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Based Fall Booksale!

Posted September 8, 2022 By John C Wright

 

The Based Fall Book Sale went live yesterday and runs through Tuesday, September 13. The sale offers about 150 books for free or $0.99, including about sixty works new to the sale. In addition, Terror House Press has offered their entire catalog of ebooks for only $0.99 each.

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WORDLE — The Mathematical Approach

Posted August 31, 2022 By John C Wright

Hearing several interesting responses about the word-guessing game Wordle, including a video recommended by our own D.J. Schreffler on solving Wordle using information theory , I revised my list of openers, to be a little more rigorous.

I am bemused that this math fellow is far more diligent and methodical than I could ever hope to be, using logarithmic equations and information theory to deduce his best guesses.

I would make a snarky comment about some people having too much time on their hands, but then again, I am writing a column about Wordle at the moment, so I cannot snark.

The Good Book should tell us to snark not, lest we be snarked. By the snark you snark on others, ye shall be snarked.

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WORDLE — The Science Fiction Writer’s Approach

Posted August 30, 2022 By John C Wright

I have been amused and delighted with a New York Time word puzzle game called Wordle, which is available, free to play, once per day, here: https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html

It was developed by a man named Wardle, a welsh software engineer to amuse his girlfriend, who loved games.

The rules are similar to a pen-and-paper games such as Jotto or Mastermind. The player has six tries to guess a secret five-letter word, and is told when a letter is correct, and when its position is correct. Only dictionary words are allowed as guesses.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

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Twelve Minutes of Insurrection

Posted July 15, 2022 By John C Wright

Here is a montage of prominent Democrats questioning the legitimacy of election results, alleging fraud, and calling elections stolen. It goes on for nearly a quarter of an hour. It is by no means an exhaustive list.

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Note on the Cassady Perjury

Posted June 29, 2022 By John C Wright

Let us pay no attention to the planned assisted suicide of Ghislaine Maxwell nor the damning answering machine message showing the Biden crime family corruption. Our media masters have decreed a more important story now heaves its leviathan bulk roaring into view.

I am one of many devoted brain-slaves of the God-Emperor Trumprifficus the Supremanator, who is even more awesome than known before.

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Greatest Book Sale of the Year

Posted September 18, 2021 By John C Wright
My books, those of Mrs. Wright, and other friends and associates are going up for sale, courtesy of Hans Schantz. Please take a look.

Greatest Book Sale of the Year!

Dozens of excellent science fiction and fantasy works for .99 or FREE! Visit the BasedCon book sale today!

Yes, it is that time again, Hans Schantz’ Totally Based Book Sale–just in time for Based Con!

Even if you cannot attend the brand new convention BasedCon, you can participate in its debut by visiting the Great BasedCon booksale!

Visit the BasedCon book sale today!

Dozens of excellent science fiction and fantasy works for .99 or FREE!

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The Sacramental View

Posted February 6, 2021 By John C Wright

In case anyone is curious, let me explain my view on the topic of the mind-body paradox.

Oddly enough, I am of that rare school who thinks mechanical determinism and final indeterminism are mutually compatible.

I hold that a neurobiologist examining the chemical and molecular actions of my brain could give a complete description of the mechanical effects and causes without once making reference to any final cause, that is, he need not say the purpose of these actions, or say what they means, in order to describe their physical properties. He can measure my high blood pressure without knowing whether it is caused by fear or anger, lust or malice aforethought.

Likewise, if I were found in a witness stand or confessional booth, the prosecutor or priest could give a complete description, if I were candid, of the purposes and meaning of my state of mind, using wisdom to understand whatever I said about my ends and means. Neither need ever once refer to any measured property of any material of my nervous system or environment. He can draw firm conclusions about my malice aforethought, cowardice, concupiscence or wrath without once measuring my blood-pressure.

The biologist knows the science of what I am, the father confessor knows the theology, the lawyer knows the law. These are different aspect, different dimensions, if you will, of one reality, but they neither clash nor confirm each other.

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Today’s Crucial Viewing

Posted November 15, 2020 By John C Wright

Ask an exorcist about the current political clime, and you make get a shocking answer:

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Nyanzi on Fairy Tale Fracturing

Posted September 23, 2020 By John C Wright

The insightful Rawle Nyanzi pens an observation about the deconstruction and disenchantment of the modern horror story, and the ancient fairy tale. Well worth the read. (You may also follow his links to L. Jagi Lamplighter, my beautiful and talented wife, who holds forth on a similar topic.)

https://rawlenyanzi.com/why-the-fairy-tale-is-fractured/

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Help for Fredericksburg

Posted September 3, 2020 By John C Wright

I have friends in the area, which is a beautiful spot with ancient churches and handsome Civil War statues and monuments.

https://youtu.be/iKg1Ui2SjSQ
For tomorrow, Friday 9/4, BLM are promoting a demonstration, encouraging violence, fire, war.

We in Virginia have a Democrat governor. I fear nothing will be done. The criminals are openly organizing and announcing their intent to riot.

Unless a throng of bikers, gunowners, or other rough customers willing and able to form a militia to defend Fredericksburg, I am not sure what will happen to my friends, their home, their church, their beautiful neighborhood.

Prayer is called for. Let the innocent be vigilant and safe.

UPDATE 9/4: Three different sources, including the Fredericksburg BLM Chapter, and the Fredericksburg Park Authority, say this article is fake, the work of an agitator.

This is a false alarm.

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The Birth of Nations

Posted August 27, 2020 By John C Wright

There are only three means of forming a government: by birth, by conquest, and by covenant.

Clans and tribes forming a kingdom by electing or acclaiming a chieftain or high king from their midst is an example of the first. Such groups spring from a common ancestor. The Normans ruling the Saxons in England after William the Conqueror, or the castes of India are an example of the second: the children of the conquerors rule over a lower class of the children of the vanquished.

In history, there are only two examples of government formed by covenant: the first is the USA. The other is ancient Israel.

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My beautiful and talented wife was asked to write an article for the Christian Speculative Fiction magazine, Lorehaven.

“Ten thousand feet below the surface of the sea, trouble is brewing. Ancient racial hatred is simmering, growing dangerously close to boiling over.

This is the situation in the Fishman Island Arc of the long-running anime/manga One Piece when the main characters, the Straw Hat Pirates, arrive at Fishman Island. In the midst of the action and humor of this pirate adventure story, author Eiichiro Oda gives us an unexpectedly insightful glimpse into racism and its effects upon a culture.

Readers, ye be warned: there be spoilers throughout.

Fishman Island, deep beneath the ocean, is inhabited by a race of undersea beings who are both stronger and more-varied than humans. Some are beautiful, such as mermaids. Others are huge and powerful, like shark-men or octopus-men, massive creatures who can crush a human with a single blow. The loveliness of the first and the fearsome destructiveness of the second have made the fishmen into hot commodities at the slave markets of Sabaody.

Pirates often descend to their home island, deep under the sea, in order to kidnap fishmen and their children. Fishmen pirates return the favor, terrorizing humans and destroying their towns. This clash of races has been going on for generations.

In the midst of this racial animosity, two inhabitants of Fishman Island saw the toll it was taking on their society and vowed make a change. They both saw the same suffering. Their reaction, however, could not have been more different.”

Read more…

 

 

 

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Uncreativity

Posted May 27, 2020 By John C Wright

It is said that heaven created Man and blessed him with the gift of speech; which hell out of envy corrupted with the power of telling falsehoods; but that heaven, which forever makes good out of evil, inspired man with gift of poetry, so that we can use the power of fiction to tell truths too deep for literal words.

But what can remove the gift of poetry?

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More Princess Aura

Posted May 14, 2020 By John C Wright

This repro quality is not the best, but I found on the YouTube this clip of the Filmation version of Princess Aura. The voice actress is Melendy Britt.

There are not many voice actresses who could purr, “Be my slave, Earthman; I swear you will not long wear your chains,” and make it sound convincing, if not fascinating.

The scene cuts off just before she ray-blasts Thun the Prince of the Lion-Men with her laser-ring.

Important moral lesson here: never make passes at hunky, handsome, shirtless Earthman to lure him into your web of sin while a mouthy Lion-man is lounging within earshot. He will spoil the romantic mood.

 

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The Freedom of the Press by George Orwell

Posted April 15, 2020 By John C Wright

Hat tip to Carbonel, who brought this to my attention. 

Comments below in square brackets are the editor’s. 

The Freedom of the Press

George Orwell

This book was first thought of, so far as the central idea goes, in 1937, — but was not written down until about the end of 1943. By the time when it came to be written it was obvious that there would be great difficulty in getting it published (in spite of the present book shortage, which ensures that anything describable as a book will “sell”), and in the event it was refused by four publishers. Only one of these had any ideological motive. Two had been publishing anti‐Russian books for years, and the other had no noticeable political color. One publisher actually started by accepting the book, but after making the preliminary arrangements he decided to consult the Ministry of Information, who appear to have warned him, or at any rate strongly advised him, against publishing it. Here is an extract from his letter:

“I mentioned the reaction I had had from an important official in the Ministry of Information with regard to ‘Animal Farm.’ I must confess that this expression of opinion has given me seriously to think. . . . I can see now that it might be regarded as something which it was highly ill advised to publish at the present time. If the fable were addressed generally to dictators and dictator ships at large then publication would be all right, but the fable does follow, as I see now, so completely the progress of the Russian Soviets and their two dictators, that it can apply only to Russia, to the exclusion of other dictatorships. Another thing: it would be less offensive if the predominant caste in the fable were not pigs.* I think the choice of pigs as the ruling caste will no doubt give offense to many people, and particularly to anyone who is a bit touchy, as undoubtedly the Russians are.”

FOOTNOTE

* It is not quite clear whether this suggested modification is Mr. —’s own idea, or originated with the Ministry Information; but seems to have the official ring about it. [footnote in the original]

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