Hi Everyone - I am New Here

[karakris]

Riiight - Hi to all you S.F. Fans.

I have both watched and enjoyed a number of Sci Fi Films -
However, my interest in Sci Fi goes back a long way.

I was avidly reading Sci Fi in the 1950's - and started buying Second-Hand Sci Fi Books in the 1960's. I still have them all.
I continued buying S.F. Books during the 1970's to 1990's - but by the 1980's I was collecting Fantasy Books as much as Sci Fi.
I haven't bought anything new in Books, much since the late 1990's.

Now - I had virtually abandoned S.F. during the last ten years.
Then in Feb this year I slipped into an S.F. Game on another site - this was a play-by-post Game, but BIG roles - Fleet Commanders, Planetary / System Directors, with an Empire of nasty Aliens coming against us.
So now I am REALLY back into S.F. - and I got elected as the Game Master - although I am also a Player.
More FUN than I ever thought - I get to use my imagination, and organising skills.
Some "way out" Tech - but I am doing tons of Research into Real Tech now - Physics, Chemistry, Terraforming, Stars and Planetary Dynamics. Nuclear Physics, Transuranic Elements - heaps of stuff.

By background - I was a Design Engineer and Technical Author. Retired now. Living with a Lady who has been the love of my life for the last 25 years.

Seems like this is a very good place to be

[Dusty]

Hey welcome to the site Its always nice to see a new face. From the looks of this your more then well read in the realm of Sci-Fi so you should fit right in. If you have any questions feel free to ask me or anyone else on the staff

[Daryn]

Well hello and welcome to you! This little community has a bunch of RPG's going on, and we're always looking for good players to join in. We're more focused on anthropomorphic scifif, it's a niche that we're happy to fill.

I wonder if I might ask, how did you come across this site? I haven't been doing much advertising for it as of late, something I need to remedy.

[JanetStarhatcher]

Welcome to the forums! It's good to see new members!

[Nelle Kozera]

Hi i'm the Roleplay Mod welcome to the forums. I umm...Hi. Technical Author?

[Brome Teks]

Awesome, welcome to the forums. Sounds like you'd like some of the roleplays on this site, especially the Age of Rebirth/ Sins universe ones. We control entire nations in those ones.

[Nelle Kozera]

Awesome, welcome to the forums. Sounds like you'd like some of the roleplays on this site, especially the Age of Rebirth/ Sins universe ones. We control entire nations in those ones.

Sins is more character level RP, AoR is the national level universe.

[karakris]

Thank You All for the Very Kind Welcome

I found it like I find most things - "trawling" on the Web.
I prefer this term - coz I am always looking for something
specific - rather than just general Browsing.

I rely on the Web these days for a LOT of my knowledge,
Info, contacts and even "friendship".
As I sit at home in front of this Screen for up to 12 hours a day,
on my own - the Web is my "lifeline" and escape from boredom.

My Bunch of "pirates" in the private Universe are mostly from
the U.S., Auss or N.Z. - they are Good People.
BUT - we are rarely on-line at the same times - as I am in the U.K.

So - hunting around for a good S.F. Site - this one looked better
than a lot of the others I looked at.

[karakris]

Hi i'm the Roleplay Mod welcome to the forums. I umm...Hi. Technical Author?

Technical Author - Writing Technical Stuff
Results of Testing and Evaluations
Product Descriptions and Functions
Project Descriptions, Aims and Progress
Design Reviews
Operating and Maintenance Manuals for Equipment

Spent more time Designing Equipment and Machinery
than Writing about it, though.
I have been lucky - I LIKE Designing things,
and I LIKE Writing.
Down side - it never paid very well, though.

Thanks - and Glad to be here

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Hello! Nice to meet you, we totally need more bookish fans around here,.. umm what sort of genres / authors do you like?

Physics, Chemistry, Terraforming, Stars and Planetary Dynamics. Nuclear Physics, Transuranic Elements

Wow, that's quite a list. I've been reading up on mathematical physics recently myself (mostly via Roger Penrose and MIT Open Courseware and a little Project Rho (and the Khan Academy also looks pretty interesting but i've not had a chance to check them out yet)), it's surprising how enjoyable / engrossing recreational research can be

[SliceOfDog]

Welcome Karakris! Sounds like you have a lot of experience! I really hope you enjoy the site, and if you have any questions please feel free to ask

[karakris]

Thanks to everyone for the Welcome

That is very good of you - Honest

[macrorufus]

*waves at Britisher!*

[karakris]

Hello! Nice to meet you, we totally need more bookish fans around here,.. umm what sort of genres / authors do you like?


Wow, that's quite a list. I've been reading up on mathematical physics recently myself (mostly via Roger Penrose and MIT Open Courseware and a little Project Rho (and the Khan Academy also looks pretty interesting but i've not had a chance to check them out yet)), it's surprising how enjoyable / engrossing recreational research can be

Authors - Hmmm
E.E. 'Doc' Smith - still one of my favourites. Larry Niven
Heaps of others - can't remember them all
Trouble is - I had to do a "panic evacuation" from my former home in March 2007, to live here.
Now - all my Books and Videos are here, BUT - stacked and in crates, I cannot get to more than a handful.
I also have all of my other Books - mostly Military and War, etc. Likewise stacked and crated.
Trouble is - the sheer quantity.
800 Sci Fi Books - I think.
500 Non-Fiction Books.
2,100 Videos, at least.
100 Vinyl L.Ps., 60 Vinyl Singles.
80 CDs
30 DVDs.

Subjects studied - Well -
I was a Design Engineer for some 30 plus years -
Machinery, Mechanical Equipment, Hydraulic Systems.
Also, in that time I did a Degree in Computer Electronics ( 1991 ).
But I have always been interested Science and Technology.
I did a Post-Graduate Course in Computing for Science and Engineering, but dropped-out.
During that Year - I was friends with a chap who had a Ph.D. in Fluid Flow in Stars - and worked for the BNFL ( British Nuclear Fuels - and Nuclear Power Stations ).
I learned some things about Stars from him, and about Nuclear Reactors.

These came in handy for improving the design of my giant Nuclear Powered Warships, for my Alt Timeline "War in 2006".
However, mostly they are useful in my S.F. Game - where I am the most "sciency" bod, apart from the REAL Science Expert which I have. However - he is very good, but does NOT do Sci Fi Tech - I think he finds it a bit silly.
I first recruited him via my "Nuked Planet - Need Help" Thread - and so Argos is getting Recovered and Rehabilitated after the Civil War we never talk about - as in "Don't Mention The War" ( Basil Fawlty ).

I do have a sense of humour - but it does not show very often.
Some things just really crack me up -
"Everybody Loves Me, Baby" by Don Maclean
And I heard one this morning which made me smile -
"Village Green Preservation Society" by The Kinks
Also - the original track -
"I got Five On It" by The Looniz.

Must stop now - this is getting Waaaaaaay too long

[Daryn]

I think I'll take this opportunity to recommend you check out some of Peter F. Hamilton's work. A good place to start would be Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. You said you haven't read much recent scifi lately, so thought you might want to check that out. It's some of the best writing I've come across in years. It's available everywhere, on Kindle, Audible, even Dead Tree Editions. So you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Hope you check it out, and hope you like it as much as I did.

[themeatcomesfromorphans]

Please allow me to introduce myself; I'm a man of wealth and taste...

All that foolishness aside, welcome! I'm kind of new myself and know close to nothing about scifi compared to these guys. Oh and I think I'm gonna pester you now for crazy stories about parties and such in the 60's

So if you meet me, have some courtesy, have some sympathy, and some taste. Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste, uuuuuummmmmmm yeah...

[karakris]

YAY - No Probs

Well - I DID go to some Parties in the 60's - Oh Yeah
All Nighters, where we had to do some cleaning up the morning after.
Sometimes I didn't remember it all - I had to ask other people what happened.

But my "famous story" I used to tell, about the time I got "Kidnpped" into a Party, which ran alll weekend and then some - and which I managed to escape from. That was just Fiction, me trying to make my life seem more exciting than it was. However, it actually did the rounds for a few years as an "Urban Myth".

I was not a very exciting person then - and used to invent stories to make myself seem more interesting - as I just worked in an Office for a tatty manufacturing / engineering company. Hmmm - I never have been an exciting person - but at least then I had a circle of interesting friends.
They thought I was wierd, though - and I don't really mean the stories. I was trying to fnd my identity - like all young people. When I did find it, it just made me more of an outcast - I used to refer to myself as an Alien. Also I had Radical Political Views - some have stayed, but I am LOADS more mellow now.

As for courtesy, consideration, sympathy - those are the things which my 'Friends' thought were wierd - I am even more courteous, considerate and sympathetic now than then - sort of like a "samaritan".
I ALWAYS try to see the other person's point of view - and it takes a LOT to get me Kross.

Best Wishes to Ya - "themeatcomesfromorphans"

Hmmm - if it did come from Orphans I would be very Kross.

Onwards and Upwards

[themeatcomesfromorphans]

Pff garbage. Everyone was interesting in the 60s. I mean it was the time of the sex and drug revolution. Oh and does that mean you were like one of those rebel communist hippies? If that's the case, my hat's off to you sir. Fight the establishment!

God bless the 60's.

[Silverwind]

Hi and welcome - sounds like you have a great deal of interesting knowledge about all sorts of things. Something I aspire to myself!
Also great to see another person from the UK here as well. Hope you enjoy being here, and we get on well too

[karakris]

Pff garbage. Everyone was interesting in the 60s. I mean it was the time of the sex and drug revolution. Oh and does that mean you were like one of those rebel communist hippies? If that's the case, my hat's off to you sir. Fight the establishment!

God bless the 60's.

Hmm - I suppose so, never thought I was interesting though - I always found it hard to fit in.
I was waaay too shy with Girls - and people thought I was more wierd than interesting.

I BELIEVED in lots of things - I Was a Marxist-Pacifist at School, and an Anarchist-Marxist at College, but BELIEFS. Never DID anything - too scared to.
I even knew a guy was was one of "The Committee" I think - the people planning The Revolution - sort of the "Instigators" of "Something In The Air" ( by Thunderclap Newman ).
It seemed a lot like that was what he was - But maybe not, you know what they say - "them as talks about it, don't really know about it".

I did go around shouting "Down With Beaurocracy" on empty steets at night - but DO anything - not me.

I formed a Rock Group "The Suns of Darkness" ( Obscuritas Aeternus Luminis ), wrote a lot of my own Music, Sang It, played a number of Musical Instruments - but that was nearly a lifetime ago.

I have been an ongoing S.F. Reader and Fantasy Reader since the 1950's, but particularly since the 1960's - so this seemed like a good Site to Join. That Interest I have not lost.

[Daryn]

If you can find any of that old music of yours on tape I am sure that I'm not the only one who would appreciate hearing it. Like a lot of folks here, I'm a big fan of music, and if it comes from our members all the better.

[karakris]

If you can find any of that old music of yours on tape I am sure that I'm not the only one who would appreciate hearing it. Like a lot of folks here, I'm a big fan of music, and if it comes from our members all the better.

Sorry - All Lost, All Gone - only in my head now.
Too many enforced moves - and a part of my life
which is no more.
I still remember part of "Virgin Catacombs" - 14 minutes long,
but I probably only remember about 8 minutes of it max.

"Breathing out, into outer sign - only know it's sowed the sign,
it's sowed the seed of -
hidden doubt now, falling back its always having you around".
"And now its only sign, its only reason - you don' know me".

"What - have you breathed a now, alway -
whose open breath have you climbed again -
and falling back in time its only samely -
your falling for the wind now, know its only sinned, in spite of you"
"And who closed all the doors in my world - know it wasn't you -
no it wasn't you".
"You're falling to the sun now, know its only one, no one but you -
that the man who lives and speaks unto you was the one".

That is all of "Virgin Catacombs", which I can dredge from the depths
at short notice.

Or the opening line of "Number One" - the first recording using "white drums".

"As Christian swung his weight - Tapers tapered and burned into the night".

Yes - I wrote those words.
Much of our Music was a sort of Improvisation, Modal, with only the opening Chord specified.
And for me - Words were always sung in a "stream of conciousness" manner, rather than planned or thought out. The tune sort of fitted with the music, but was not defined by it.
I remember them, because we Recorded every session - we had to, and
sometimes played them over. But the Recordings are all lost now.

I just remember parts of the Songs ( we called them Numbers ).

I sort of implied - but now saying
I am the Lost, the Dispossed, the Exiled, the Eternally Damned, the Alien in this World.
And I ALWAYS lose, time after time, without end.
But not to worry I am PAST regret, PAST bitterness.
Sad, but sympathetic.

[macrorufus]

Virgin Catacombs = Virgin Dungeons? This is innuendo right?

[karakris]

Virgin Catacombs = Virgin Dungeons? This is innuendo right?

Not really sure - that one got named after it was written / played and recorded.

I was a virgin myself at the time - told you I was shy with girls.

It has a dark and desolate feel - musically as well as lyrically.
Except the last stanza - which is a bit warmer.
So Catacombs - caves, the burial regions under Rome.

As we always played and recorded in our own room,
away from the rest of the world - that also kind of fitted.

That was all that I was thinking.

The Suns Of Darkness were one of the most unknown
Groups in the world - although we had over 300 of our
own written "songs" or Vocal Numbers.

"Virgin Catacombs" was one of my best and favourite works -
Along with "My World Tonight" which is a bit happier -
I wrote that latter one on my own, at the ( musical ) Keyboard.

[Daryn]

Well that is a shame.With so many moves you really never know where those tapes ended up. Funny thing is though, there is the possibility they ended up in someone's collection of rare and obscure bands. Either way, thanks for sharing what you could.