From Brian- Robinson C Theme
Well, we've kicked a few themes around, but other than me I don't think anyone has expressed a preference. Should we start to narrow things down a bit. Surprisingly, my vote has not really changed. I still think that tghe main theme should be the impact of a radically different reality on what it means to be human, as expressed through the contrasting reactions of Lissi and Redgrave to their common situation of being marooned (so to speak) on NS. It's kind of like a science fiction version of Robinson Crusoe but with two castaways and a more post-modern sensibility. All of the other ideas proposed are, IMO, good but not quite right for the setting and/or medium.
From Chris-
Perhaps Lissa is more Lewis & Clark then Robinson C.
From Kirk
Current NS theme (my words)
Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators
What about these theme proposals?
* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
Theme: Nightshift explores what it means to be human, how easily we can be seduced even by good intentions into betraying ourselves, and what there is about humanity that is so precious anyway. One man's obsession with revenge forces him to abandon his humanity and leads him to the brink of committing genocide. Nightshift looks at the ethical and moral foundations of humanity and the consequences of monkeying around with what makes us human.
Plot: On the dystopic and utterly alien world of Nightshift a man must chose between visions of revenge for a murdered child and maintaining a grip upon that which makes him a man. Michael Redgrave is a mercenary, a "security consultant" embittered by the death of his young daughter. When he is sent on a reconnaissance mission through a gate into another world, he discovers that the murderer was an alien known as a Dream Poacher. Redgrave then sets out to find a way to destroy the Dream Poachers, all of them, but to do it he must give up his own humanity. Lissi Thomas is sent to find Redgrave and bring him back. Tracking him through Nightshift, Lissi is forced to adapt to the bizarre technology and enivronment of this world, but what she finds when she eventually catches up to the mercenary shocks her to her core: Redgrave is no longer human, and maybe she isn't human anymore as well.
Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators
What about these theme proposals?
* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
Theme: Nightshift explores what it means to be human, how easily we can be seduced even by good intentions into betraying ourselves, and what there is about humanity that is so precious anyway. One man's obsession with revenge forces him to abandon his humanity and leads him to the brink of committing genocide. Nightshift looks at the ethical and moral foundations of humanity and the consequences of monkeying around with what makes us human.
Plot: On the dystopic and utterly alien world of Nightshift a man must chose between visions of revenge for a murdered child and maintaining a grip upon that which makes him a man. Michael Redgrave is a mercenary, a "security consultant" embittered by the death of his young daughter. When he is sent on a reconnaissance mission through a gate into another world, he discovers that the murderer was an alien known as a Dream Poacher. Redgrave then sets out to find a way to destroy the Dream Poachers, all of them, but to do it he must give up his own humanity. Lissi Thomas is sent to find Redgrave and bring him back. Tracking him through Nightshift, Lissi is forced to adapt to the bizarre technology and enivronment of this world, but what she finds when she eventually catches up to the mercenary shocks her to her core: Redgrave is no longer human, and maybe she isn't human anymore as well.
From Kirk
You can’t develop a plot if you don’t have the general tenor of the story pinned down. So if you accept that assumption then any of the below are valid.
Themes
1. Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators
2. Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
3. Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
4. Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
5. Good vs. Evil (simple as that which, I could argue is all that LOTR is about)
6. Someone suggest something….
7. Someone suggest something…
Setting/Context (Brian has laid some ground rules)
1. NS is dystopic
2. NS environment is devoid of visible light
3. Certain human technology may not operate as normal
4. Someone suggest something…
5. Someone suggest something…
So let’s start with these general ideas, agree on them, THEN build a plot to support those ideas. Does not necessarily mean our previous dialogues have to be thrown away.
Themes
1. Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators
2. Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
3. Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
4. Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
5. Good vs. Evil (simple as that which, I could argue is all that LOTR is about)
6. Someone suggest something….
7. Someone suggest something…
Setting/Context (Brian has laid some ground rules)
1. NS is dystopic
2. NS environment is devoid of visible light
3. Certain human technology may not operate as normal
4. Someone suggest something…
5. Someone suggest something…
So let’s start with these general ideas, agree on them, THEN build a plot to support those ideas. Does not necessarily mean our previous dialogues have to be thrown away.
From Kirk
What about these theme proposals?
* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
From Brian
Ever so slowly progress progresses.
Here is my vote (in descending hierarchical order):
Metatheme: the impact of NS on humanity.
Subtheme: Reconstruction of a human being into something 'Other'.
Plot: Two are marooned long-term in NS, Redgrave and Liss). One succumbs to
the influences of the place to become something very different from a human
being. In essence, Redgrave becomes a denizen of NS. The other, Lissi,
maintains her humanity despite having to adapt to the radically different
environment. The details, and especially the ultimate climax, to be worked
out.
Here is my vote (in descending hierarchical order):
Metatheme: the impact of NS on humanity.
Subtheme: Reconstruction of a human being into something 'Other'.
Plot: Two are marooned long-term in NS, Redgrave and Liss). One succumbs to
the influences of the place to become something very different from a human
being. In essence, Redgrave becomes a denizen of NS. The other, Lissi,
maintains her humanity despite having to adapt to the radically different
environment. The details, and especially the ultimate climax, to be worked
out.
From Kirk
.. Nightshift is about humanity discovering an ancient sister universe or
parallel reality (maybe one among many? Or an infinite number). It's a story
of first contact and takes on how our species reacts to the knowledge of
sentience besides our own. The story continues as a species debate spirals
out of control leading to a confrontation between the powers that want to
destroy/isolate Nightshift forever vs. those who believe humanity must learn
to accept we are not the epicenter of the universe. Themes Xenophobia,
conservatism vs. progressivism, etc.
.. Nightshift is a story of first contact turned utterly sour. Our world
succumbs to conquest and humanity retreats to regroup and attempt to
liberate their home. As our species approaches the brink of extinction the
few remaining humans discover Nightshift is the antithesis of our own
reality. Humanity has discovered its own duality and uses this knowledge to
repair an ancient rift between the two universes. Maybe in the last "book"
the main topic is the re-unification of dark and light and the transcendence
of humanity that follows.
.. Nightshift is discovered. Humans initially are overwhelmed by the
nature of a new alternate reality. However, human nature being what is, we
adapt and quickly overwhelm this new dimension and sadly exploit the
Nightshift. Many of humanity's darkest parallels in history unfold in the
Nightshift. However, after hundreds of years, some people believe humanity
is guilty of speciescide or at least brutal exploitation. Elements of
humanity and like minded entities of Nightshift resolve to liberate the
Nightshift and by proxy our own world.
I could go on but do guys see where I'm coming from?
parallel reality (maybe one among many? Or an infinite number). It's a story
of first contact and takes on how our species reacts to the knowledge of
sentience besides our own. The story continues as a species debate spirals
out of control leading to a confrontation between the powers that want to
destroy/isolate Nightshift forever vs. those who believe humanity must learn
to accept we are not the epicenter of the universe. Themes Xenophobia,
conservatism vs. progressivism, etc.
.. Nightshift is a story of first contact turned utterly sour. Our world
succumbs to conquest and humanity retreats to regroup and attempt to
liberate their home. As our species approaches the brink of extinction the
few remaining humans discover Nightshift is the antithesis of our own
reality. Humanity has discovered its own duality and uses this knowledge to
repair an ancient rift between the two universes. Maybe in the last "book"
the main topic is the re-unification of dark and light and the transcendence
of humanity that follows.
.. Nightshift is discovered. Humans initially are overwhelmed by the
nature of a new alternate reality. However, human nature being what is, we
adapt and quickly overwhelm this new dimension and sadly exploit the
Nightshift. Many of humanity's darkest parallels in history unfold in the
Nightshift. However, after hundreds of years, some people believe humanity
is guilty of speciescide or at least brutal exploitation. Elements of
humanity and like minded entities of Nightshift resolve to liberate the
Nightshift and by proxy our own world.
I could go on but do guys see where I'm coming from?
From Chris-
I will summarize to save space-
- The Aztec Theme- Earth being the Aztecs and NS the Spanish
- The Slaver Theme- Earth is a humanoid resource to supply NS with dream slaves & soldiers
- The Hell Theme- Either full blown hell or something close
1 comment:
I keep looking for ways to weave deep connections and relatioships between our reality and NS. One idea I thought of was related to the dark side of human nature. Although human behavior is actually a continum ranging from say, "angelic" to "evil", if we focus on just the dark side we can make the following observation:
1. Crimes of passion. Generally good people who in extraordinary circustances are driven to bad behavior or are too weak to resist doing evil things.
2. The monsters of humanity if you will. The serial killers, the Hitler's, the Sadam Hussein's, Manson, etc. Those who we cannot comprehend how they are able to perpetrate the act they do. In a sense, we sometimes judge them as non-human, maybe anti-human.
So I was thinking we might alude to this in the premise of NS. The first class of evil is comprehensible, these perpetrators are still human. The wife that kills after years of abuse, the criminal that kills during a bank robbery, etc.
The second class of evil human behavior is incomprehensible. Why? The Dream Poachers preying on us has consequences. That is because its cause is not of our reality. Maybe Manson was a victim of a Dream Poacher. Or maybe the mechanism is that when our dreams are stolen for use as a drug in the Nightshift, the defecate of such use seeps back into our universe somehow. This seepage of spent dreams, this eflux after the NS denizens consume the Dream drug is somehow tainted and is "toxic" to us.
The idea is very tenative, but maybe you guys see what I mean?
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