All Comments on 'Murder on Capella Space Station'

You certainly did a fine entry for the Geek contest. The detailed scenes involving the robot and the professor's testing were splendid. And no mention of the tedious THREE LAWS of ROBOTICS at all. The five part brain/program was well conceived and explained. Also liked the explanation of why the robots were made so strong, to be ready deputies for the Japanese Police!

The character building and back story of the three main characters was well done and a quite welcome addition to Every Man's Fantasy.

The only thing I found lacking was mistakes! Grammar - check. Spelling - check. Loose threads - check. Unexplained change to point of view - check. You are a great writer, with good editing.

Thanks for this very entertaining read.

Dear kuhpa1,

Thanks for your lovely comment. It's a real boost.

I agree about the tedious Three Laws - however much of an Asimov fan I was as a child.

I'm glad you liked the explanation for why robots are so strong. It has always puzzled me in stories (and one thing I agree with Asimov is avoiding the 'robots will take over the world' scenarios). If a robot is a car or a forklift truck, then make it fast and strong; but if it's a substitute human designed for domestic chores - and if you're worried about robots taking over (I'm not) - then why give it the speed of a car or the strength of a forklift? Thanks for saying my answer fitted the circumstances of the story.

On to chapter 24 (which is coming, I promise).

Thanks, Erinaceous.

Thanks for sharing.

Happy to have read this story, and even happier that it and to be the gateway to an undiscovered series!

Erinaceous, congratulations on composing such a classic style "whodunnit" in something which truly seemed *far* more than a space station to me. Over and over I kept being immersed in something like an 1880s historical American frontier with all the trappings of a 2539 AD space station, the investigation meticulous and intriguing to all the characters involved as if they were otherwise bored Victorians waiting for gossip, yet some of the old weights concerning the world's oldest professions have found places and ways to be better. There was also an innocent simplicity to the characters that would suit a live stage performance; everyone knew their place and performed their part.

Hmm, so I'm trying to pull all my impressions together based on my own experience, and I realize it's quite a jumble, but it is meant to be a compliment on your technique. :) You said "Thank you" for introducing you to a new world you'd never seen before with my Geek Pride story, I can heartily return the sentiment. ^_^ I enjoyed your story very much.

In hindsight, I also appreciate the lack of gratuitous sex between the human characters. That the explicit parts pertained solely to aspects of the murder mystery itself feels like the right choice and strengthened the eroticism (right up until the end, anyway...poor Humphrey!). I also appreciated the character Mary a lot; smart as a whip, gave Arthur a logical kick in the pants when he needed it, and she had some of the best lines where it came to making me smile or laugh aloud. At the same time, all the dialogue was balanced out; nobody was "right," they were just characters talking and sharing their views.

An excellent story, thank you again for writing it and submitting it for Geek Pride Day!

dinkymac - you're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

18rabbit - many thanks. I hope you enjoy the series.

Etaski - what can I say? Thanks for that generous and insightful comment.

You understand me very well. The 19th century frontier is an element in the background (sometimes in the foreground) of my story series and this one-off story.

I love the compliment about the innocent simplicity of the characters. Thank you. And thanks for appreciating my technique (a modest blush here to think I have a 'technique').

I'm glad you picked up on the sex part of the story as a deliberate irony: in fact, the only people to have sex in the story weren't people at all (except that Hestia would insist that Hana was a person).

Another irony I aimed at was that Mary is rational and intellectual (yes, I love her too!), while Hestia is impulsive and emotional, but Hestia takes the positive side in Alan Turing's argument about artificial consciousness, saying that robots are people, and Mary takes the negative side, saying that robots are machines.

Above all, I'm pleased that you laughed.

Best wishes, Erinaceous.

I enjoyed the whodunnit and particularly the ever-perky character of Hestia who held such self-awareness nothing ever seemed to faze her. I liked her somewhat tender conversation with Arthur at the end. I can see how their friendship could be cameo'd in a future series. I am glad they didn't get the happily ever after you offered to Mary instead.

I forgot soon after the beginning that it was set in a future space station but appreciated that murder was a rarity and even though there was an obvious sex industry it didn't seem to be a dirty or taboo thing. It was nice to wade through your world for a little while. Thanks.

xelliebabex,

Thanks for the very kind comments. I'm pleased you enjoyed the story and liked Hestia. She's only 18 and has a lot to learn, but I think people with that much hope and joie de vivre generally end up happy.

I enjoyed taking part in the Geek Pride event. It was a story I had in mind anyway. But what I've find most encouraging is how supportive the Geek Pride authors are of each other. It's great to be part of this group.

I'm looking forward to reading your contribution, 'Warrior'.

Best wishes,

Erinaceous.

Despite the suggestive title of my comment, I really do love the way you wrote this universe. Every chapter of the main story has added a little more nuance or a touch more depth to the characters and story you are telling. This little tale threw a large chunk of backstory in to the early days of a fairly pivotal character, and makes the whole series feel just that little bit more lived in. It really helped flesh it out.

Thanks, Darthpimp.

Very welcome comment, as usual. I'm re-writing the early chapters to go into a book, sorting out errors and infelicities. Add some more backstory is also a goal.

Thanks again.

Erinaceous.

Wow! This is a beautiful story. So reminiscent of Isaac Asimov's work in style and content, but a beautiful work on its own. I must read more of your work.

Thanks you very much indeed. What a kind compliment.

I was a huge Asimov fan when I was young. I started with the Foundation series aged 13 and progressed to all the robot stories. When I re-read them as a adult, I saw the faults - but hardly as many as there are in my own writing. Asimov will always be the guru for the kinds of stories in which robots are our friends not our enemies.

I hope you enjoy the story series. I think my writing has improved, and I am re-writing the whole thing with the aim of publishing it as six novels, so please watch out for them.

Best wishes,

Erinaceous.

I'm reading through the entire GPD Anthology, and when I got to yours I was expecting a heavy, oppressive noir thriller. So refreshing to find a lightweight, easy read instead. The simple, straightforward style that went light on technobabnke, police procedure, and world building was a real palate cleanser after some of the anthology's heavier work. The characters' motivations we're easy to comorehend, the dialouge flowed well, and it wasn't hard at all to get my head around it. It's a bit of fluff, but I liked it.

LoquiSordidaAdMe,

Thanks for your comment.

I have tried to put humour in all my writing but I think a lighter touch is also a good thing in itself. I'm very glad you enjoyed the story.

Erinaceous.

I love the way you write science fiction. This tale drew me in once before, and on rereading. Great plot and premise and denouement. You are good, and make me feel young somehow, reading a good old yarn with a twist. Thank you.

Xeric,

Many thanks for your lovely comment and for rereading my story. I'm glad you think it deserved a second look.

I can't think of a better compliment than 'You make me feel young'.

Thank you. Your comments are a real boost.

Best wishes,

Erinaceous.

Another great cyber mystery. I would got so far as an homage the the great Dr. A, who I once had the privilege of meeting (he autographed “The Caves of Steel). Have you read his Black Widowers stories?

I am hesitant to start reading your multiparty series, as once started, I will be committed to reading straight through, neglecting important responsibilities, such as eating, sleeping, and cleaning litter pans.

Again, thank you and BBB kudos to spot-on editing.

PhilDub2,

What a great comment. Thanks very much.

Yes, definitely in homage to Asimov, whose books I loved when I was younger. I forget which of the robot stories has a very valuable robot given a stronger Third Law, which conflicted with the Second Law. There's a nod to that concept in my story - as also to the general principle in Asimov that robots won't in general turn against man and dominate us.

I envy you an autographed copy of The Caves of Steel.

I love the Black Widower stories. I think I've read them all.

Thanks again.

Erinaceous

very well written story, loved it very much.

Would you be offended if i said this was a well written and charming story? Not hard-core sci-fi, but i loved it for what it is. Gets 5 stars from me.

Strand

A small technical point. Mary wouldn't be experience the coriolis effect, she merely obeyed Newtonian physics by wanting to travel in a straight line while the part of the space station she was on was acceleration in a circle.

The coriolis effect is a spherical phenomenon, is generally massively overestimated and really doesn't influence your bath water.

It's a geek thing.

Strand

The writing is great but the story is fantastical in nature. Too much reality needed to be suspended to continue reading.