Page 10 - An Evening with Maxwell's Daemons

The Space Hulk

who, in case you haven’t noticed, are a big part of the sci-fi
audience today. I’d like to read about some tough Amazon women
cracking open the hulk like a walnut; maybe one of them is married
to a prisoner. Then you can have romance and hardware and
violence all wrapped into one page-turner.”
Leith looked thoughtful. “That does seem to fit with the current
sort of popular kick-ass culture heroine, Uzi in one hand and
lipstick in the other. Good idea!”
“I don’t think you really get it,” said Perversity.
Feghootsky again intervened.
“Ah, are there any other constructive opinions here?”
“I have one.” It was Brad Razeberry. “You have the makings of
a space opera, but it lacks one element: aliens. Suppose when they
arrive here from another galaxy that they first go into orbit to check
things out. I would! Then their first contact might be with the
prisoners. That would be simultaneously the most fantastic and the
most attention-grabbing outcome of all. ‘Take me to your leader,’
they telepathize; and the king of the convicts says, ‘That’s me.’ Well,
you can see how that might play out. Comically, even.”
At that a small chorus of dismay and disparagement broke out.
But Leith Mauker was slowly nodding.

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