Editorial – August 2026 : Support Free Will.
Hello everyone
Support free will because it’s innocent. It’s independent and only swayed when it should be. If you find you’re doing the same as everyone else, whether it is a wearing the same clothes and colour scheme or even a tattoo, then you’re being carried along with the herd than making up your own mind as to what you want to do than protective camouflage. The dividing line is often hard to see by looking at people walking down the street these days. Some of our cultural icons have also been borrowed by Joe and Jill Public as conventional dress, other clothes are available. Geeks can hide amongst the population and no longer be pointed out as different or simply wear ordinary clothes. As if any of you would wear a beanie hat with a propeller spinning on it as jokingly used to describe geeks in the 1950s.
If you’re what is subjectively called a ‘geek’ or a ‘nerd’, a being with free will, then this should apply to you but it does appear to be we geeks who belong to the Science Fiction community are slowly becoming extinct. When you consider that we have access to a knowledge base such as the Internet for all its faults and misinformation, you would have thought we would be thriving. Thing is, no one thought of all the distractions it can carry as well and mess up our type of life. This can range from social media to even computer games, although the latter can be more a practice of discipline by not staying on them too long and because we like the distraction from other work but only for a short time, so we set goals.
Oddly, although not unsurprisingly, we then have a particular kind of computer geek who likes to get into the programmes of anything from public utilities to major shops and create their own chaos. It must have made some impression on some countries because they employ such people to break into other countries security software. It’s a whole different war but, then, who would have though drone wars would be the new form of warfare in quite the way it has gone? At least not all geeks are tarred with this particular quirk even if most geeks have an edge in computers but it just shows our ability to absorb subjects. It also means we geeks are different to ‘normal’ humans.
Thing is, any subject which goes on long enough becomes part of the establishment simply by its spread through the community. Even non-comicbook fans can recognise most of the prominent super-heroes and super-villains because of film exposure rather than looking at the original comicbooks, where we at least know the creators and some of the principle artists and writers who worked on them later. The same with Science Fiction, although its mostly current films than any that goes back to the 1950s or earlier. We need to remind modern day geeks that Science Fiction history is as important for context as where it is now. Ironically, especially in SF, nothing is new and there is usually a route from its past that has been seen to grow within the genre and outbreaks into reality.
Of course, there is an underlying problem that the history of both comicbooks and Science Fiction is so long, you would need an extensive budget and plenty of time to see or read all or even selectively to build up an extended briefing on the subject. This probably wouldn’t stop a pure geek. I mean, who wants to socialise or have a life outside a particular interest? Well, maybe sports geeks but they aren’t part of our culture and have a social habit to go along with theirs. It doesn’t mean you can’t pick out a broad history of must see or must read SF films/TV shows and literature to be conversant.
There is a third problem in that modern day geeks might not know they are geeks anymore. They have too many interests to focus on a particular subject. Mind you, as an example of being a geek myself, as any of you regular readers might have noticed I have an interest in a variety of subjects, although you might not notice where I’m letting anything in particular slide. Once you’ve got on top of a subject, it’s more a question of just keeping up with the frontiers of what is currently going on.
In the days before the Internet, chances are you were maybe the only geek in your part of town. Meeting other geeks was accidental and, if there was no outright rivalry over who had the bigger or better collection or other comparisons, at least could talk to someone as an equal. The Internet changed all of that, although it doesn’t mean all geeks use social media. I queried google on this and it looks like SF geeks are selective with social media and avoid things like facebook on the whole. Hopefully, you’re amongst those who found this website. Of course, there are bound to be exceptions to the rule. People might look in on facebook for particular sites, SFCrowsnest has one there after all, but not necessarily for social media. Correct me if I’m wrong. I might hazard a guess that we also prefer to use a computer than a mobile phone to look things up simply because it has a bigger screen and who wants to squint.
Evens so, there is still the possibility that geeks like us are dying out. Geeks don’t begat geeks. A lot of the time, we tend to evolve in isolation, like from extended illnesses or sport ineptness or social isolation or being bullied at school which re-enforces our hobbies that don’t need close social groups to enjoy ourselves than be born that way. Having a too extended cookie jar access to anything we want to look up or even buy and the supposition that just because other people have a passing interest in our subject doesn’t make them geeks can also throw things. Some people, horrifyingly, might think being a geek is a passing phase and don’t return to it and try living a ‘normal’ life. They could return to geekdom later, especially if they haven’t got enough stimulation.
So why isn’t there a geek self-hope group? Instead, you have me. A pure SF geek with a talent in the sciences and arts who is reminding you to keep an eye or three open to spot geeks and encourage their activity and to stand out from conformists or those carried along with the herd instinct. For geeks, being different is a way of life even todsy.
Thank you, take care, good night and its good to be geek.
Geoff Willmetts
editor: www.SFCrowsnest.info
A Zen thought: The above should have hit on your own soft geek spots of recognition.
What Qualities Does A Geek Have: Strong will.
The Reveal: Computer technology is new until you buy it because it advances so quickly.
Observation: In the 1990 film ‘Predator 2’, an apparent major flaw is Mike Harrigan leaving Danny Archuleta’s badge at his graveside, strictly against protocol because anyone could steal and pose as a police officer. However, considering Harrigan knew he was the predator’s target and the odds were against him surviving, he probably saw it as acknowledging that he might be joining his friend if not avenge him in the process. The only question it doesn’t answer is how did the predator know where Harrigan was to watch and know which subway train Lambert and Cantrell were on?
Computer Observation: OK, everyone at sometime or other has copied and moved files and then deleted the source. A few files and no problems. A lot and on the next boot-up, the Windows File Manager doesn’t work and none of the associated functions to it in other programs.
The google solution is only partially correct because you can’t always get at the three dot command in the File Manager. What you have to do it reboot and try again. Under the three dot commands will be one for Properties. Choose the one to clear the Buffer and things should get back to normal.
Observation: Here’s one for the books. If you have an unresponsive Epic Games Launcher, close it down and go into Task Manager. Go down the background files list until you find it there and shut it down there as well. You should have used this enough to know how to do it. Launch the Launcher again and it’ll work. One can only hope this will apply to other programs.
Observation: Now here’s something for where you’re presented a number and asked what its square root is. Whoever is setting the problem knows it has a square root. Look at the end number as it is a multiple of the last number: 172 = 289
For the squares of 2 to 9, there are only a set list of numbers.
22 4
32 9
42 16
52 25
62 36
72 49
82 64
92 81
There are only two that end in 9, 32 and 72. Now, the 10 multiplier gives 170. The end integer gives 119 if you multiply by 7, so adding together you get the 289.
Try it with other numbers. It’s unlikely to be perfect but gives you a better place to start than looking at the number as a mystery that is hard to solve.
Feeling Stressed: We could have two suns in the sky.
Submissions:-
If you think having free books to review isn’t enough, how about reading them months ahead of everyone? I mean real months. Beats a time machine. I really need to build my numbers up.
I did think that having a lot of text about submitting material to SFCrowsnest would attract those with a compulsion to read and understand things the geek way. The main problem with the Internet is that it tends to encourage less reading, so time to take a different approach. The original notes will be left on July2009 editorial although the links aren’t likely to work.
With your cover email, tell me something about yourself so I don’t work in a vacuum. The boss in the tower, also called Stephen Hunt, describes me as a ‘Dutch Uncle’ in that I’m good with advice and can explain when I see something that is wrong. Egos should be left at the door as I’m only interested in your talent and how to improve it.
Reviews:-
I always have a clarion call for new reviewers and if you have the yen to learn, you’ll quickly get the ropes if you’re never done it before but you must show me a sample, especially if you can follow my guidelines. We can usually get paper-based books in the UK but if you live abroad, then you might have to stick with ebooks. If you’ve picked a book we haven’t reviewed, then it stands a better chance of being used so use the SFC search engine to see first but I need to see how you would write for us.
The obvious qualification is a desire to read regularly and like to tell others about the book without giving away too many spoilers. The benefit is access to free books for the price of a review.
I want to give you the opportunity to get things right so look up the Review Guidelines link: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/so-you-want-to-write-reviews-for-sfcrowsnest-what-you-need-to-know-by-geoff-willmetts/
Fiction:-
Although we can’t pay for submissions, what we do make up for is exposure. Only the Sci-Fi Channel gets more hits than us so it’s worthwhile getting us on your writer’s CV. Please avoid samplings from book’s you might be writing or have had in print elsewhere as I do check. New original work is best and whether I accept or reject, you will be told of any problems I see so you look your best and a grammar check that is equal to the pro-world. Even the boss finds me scarily accurate.
Flash or One-Page Fiction:-
Speaks for itself. The shortest fiction possible is also the toughest to write as no word must be wasted.
Link here for details: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/one-page-stories-or-flash-fiction-submissions-instructions-by-gf-willmetts/
Short Stories:-
The definition of a short story is anything up to 30 pages and then it becomes a novella. Bear in mind you want other people to read it on-line, stay somewhere between 5-20 pages. At least digitally, you don’t have to go double-line as HTML will do that automatically but think about being concise. If you want to send an attachment with these, then ask first and send as a TXT file as it removes most tetchy virus codes.
Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/so-you-really-want-to-write-an-sf-story-an-update-by-gf-willmetts/
Finally:-
The worse problem I see any samples is poor grammar. Although I don’t want you to think I seek perfection, the less work I have to do, the easier it is to focus on other problems you might have. It will also serve you in good stead if you ever approach paper-based publishers because they will send back any bad grammar samples because it’s not worth their time.
Good grammar is the tool of any writer. Don’t just depend on what you remember doing at school. There are plenty of decent grammar books out there, so remind yourself of the rules. If you think there are far too many to remember, get the major ones right before moving to the next so it becomes second nature.
This link, www.sfcrowsnest.info/the-guide-to-better-grammar-from-the-harrowed-hand-of-gf-willmetts/ will show you the common problems.
To submit, use our email address by joining the spaces as shown here: letters @ SFcrowsnest.info and use the subject matter as to what you’re submitting.
If you have any pastimes that can be used to pass the time in captivity, let me know and we’ll see if it can be turned into an article.
Comments directly to reviews should still work as before.
Good luck
Geoff
