Clarkesworld Podcast February 2010: Torquing Vacuum (Jay Lake)

[james_davis_nicoll]

Torquing Vacuum (Jay Lake)

Read by Kate Baker.

A space mechanic finds himself entangled by infatuation in the affairs of the genetically enhanced aristocrats who rule the Imperium Humana.

Spanich vaguely recognized him from the Bar Gin, dude with space-black skin and eyes that shade of violent green that said that one of his ancestors had come from Falkesen sometime post-Mistake. Nobody from a human norm gene line had retinas that color.

I think the word Lake wanted here was "iris".

On the plus side, how often does one see an SF story about a working class character? On the minus side, the story isn't really about what Spanich does or who he is, but his connection to a wandering aristocrat [1] and whether or not he can survive it. Why are so many SF worlds feudal, anyway?

1: Who Spanich assumes has to be smarter than he appears but given the fellow's grand escape plan I think Spanich is kidding himself. Again.

Baker flirts with the listener at the end of this. I hope this is not something that is repeated in future episodes.

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Reading it, it came across as quite Delany-influenced.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Empire Star?

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Space mechanic in "The Star Pit?"

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

There's a big SRD-shaped hole in my reading.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Basically, I've read The Fall of the Towers, The Ballad of Beta-2, Empire Star, Babel-17, Dhalgren and Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, and I've started but not finished Triton.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

MENIAL: Skilled Labor in Science Fiction (Anthology)

[chuk-g.livejournal.com]

It'd be cool if the retinas were so bright green that you could see it looking at his pupils.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

This being SF, particularly a story mentioning genetic engineering, it could always be a tapetum lucidum.

-- Steve is reminded by this that there's a new "Riddick" movie out. Wonder if it's worth seeing...?

[brooksmoses]

It is apparently a very manly movie, according to ursulav.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Goddamn Eloi: well, sooner or later the Morlocks will eat them...

[jaylake.livejournal.com]

I think the word Lake wanted here was "iris".

Yup. That would be what we in the business call a "mistake".

[goulo.livejournal.com]

But will you be an apt pupil and learn from it, or should you be lashed? (See what eye did there? Humor in an ocular vein! OK, sorry to keep brow-beating you...)

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

If it helps, at least three people missed it: you, your editor at Clarkesworld and Kate Baker.