Comments on: The Spiders, Part 3.5

The Spiders, Part 3.5

homunculus — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 12:07:17 -0800

The Spiders, Part 3.5 (al Djinn), the latest installment in Patrick Farley's alternate history of the Afghan/U.S. conflict, is live. If you encounter a "Temporarily Unavailable" error, try the mirror server. There were previous threads on Part 1 and Part 2.

By: trondant

trondant — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 12:17:07 -0800

Featurettes: Extra Scene 1: Lactation Well, it certainly sounds promising. I'll check it out.

By: pascal

pascal — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 13:41:19 -0800

You know, I enjoyed the previous parts - it's well written and executed - and I'm sure I'll enjoy reading this one. But really, is decentralized sci-fi techno-war-wank significantly better than the non-decentralized, non-sci-fi version? I mean, apart from the specific technical elements, this is pretty much the standard fantasy of precision, civilian-friendly warfare that the real military puts out, right?

By: Keyser Soze

Keyser Soze — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 14:43:13 -0800

[This is good]

By: GriffX

GriffX — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 14:48:07 -0800

Fantastic stuff.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 14:54:08 -0800

Meanwhile, in the real Afghanistan: Afghan Political Violence on the Rise Afghans on Edge of Chaos

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 15:08:58 -0800

OT, I found this fascinating: in a part of northern Pakistan near the Afghan border which used to be called Kafiristan, the Kalasha people are struggling to survive. The Kalasha claim to be descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great, and were the inspiration for the people in The Man Who Would Be King. I had no idea that Kipling's story had some basis in truth until I read this article.

By: arto

arto — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 15:29:10 -0800

I mean, apart from the specific technical elements, this is pretty much the standard fantasy of precision, civilian-friendly warfare that the real military puts out, right? I dunno, Pascal, I'd argue that Farley's willing to ask--although perhaps not answer--the sort of thorny moral questions that are absent from the whole "techno thriller" genre, and it's this, more than anything, that elevates "Spiders" above the status of Tom Clancy with spiffier tech. YMMV, of course.

By: stevis

stevis — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 15:47:09 -0800

A great story, beautifully drawn, and thoughtfully written. "If you remember anything I say from this night, remember this: (Islam) can only rise if you and your generation reject superstition, and reclaim Islam's legacy of science." -- From The Spiders : Page 11 : Epilogue That's not only a sound bit of advice for the Middle East, but for the Western World as well.

By: pascal

pascal — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 21:16:17 -0800

Having read it now, I have to say this was the best one yet. I was absolutely knocked out by his use of the medium. Farley's writing and drawing is visibly improving too. I do still have this basic, niggling issue with the overall story idea, but the execution can't really be faulted. Looking forward to the next one...

By: kindall

kindall — Fri, 08 Aug 2003 23:42:47 -0800

I mean, apart from the specific technical elements, this is pretty much the standard fantasy of precision, civilian-friendly warfare that the real military puts out, right? There were ideas in this comic that I'd never seen before. I read a fair amount of speculative fiction so this is harder to do than you might expect. The plot and character development are derived believably from the story's technological premise -- the bit about being able to see yourself in the moment in which you kill, for example, I found pretty disturbing. And yeah, his use of the medium is very good. It's not just a comic book, it's definitely a Webcomic.

By: Tlogmer

Tlogmer — Sat, 09 Aug 2003 21:13:08 -0800

For what it's worth, Farley was strongly and vocally against the war in Iraq (and he made some political comics to that effect).