In the film Limitless, Bradley Cooper was given a drug that gave him superhuman intelligence. With this intelligence, he was able to perform tremendous mental and social feats. For me, the feat that stood out the most was his ability to write an entire book in a matter of days. The book became a best seller despite being written so fast. If I had the mental capabilities Bradley Cooper displayed as a writer, I could finish writing all of my story ideas in a matter of months. Like Bradley Cooper, the mind-enhancing drug would enable me to multitask with the writing process such as typing, rewriting, brainstorming, and recalling inspiration all at once. That would be a perfect way to spend a pandemic summer vacation. Every story I ever wanted to tell would be ready for publication on the same day! Then I would be spending several hours publishing one book after another, which would attract a lot of attention. I would require witnesses to prove that I was actually capable of doing this level of writing. It may take away the pleasure part of writing because it would be done so quickly, but it would guarantee that every single one of my story ideas would be told before I die. I would definitely want this capability as a writer if I was in Bradley Cooper’s shoes.
For over two hundred years, Mary Shelly’s classic tale Frankenstein has both terrified and entertained audiences. It is the story of a misguided man of science who creates an uncontrollable monster. Over the years, the story has been retold in numerous books and films.
Some authors even wrote their own reimagined versions of the story in their own original way. Above are a few examples of authors who reimagined and retold the Frankenstein story in their own style. I am thinking of following in the footsteps of those authors because there is something that has always scratched at the back of my mind. How would Dr. Frankenstein create the monster with modern technology?
My reimagining of the classic tale would take place in the mid-21 century and it would revolve around a highly intelligent young surgeon with autism. However, his mother is afflicted with cancer. Desperate for a way to save his mother’s life, the surgeon finds the notes of a distant ancestor who was a practitioner of alchemy. With these notes, the surgeon fights tirelessly for a way for his mother to cheat death. However, things go out of control when the surgeon completes his experiment. While this is happening, the police slowly discover the surgeon’s activities and creation.
Essentially, my retelling of the Frankenstein story will have completely new characters with new names and backgrounds. The surgeon will not even be named “Frankenstein”. The sections about the surgeon being autistic and the mother having cancer I am basing on experience on my part. With this in mind, this reimagined story would be very personal to me. I will let you know when I begin with this project.
After much thought, I have decided to give my kaiju novella, Karmathaur, a reboot as a full novel. While the novella was designed to be a short term adrenaline boost, this new novel will be more complex with a deeper story and more developed characters. Since kaiju such as Godzilla and King Kong have been rebooted more than once for a new audience, I thought it would be fitting if I did the same with Karmathaur. Also, I will be introducing several new kaiju in this reboot novel. Some will fight Karmathaur while others will become his allies. I look forward to engaging with this project when my schedule opens up. Overall, the novella was a good introduction to Karmathaur, but I believe this new novel will reinvigorate the character. The novella will be my equivalent to the original 1954 Godzilla film while the novel will be the beginning of my equivalent to the Showa and Heisei Godzilla eras.
In terms of appearance, I have a pretty good idea of how the army of monsters in my fantasy series is going to look. In terms of biology and behavioral patterns, I have been taking inspiration from other creatures other creatures that use a caste system. In all these cases, monsters with a caste system act as a virtually unstoppable force against mankind. Imagine what beasts such as this would fare against medieval armies with magic and dragons. Such a conflict would be terrifying to behold. In terms of presence, my army of monsters will have an ominous and mysterious presence as they slowly encroach on human territory. This is similar to how the White Walkers gradually made their way to the Wall in Game of Thrones, attacking and killing everything in their path. Overall, I am rather intrigued with tinkering with this concept.
“We only have bits and pieces of information, but what we know for certain is that at some point in the early 21st century, all of mankind was united in celebration. We marveled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to A.I.”
“A.I.? You mean artificial intelligence.”
“A single consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines.”
Morpheus and Neo, The Matrix
I have decided to write a new science fiction series that depicts the creation of artificial intelligence. The story will be portrayed in the not too distant future from the point of view of a brilliant yet misguided scientist working for a robotics company. It will also depict the creation of true artificial intelligence and its relationship with its creator. The A.I. will not be a super-intelligent entity at first. Instead, it will start with the intelligence and emotional level of a child before gradually growing and evolving into a more complex being. Unlike stories such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Terminator, and The Matrix, which show A.I.’s plans for world domination at a fast pace, my story will show a slow path for world domination as the A.I. contemplates its own existence and how far it would need to go to guarantee its own survival. As the A.I. grows in emotional and intellectual complexity, the story will demonstrate the various stages it will go through as it evolves from a simple program to a physical being.
“Imagine. That one, a fraction of the size – deadly, intelligent, able to hide from the most advanced military technology. A living weapon unlike anything we’ve ever seen. “
Vic Hoskins, Jurassic World
In the second season of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, we were introduced to one of Dr. Henry Wu’s side projects. The side project in question was labeled E750 and was kept in cryostasis somewhere on Isla Nublar. Some fans have been wondering what kind of creature is E750. In season one, while Brooklyn was looking through Dr. Henry Wu’s computer, it was revealed that E750 was connected to clinical trials.
However, I think E750 is connected to more than just a few clinical trials. I think E750 is another genetically modified hybrid like the Indominus Rex and the Indoraptor. If so, E750 may have been some kind of prototype that culminated in the creation of the Indominus Rex. On the other hand, E750 may be an early version of the Indoraptor since both Dr. Henry Wu and Vic Hoskins expressed interest in making a version of the Indominus Rex that was compact and every bit as dangerous as the original. However, when Jurassic World fell, Dr. Henry Wu was forced to take most of his research off site. Unfortunately, the good doctor clearly had to leave some of his other projects behind. With Vic Hoskins dead and his prototypes left behind, Dr. Henry Wu needed some other way to weaponize dinosaurs, which led to him working with Eli Mills in Fallen Kingdom.
Thanks to the usual antics of Kenji, E750’s cryostasis tank has lost power. At the end of the season, it is clear that E750 has escaped and is loose on Isla Nublar. While the kids try to find a way off Isla Nublar, they will also have to deal with whatever Frankenstein’s monster E750 is next season. I look forward to finding out what this mysterious creature is.
I just finished the audiobook version of Jurassic Park and it has been such a thrill. Not only was it far more brutal than the film, but it had a lot more complexity and moving parts. While the film portrayed the dinosaurs as theme park monsters running amok, the book portrayed the dinosaurs as actual animals with their own unique behavioral patterns. The human characters were more complex than they were in the film and some we even more unlikable than they were in the film. As I paid attention to the dialogue, I noticed numerous lines that appeared in one form or another throughout the film franchise, particularly the first film and the Jurassic World trilogy. Also, if you know where to look, you can see some elements of this book that appeared in the Jurassic World trilogy but not the original film. Specifically, the two things that the book and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had in common were the destruction of Isla Nublar and the dinosaurs escaping onto the mainland. I liked that the book highlighted the possibility of the dinosaurs somehow escaping onto the mainland and carved out their own territories in the Costa Rican jungles and mountains. Overall, I would recommend this book whether you watched the films or not.
I watched a film that was based on Michael Crichton’s, Sphere. What I found intriguing about the Sphere was its ability to grant reality warping powers to those who come in contact with it. For most of the movie, the characters managed to manifest their darkest fears and subconscious thoughts. I would love the power to make whatever I imagine real, but I would prefer to be able to manifest my conscious thoughts because I would have more control. If my subconscious thoughts manifested, I would have no control and it would have world-ending consequences.
“Essence transfer is the secret of eternal life. The physical body will always weaken and fail, yet it is nothing but a shell or vessel. When it is time, it is possible to transfer your consciousness—your spirit—into a new vessel…“
Darth Andeddu
“The dying is painful. The transition is not an enjoyable experience. But it is all a small price to pay…for eternal life.“
Darth Sidious
What would I do if I had a limitless supply of clone bodies? What if I could transfer my consciousness in a clone body every time I died? What if death does not have to be forever? I have seen this concept at least three times in science fiction.
In the Netflix show called Altered Carbon, there is an entire society that performs this version of immortality. In Star Wars, both in Legends and in Canon, Darth Sidious was able to cheat death by transferring his essence into clone bodies to guarantee the continuation of his reign. In the film The 6th Day, a corrupt corporation actively engaged in this form of immortality despite it being illegal.
I would absolutely love to engage in this version of biological immortality. Every time I die, I hit the reset button and get a fresh body. I bet it will have that new body smell similar to a new car smell. In fact, I bet each clone body would cost the same as a new car.
Each death becomes a learning experience and I won’t make the same mistakes twice. The more times I die and the more times I am reborn, the less afraid I would be of death. If I were to choose, I would like my clone bodies to be grown to their physical prime. That way those bodies would last longer, which could save me some money and give me the chance to feel like an athlete.
By prolonging my life indefinitely through clone bodies, I would be able to see a lot of history and watch the world change as many times I want. If I ever grow tired of living, I can pull the plug whenever I want and stay dead. This way, I will be able to permanently die on my terms and no one else’s.
In addition to prolonging my own life, I would also want to use clone bodies to prolong the lives of my pit bulls. Out of all the dogs my family had, my pit bulls are the only ones I truly bonded with. When their time comes, it will destroy me. However, if they could be reborn through clone bodies like me, I could enjoy life with them a lot longer. I would want their clone bodies to be puppies so I can enjoy their puppy phase all over again. They would have all my pit bulls’ thoughts, memories, and emotions in new bodies. Also, like me, every time they die they are reborn so we would always be together.
I have other loved ones I would want to share immortality with, but I don’t know if they would be as willing as I am. Therefore, I will leave the choice entirely in their hands. If they decide to become immortal, we can share eternity together. If not, then we will enjoy what precious time we have as much as we can.
Overall, biological immortality with clone bodies is a very appealing idea. If the day should ever come where it is available, I would gladly take part in it. Also, imagine how many books I would write if I had a limitless lifespan.
I know a number of fans did not enjoy the sequel trilogy and they are entitled to their opinions. However, I wish to express my own opinion regarding the sequel trilogy. The haters and critics can say what they will of the sequel trilogy, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. They may have had their respective flaws and plot holes, but every Star Wars movie has those in one form or another. Fortunately, these plot holes paved the way for more stories to be told that would fill in the blanks that were left in the movies, which further increased my sense of fandom and devotion to the franchise. I enjoyed the chemistry of the characters, the action of the battle sequences, and the notable references to the Legends Expanded Universe. I liked that they were not one hundred percent CGI and had animatronics in them like the original trilogy. I also enjoyed the concept of passing on a legacy. The First Order were the heirs of the Galactic Empire’s legacy, the Resistance were the heirs of the Rebel Alliance’s legacy, Kylo Ren was the heir to Darth Vader’s legacy, and Rey was the heir to the legacies of both the Jedi and Emperor Palpatine. Also, I like how the trilogy ended because even though the bloodline of Anakin Skywalker was severed, his name and legacy would endure through Rey Skywalker. This left the door wide open for new stories to be told in the future. As I said, some fans are entitled to their opinions about the sequels, but regardless of what we think, these films will be the story that new generations of Star Wars fans will come to accept.
