jeriendhal: (Wazagan)
jeriendhal ([personal profile] jeriendhal) wrote2014-06-05 05:55 am

Random Thought Table

Just thinking about [livejournal.com profile] seawasp's Grand Central Arena books.

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

One of the background details is that some decades past a very ethically questionable genetic/social engineering project was begun by a group of intelligent yet remarkably clueless science fiction fans, trying to create Real World versions of classic characters from sci-fi and fantasy literature. Most of the end results were various levels of crazy by the time things broke down, but one of the more remarkable successes was Marc DuQuense, based off the classic supervillain from E.E. Smith's Skylark series.

Now most of the characters from the project seem to be from myth (like the Monkey King) or Golden Age sci-fi. Likely if only to avoid Ryk Spoor from treading on living author's copyrights. But if the Hyperion Project managers went a little further forward I can see one character they'd almost have to try and recreate....

Except I think their version of Miles Vorkosigan would likely be more even nuts than his fictional brother Mark...
seawasp: (Poisonous&Venomous)

[personal profile] seawasp 2014-06-05 11:20 am (UTC)(link)
The ones that we get to have significant interaction with are public domain, yes, or are changed and renamed so that I don't get sued, yes. But there have been mentions or hints sufficient to identify a number of other not-public-domain characters as Hyperions.

And I would expect Miles was one of the Hyperions. One of those who didn't make it, of course.

Vorkosigans

[identity profile] p-o-u-n-c-e-r.livejournal.com 2014-06-05 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm hardly sure you can get to Miles without Piotr and Aral, first.

Like the proverb about training an English boy to become an English Yeoman Archer -- you start by training his grandfather. Or the related proverb about the lawns on an English estate. Till, plant, and roll for one to two centuries.

Wasn't backstory in Asimov's _Nemesis_ about dozens or more space colonies all attempting screwy civilizations? Or am I mixing that with O'Neil's _2081_?