Hi Larry, I’m happy that you mentioned that aspect of this world. It was very intentional. We ignore the need to safeguard nature to cover the most basic human needs and we bet everything on technology. Silicon Valley tycoons even dream of saving the human race by living in spaceships if everything goes belly up on planet Earth. They don’t mention how and with what we’re gonna survive there. How would it be to live in a world with lots of technology but without water, food and air? We haven’t overcome our biology and we never will no matter how much technology we produce.
Another thing I love about Dune is its criticism of AI and emphasis on developing human skills. Unfortunately, this was not addressed enough in the new movies.
Great continuation, Claudia, and you seemed to have selected another excellent point at which to end the chapter. Lots of suspense with the ending! I really like it. Also, I appreciated having the little bit of exposition done in a believable and logical manner, with Shia explaining how she got there and what she was doing. It's good to have come through parts of those stories you've posted here and then see that summary from Shia herself. Nice work.
Thanks, Nathan, I’m happy to know that the series is interesting enough to follow along despite the time lapse between episodes. I hope the next ones will come out faster.
I feel like exposition is a balance act in storytelling. I try to find, like you mentioned, believable ways to integrate some in the stories whenever it’s needed.
I’m glad to hear that the cliffhanger worked. Did you think that the tribes might be the dust pirates?
I was unsure, but in a good. I thought perhaps not, but was certainly wanting to know the answer, so it was a great ending to get that revelation/confirmation.
“We are not the Dust Pirates you’re looking for,’ he says.” Reminded me of Star Wars 😅. Nice continuation, providing exposition in an engaging manner, leaving the reader to wonder what’s next.
Great work Claudia!. Im continue to enjoy your methods for developing a devastated world struggling to survive as a character in the story. And the ever-present reverberations of class and privilege that determine life and death mirror the 21st century; and still the North appears as the primary decision makers while the global South burns and starves. I like that your dialogue infuses languages together to highlight the tribal nature of the Dust Road community and the geographical “melting pot” (from last story): poverty, unlike privilege, crosses all cultural boundaries. And I like the way your dialogue is sharpening the image of your characters and bringing them to life. I was thinking back on the former stories as you brought Nova back into this post and I can really see the entanglement of these central players starting to be woven together as part of the resistance. Keep it up!!!
Nice cliffhanger! It intrigues me that they lack for a lot of basic needs, but they still have electronic tech.
Hi Larry, I’m happy that you mentioned that aspect of this world. It was very intentional. We ignore the need to safeguard nature to cover the most basic human needs and we bet everything on technology. Silicon Valley tycoons even dream of saving the human race by living in spaceships if everything goes belly up on planet Earth. They don’t mention how and with what we’re gonna survive there. How would it be to live in a world with lots of technology but without water, food and air? We haven’t overcome our biology and we never will no matter how much technology we produce.
I thought that might be where you’re going with that.
Ha ha, thinly veiled plot 😅!
I’d say a nicely veiled theme. Sometimes they’re too out in the open - or like baseball bats the writer is hitting you with.
🤣 Thanks for the reassurance. I too dislike being hit with a baseball bat when I read 😉.
Dune is similar, with nuclear weapons and interstellar travel, but most combat entails hand-to-hand, stylised sword fighting.
Another thing I love about Dune is its criticism of AI and emphasis on developing human skills. Unfortunately, this was not addressed enough in the new movies.
Everything breathes so much life, despite the circumstances the characters are in. I'm particularly enamored with the snake dance scene!
The snake dance is inspired by an Aztec tradition.
Great continuation, Claudia, and you seemed to have selected another excellent point at which to end the chapter. Lots of suspense with the ending! I really like it. Also, I appreciated having the little bit of exposition done in a believable and logical manner, with Shia explaining how she got there and what she was doing. It's good to have come through parts of those stories you've posted here and then see that summary from Shia herself. Nice work.
Thanks, Nathan, I’m happy to know that the series is interesting enough to follow along despite the time lapse between episodes. I hope the next ones will come out faster.
I feel like exposition is a balance act in storytelling. I try to find, like you mentioned, believable ways to integrate some in the stories whenever it’s needed.
I’m glad to hear that the cliffhanger worked. Did you think that the tribes might be the dust pirates?
I was unsure, but in a good. I thought perhaps not, but was certainly wanting to know the answer, so it was a great ending to get that revelation/confirmation.
It’s good that there was at least a little question mark there. Let’s see what happens in the next part 😉!
“We are not the Dust Pirates you’re looking for,’ he says.” Reminded me of Star Wars 😅. Nice continuation, providing exposition in an engaging manner, leaving the reader to wonder what’s next.
Well, it seems like my fiction career just peaked, being brought in the vicinity of Star Wars. What shall happen next?
Thanks for the note about the exposition. It’s something I always take a moment to think through.
Great work Claudia!. Im continue to enjoy your methods for developing a devastated world struggling to survive as a character in the story. And the ever-present reverberations of class and privilege that determine life and death mirror the 21st century; and still the North appears as the primary decision makers while the global South burns and starves. I like that your dialogue infuses languages together to highlight the tribal nature of the Dust Road community and the geographical “melting pot” (from last story): poverty, unlike privilege, crosses all cultural boundaries. And I like the way your dialogue is sharpening the image of your characters and bringing them to life. I was thinking back on the former stories as you brought Nova back into this post and I can really see the entanglement of these central players starting to be woven together as part of the resistance. Keep it up!!!
Thank you, Brian! I liked this a lot: ‘poverty, unlike privilege, crosses all cultural boundaries’. It’s so true and well expressed.
I enjoy a lot writing this series in the form of interrelated stories. I’m delighted to see that you can already see the connections. 🙌