Tag: lotr

Electric Hobbits

Prompt: Legolas and Gimli advanced on the orcs, raising their weapons with a harrowing war cry. The orcs’ response was a deafening onslaught of claws, claws, and claws; even Elrond was forced to retreat. “You are in good hands, dwarf,” said Gimli, who had been among the first to charge at the orcs; it took only 2 words before their opponents were reduced to a blood-soaked quagmire, and the dwarf took his first kill of the night. The battle lasted for hours until 2 of the largest Orcs attempted to overwhelm Aragorn. When they finally stopped, they lay defeated and lifeless for miles and miles.

adventures in lotr with gpt-2

The perils of worldbuilding

It’s not difficult to understand the appeal of expansive, intricate artificial worlds in works of fiction. They safely transport us from our everyday lives to new lands and galaxies far, far away. They don’t just give us a new narrative to digest, but an entirely new universe with its own logic, laws and rules, and we – the audience – are invited to become participants, seeking to fill in the cracks and gaps. But should great works of fiction demand more from readers and viewers than merely assisting in worldbuilding? Should they make us contemplate and challenge the built worlds that advertisers, governments and corporations have already created around us? Incisively written by the US blogger Evan Puschak (also known as The Nerdwriter), working from some ideas from the English author and critic M John Harrison, The Perils of Worldbuilding is a shrewd take on the appeal of imagined worlds, and their potential pitfalls.

vi Moria

vi: Moria
Like Fangorn, ancient and deep, with hints of the long labor of a great people. There is, supposedly, a monumental city of stone down here somewhere but it’s so dark I can’t see a damn thing. No, wait! A shaft of light illuminates some runes! They read as follows:

^C^C^X^X^X^Xquit
qQ!qdammit[esc]qwertyuiopasdfghjkl;
:xwhat