sci-fi - Neal Romanek – words/worlds

Space Battleship Yamato Blazers – LIVE!

February 4th, 2008

Certainly, one of the greatest things ever to appear in a moving picture is Isao Sasaki singing the theme song to “Space Battleship Yamato” / “Star Blazers” to a crowd of rabid, cheering fans. Actually, just the fact that there are rabid, cheering fans of Isao Sasaki’s singing the theme song to “Space Battleship Yamato” is itself pretty delightful.

Who can say what whom was the greatest artistic influence on my generation? Oh, some might say Steven Spielberg or The Clash or David Lynch. But could it really be Isao Sasaki? Could it be?

Cyclopedia Of Worlds – Mersia Sia & Moon

January 13th, 2008

Fans & students of “The Cyclopedia of Worlds” will notice that we’ve taken the “beta” mark off the home page.

Of course, the sci-fi site – presented in the format of a reference tome written 500 years from now – is nothing like finished. Nor will it ever be finished – unless we run out of stars, and run out of planets around those stars, and run out of people to live, love, work, and die on those planets. But the design of the Cyclopedia is sufficiently stable so that we can now go to adding entries and images and all manner of thrilling sci-fi content without worrying about how the layout and technology are going to behave.

We, of course, welcome comments at “The Cyclopedia”. And we urge you to browse frequently since it is updated continuously, with new entries and images added all the time.

The above panoramic image is of the planet Mersia Sia and its largest moon. Mersia Sia was home to the headquarters of the merciless Expansion Period warlord, Michael Portland – aka Michael Bloody Wednesday. The Pantheon of Michael Bloody Wednesday, where the warlord is buried, is one of the most frequently visited landmarks in the Coral Agency.

“The Cyclopedia of Worlds: A History Of The Future”

Cyclopedia Of Worlds SLIDE

August 2nd, 2007

the cyclopedia of worlds

Wanitani & Moons

July 15th, 2007

Planet Conus Landscape

July 4th, 2007

Interview With Brother Cory Three Blanco

June 12th, 2007

(excerpt of an interview with
Master Brother Corey Aurem Three Banca CSE,
of the 3rd Order Of Lemsas-At-Dakka, Subsecretary of Public Mind,
Faculty of The Cyclopedia Of Worlds)

INTERVIEWER: So this picture. What is it? It’s a planet.

BROTHER CORY AUREM THREE BANCA: This is an image captured of the world called Aeminal. It is a planet which is blessed in being the ceremonial residence of The Great Supreme Eminence Who Cannot Be Named. The Residence is on a chain of islands off the south-east coast of the large sea that is visible there in the image.

INTERVIEWER: Okie, dokie. And exactly what is the Great Supreme Eminence?

BROTHER BANCA: It is the Supreme Eminence who declared the The Cyclopedia Of Worlds should be made available. It is to Him that all gratitude and allegiance is due.

INTERVIEWER: Hmm. Is he some kind of cult leader?

BROTHER BANCA: (laughing) The Eminence leads nothing, the Eminence is followed by no one. To Him we offer up our gratitude. And our gratitude He reflects back to us. But these are matters of little import truly. May we keep the discussion to the availability of The Cyclopedia Of Worlds?

INTERVIEWER: Uhhh. I guess. If you want.

BROTHER BANCA: Many thanks. I would very much like to if it would be convenient and agreeable to you also.

INTERVIEWER: Okay. Sure. Um. So what is this Enyclopedia Of Worlds?

BROTHER BANCA: The Cyclopedia Of Worlds is a work commissioned by the Supreme Eminence in which all of natural and social history of the New Era – a span of roughly 500 years – the period since humans left behind their planet Earth – all that time is available for study. For study by scholars and laymen of all the developed worlds across all of the Tres Magna.

INTERVIEWER: Across all of the what?

BROTHER BANCA: The Tres Magna. Or “The Big Three” as they were once called. These are the Three Agencies who have represented the bulk of human social and commercial structures in the New Era. After the War Period, after the Ascension of the Supreme Eminence, the power of the Three Agencies has been reduced to … well to mere aesthetics really. They continue to operate, but their impact is largely symbolic. This is not apparent to many. But it is the truth.

INTERVIEWER: No. It’s not apparent to me either.

BROTHER BANCA: (laughter) No. No. Of course not. This is one of the reasons the Supreme Eminence has commissioned the Cyclopedia. There are so many, many – most – men and women and so many worlds that do not know how their own immediate circumstances operate. And so much less the majestic and complex histories of the New Era. (laughter) Ah, it is funny that we call it the New Era. It is 550 years old and we still say we are living in the New Era!

INTERVIEWER: Who can view this Cyclopedia Of Planets?

BROTHER BANCA: The Cyclopedia Of Worlds is available to anyone who can hear or read you and me right now. Immediately. They can go to the Cyclopedia now. And I urge them to do so and to look and read at their leisure. “Let them study as much as may give them pleasure, and never so much as they may become tired. The student must be continually at play. When he applies himself to study as to toil, then will it take him seven times longer to learn seven times less.”

INTERVIEWER: And who said that?

BROTHER BANCA: Sanard Mimo Mimas. In one of the monographs the great man wrote when he was imprisoned on Aphrophine.

INTERVIEWER: And – should I even ask? – what is … Aphrophine?

(Brother Cory Aurem Three Banca laughs and applauds)

INTERVIEWER: Alright. Uhh … we have to go now.

BROTHER BANCA: Good. Many thanks to you. Many thanks to you. Many thanks.

(end)

THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WORLDS

Scanodon Polar Swamp

March 17th, 2007

Each week, we try to present an image from the sci-fi site, Cyclopedia Of Worlds. This week, a view of the stinking polar swampland of the planet Scanodon:

Aphrophine

March 2nd, 2007

Drakonhead

February 19th, 2007

The DRAKONHEAD Class “venture ships” were built by Livingstone High Enterprise for Your Agency, for use as a multipurpose very-long-range transport.

The Drakonhead was used first for outer-solar, then near-interstellar exploration and commerce. It was the first vessel to employ a bismuth reactor-powered gravity wave drive. The bismuth drive, in effect, increased the vessel’s rate of travel by a factor of 10. Drawbacks were that it was very hot, unstable, and even with dense shielding, was a radiation hazard to cargo and crew. Bismuth drives were blamed for dozens of deaths, some through radiation poisoning, more commonly through sudden, catastrophic detonation.

Nevertheless the Drakonheads were used throughout the late Expansion Period. When they were replaced by the vastly improved Drakonwing craft, the Drakonhead design was licensed to companies that otherwise would have been unable to afford interstellar travel.

When heavy element drives gravity drives became common at the end of the Expansion Period, the ships – still used for cheap, unlicensed transport – were derogatorially called “Dragging-heads”.

The Drakonhead is the archetype for the Expansion Era venture ship. Although used far less frequently than the Drakonwing and other heavy-element reactor vessels, the Drakonhead conjures images of risk and endurance that has come to be associated with the Expansion Era.

Learn more at:

THE CYCLOPEDIA OF WORLDS