.

A friend who also recently finished this fifth installment of the Harry Potter series said that he thought this was a “darker” novell than the other four. After thinking about it, I had to admit that it was. In fact, the books have been getting progressively darker as time goes on. Which, really, is to be expected. Things have to get more and more dire for Harry and his friends all the way through the last book when he will, no doubt, kill Lord Voldemort.
Otherwise, though, the book was good. The characters are, as they have always been, quite engaging and J.K. Rowling manages to get us quickly interested in what’s going to happen to them next. This year at Hogwarts, we see Harry dating, dealing with family, and find out why he has to stay with the Dursleys every Summer. We also see Harry grow up a little bit, though it’s mainly teen angst and growing pains.
If you’ve been watching the news stories, you know that someone dies in this book. I won’t spoil it and say who, but it is someone significant. And, I correctly predicted who it was early on. I guess I’ve finally figured out Rowling’s writing style enough to make it a little predictable, but the book was no less enjoyable for all that.

Also, I’ve started reading Aliens and Linguists: Language Study and Science Fiction by Walter Earl Meyers. It’s out of print, so I was really lucky to find a copy, but it’s well worth the hunt. I haven’t gotten very far into it, but it’s about linguistics and language used in sience-fiction and fantasy. Very cool.

…found deep in our own oceans.

I recall reading a book about writing science-fiction once that said, basically, any crazy, wild, “different” idea for a creature a writer can think of has already been out-done by Mother Nature. And, I have to say that I’ve found that to be a Universal Truth. One of the things I love about National Geographic, for instance, is the strange beasties that it brings me almost every month. Insects and plants that I never dreamed existed in their natural habitat in full-color photographs. Simply amazing.
Here’s another simply amazing collection of photos. In this case, of deep sea creatures, but sea creatures like I’ve never seen before. Twelve pages of fantastic creatures with names like long-nose chimera, lantern shark, and goblin shrimp. What a great place for a fantasy writer to use as source material for other-worldly oceans. Take the time to check out at least some of the pictures. You won’t be dissapointed.

Well, not really. But they had binary code!

No, really! According to this news story at the Independant, the Incas had a kind of knot code that was very similar to our own binary coding. They seem to have kept fairly detailed messages in a seven-bit binary code knotted into decorative textiles. So, now we know how it was they had such a detailed, complicated society and legal systems without seeming to have a written language! They just had a kind of writing that we never considered.
I guess it was too hard to imagine a “primative” culture capable of creating binary code. And, really, knotting thread is a pretty inventive and creative way of recording information. The tie-closure on a bag could describe its contents and owner. Shoot, it could even have a shipping address included in it! Such a code could have been woven into other textiles as well. Even the simplest of fabrics could have had messges in them.
Obviously, this is pretty exciting to me. The ideas that this spawns for a created culture are almost endless! And, think of how original it would seem to the average reader of fantasy fiction. After all, this has sat in front of experts for ages before they figured it out, so to we who are less experienced in such things it’s nothing short of brilliant and new and, well, fantastic!

Okay, so I’ve been bitten by the Harry Potter bug.

Not too long ago, I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, now I’m finishing up Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Next, of course, I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, then Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, followed quickly by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That is, if my wife and daughter are done with it! I hate to admit it, but they really got me hooked on this stuff. It’s not hard reading, or even very challenging, but it is fun and nice, light Summer reading. And, while I’m studying for my CNE Update test, it’s a nice diversion.
I think my daughter is getting a little too into the latest book, though. Sunday afternoon, she caught our dog doing something naughty and yelled “Potter!” in a very Snape-like voice. The poor dog, who’s named “Hilda”, didn’t quite know what to do. Especially when we all were suddenly caught up in a fit of laughter. Ah, well, they’re good family fun!

Okay, this is just too cool.

This article from the Guardian talks about the scientists in Taiwan who created genetically modified zebra fish that glow. Apparently, they’ve found a way to incorporate glowing jellyfish genes into these fish and have them breed true. They’re working on more glowing species.
Several groups have spoken out against this, but I think it’s cool. Okay, sure, we’re tampering with genetics and life and no one knows where it will all go and what all the ramifications are. But, if we don’t do a little experimentation, how will we ever know what the ramifications might be? Besides, think of all the science-fiction plots that will be spawned (pardon the pun) by this!

Well, I’ve really done it this time!

Yep, I made a name generator based on the Conlang Word Generator and the Conlang Generator. It’s pretty cool, if I do say so myself! Now, keep in mind, the names aren’t perfect and they’re based on the languages in the drop-down list, but they aren’t from the language. In other words, if you choose “Chinese” as your base language, you won’t get Chinese names, but conlang names based on Chinese phonology. And, if you choose “Tsolyani”, the names will be in the correct “format”, but not really quite like names from Empire of the Petal Throne. Still, it is fun. And, if you’re an author looking to crank out some names fast, it works pretty well.

In any case, I had fun doing it, so enjoy!