Monday, April 25, 2016

A to Z Challenge: Ultroz, Vibra-Transmitter, Weightlessness, X Gun, Yeast Steak, and Zero-Ray! Plus Challenge Survivor Gear


My theme - Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More!
The term, its meaning (definitions from Technovelgy), and first book appearance / a movie that features this term / a blogger buddy who reminds me of that term.

I’m also the guinea pig for an experiment – A to Z Lite. I get between 100-170 comments per post in April during the Challenge. And it has just become too much to return that many every day, six days a week. The other A to Z Admins agreed to an A to Z Lite trial run. A to Z Lite means I will just be posting a handful of times this month and multiple letters at a time. I also won’t be visiting every single person every single day, although I will return all comments. Hope everyone understands.

Ultroz 
Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective.

This amazing substance appeared in Philip Frances Nowlan’s short story, Armageddon: 2419 AD in 1928.

The closest film I could think of to use this substance is 1979’s Buck Rogers. So many unexplained power sources from the Draconian Empire, not to mention on Earth. The movie was the prelude to the series and starred Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc, and Pamela Hensley.

Rachna Chhabria at Rachna's Scriptorium must have access to this material. She’s come in under the radar and accomplished so much with her writing and her knowledge. It will amaze you!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation)
An early use of the notion of matter transmission.

(Teleportation is a favorite of mine and a key feature in my Cassa series!)

Telepathy and telekinesis appeared long before teleportation. Vibra-transmitter/teleportation was featured in Frank K. Kelly’s short story, Into the Meteorite Orbit in 1933.

A movie that featured all of that is X-Men: Days of Future Past. Wolverine is teleported into the past to save the future. Starring Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, and Peter Dinklage.

J E Oneil at Still Writing will teleport you back to a time when language was simpler – or not! Either way, you will learn a thing or two, and be amused in the process.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Weightlessness (Kepler)
The notion that there could be a location with zero effective gravity

This appears in what it considered the first science fiction book, Somnium (The Dream) by Johannes Keplar in 1634. Written in 1608 in Latin.

A prime example of this is 2013’s Gravity. The characters spent the entire film in zero gravity and weightlessness. It starred Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.

Beverly Stowe McClure at The Story of a Writer makes this author thing look easy. She floats through it all with ease with numerous books and awards. But it’s her grace and attitude that makes it all possible.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

X Gun (X-Beam Projector)
A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition.

First appearing in Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles in 1937.

There are probably others, but the first movie that came to mind was 1983’s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. This is something that was probably employed on the planet where Spock’s body was laid to rest in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, as the planet was basically created by the Genesis Project. Starring the usual suspects – William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols.

Liz A. at Laws of Gravity probably wishes she had an X-Bean Projector. Then maybe she could figure out some of her crazy students. For an adventure in puberty and more, jump on for the ride.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yeast Steak 
Growing custom strains of yeast as food.

Yeast steak was first mentioned in a short story by Isaac Asimov in 1950, The Evitable Conflict. It also appeared in several collections, including I, Robot, The Complete Robot, and Robot Visions.

The movie that fits the bill – 2013’s Snowpiercer. Those in the lower class system aboard the Snowpiercer are fed a synthetic, Jell-O like substance grown on the train. This low-budget film was surprisingly original and starred Chris Evans, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, and Kang-ho Song.

Robyn Alana Engel at Life by Chocolate isn’t about to grow her own yeast steak. Unless it’s made of chocolate. Or men. Or maybe chocolate men? Either way, she’ll satisfy you!




* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Zero-Ray
Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue.

We see the Zero-ray first in a short story by Clark Ashton Smith in 1931 – An Adventure in Futurity.


One movie fits the description perfectly - Despicable Me. Gru used his Freeze-ray gun to get ahead of the line at the coffee shop and to silence the Evil Vector. Released in 2010, it starred the voice talents of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, and Julie Andrews.

Deb at Just Keepin' It Real, Folks! will zap you every time! No topic is sacred. No subject too weird to tackle. She’ll freeze you every time, right down to your funny bone.




Ninja News

We’re almost at the end! Are you a Challenge survivor? Then tell the world.
Co-host Jeremy Hawkins has created a t-shirt and a mug so you can proudly tell everyone that you survived the 2016 A to Z Challenge!

Just released!
Seismic Crimes by Chrys Fey
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Wild Rose Press





Think it’s about time someone invented teleportation? Want to ride on the Vomit Comet so you can experience weightlessness? Want to snack on some yeast steak? Fan of the movies featured? Following those awesome bloggers? And did you survive the 2016 A to Z Challenge?

After a busy month and with the IWSG post day next Wednesday, I will be taking next Monday off! Don’t forget the IWSG’s anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, comes out next Tuesday, May 3.

152 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - well done on your A-Z Lite - still very illuminating ... love the idea of Ultroz ... I'm still hooked on the 'New Black' ... and Vanta Black - just been highlighted ... science reality is so interesting .. but the imaginative thought process lend itself for scientists to contemplate at times ... I'm sure each creative process feeds off the other.

Thanks - but no I'd rather eat steak (yeast steak doesn't appeal) ... and sadly the A-Z had to be left at the blocks this year ... love the T shirt for 2016 though ... cheers Hilary

Just Keepin It Real, Folks! said...

Hahaha I do try to zap folks for sure. Why keep things bland and ordinary when you can throw in some zingers? Thank you so much for the zippy plug today. You rock!

kaykuala said...

You are through now to Z, that's great Alex. Couldn't believe its now just few more days left for us. And could not believe weightlessness came about as early as 1634. There are a lot of the Sci-fi terms to look up again to know them better. It had been a hectic Challenge!

Hank

Jeffrey Scott said...

Congratultions on completing your AtoZ. I've still got a week to go. WOW has this tuckered me out. The weekend away didn't help to correct matters. Looking forward to May so I can sleep a little. LOL. Those are some great sounding films you listed. Snowpiercer sounds interesting, and it's got the War Doctor, John Hurt, from Doctor Who in it. That always makes something worth while to see, when I know someone in the film. Still have not seen despicable me, but it seems everyone else has seen it.

Mason Canyon said...

Congrats on another year behind you with the A to Z Challenge, Alex. Well done. It's been fun. Love the tee shirt. Congrats to Chrys on the new release.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Congrats on completing your A-Z! Now all you have to do is leave comments everywhere.

I do plan to read Kepler's Somnium at some point, but first I have to finish a slightly later early SF work called The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on finishing A-Z. Hope your experiment went well. Enjoy your break next Monday!

mshatch said...

I LOVE Despicable Me! And I think I'll survive A-Z despite by little problem with the letter R...

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Gravity was a cool movie. But I was so stressed out during it! Sort of like watching Jurassic Park for me.

Cool tee shirt and mug for completing the challenge!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Yeast steak sounds disgusting!

Just thinking about Despicable Me makes me smile. :)

And I'm convinced Ed Harris is in like, every movie, ever. At least all the good ones. :)

Stephanie Faris said...

You're the first to make it to Z! Congratulations. He did a good job with that T-shirt design. Cool design!

M.J. Fifield said...

I, too, love Despicable Me. That scene in the coffee place makes me laugh every time. And makes me wish I had a freeze ray of my own to take care of the line at my own coffee place. :)

I still haven't seen Gravity.

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, Alex!

I am more of a horror guy than a sci-fi enthusiast and therefore most of these terms you are introducing are new to me. I am getting quite an education here. It's going to take a heaping helping of Ultroz to get me through the final week of A to Z! :) Thanks, good buddy!

Li said...

I loved the premise of Snowpiercer although it didn't quite measure up to what I expected. Those food bars remind me of an episode of Lockup - there's a prison somewhere in the US (I forget which one) which serves a protein loaf to solitary confinement inmates.

And I had no clue that the first sci-fi book was written in the 17th century!

I'm behind on just about everything in the challenge but still soldiering on. Congrats on completion of the "lite" version of the A to Z!

Christine Rains said...

It's definitely time someone invented teleportation! Awesome bloggers to finish up your A to Z Lite. :) Congratulations on finishing! I thought Snowpiercer was highly original too.

L.G. Keltner said...

I remember reading I, Robot when I was a teenager. Loved it. I enjoyed Snowpiercer. Who would have thought a movie about going from the back of a train to the front of a train could be so interesting?

Man, I can hardly believe the anthology comes out so soon!

Deniz Bevan said...

Ooh, I'm fascinated by the older books that you've referred to. I'd like to read those...

Nilanjana Bose said...

Fascinating that zero gravity was written about so far back! Haven't read the book but have watched the film Gravity. And have read all the Asimov books and watched the film too. Know about yeast steak but can't say I fancy it much, sounds quite revolting really...Cool that you're at the end of your A-Z, A-Z Lite's been awesome as far as the reading's concerned, - got to learn a whole bunch of new things, all very info-rich your posts were!

It'll be over for us as well in a few days, and yes I am a survivor, no plans to give up! :)

Have a great week!

Jo said...

Isaac Asimov was probably my first introduction to Sci Fi. I have believed, for many a long year, that writers invent something and then scientists find out a way to make it. Way to go with your A to Z Lite. I am staggered that the first sci fi novel was that old.

Mary Aalgaard said...

I like the A to Z Challenge t-shirt and banner! The first known sci-fi book was written in 1608! Isn't that amazing. Humans have been wondering what if? and gazing at the Heavens for centuries.

Karen Lange said...

Hard to believe April, and A to Z is almost over. Time flies when you're having fun, right? :) Happy Monday!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Deb, you're welcome!

Hank, that one appeared a long time ago, didn't it?

Jeffrey, I know I will sleep next month.

Marcy, you made it work.

MJ, I wish I had one on the hood of my car.

Shady, you've learned something then!

LG, next week!

Nila, you'll make it!

Mary, yes they have.

Gail said...

Ending already? The time has passed quickly.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think I would get sick in zero-G. Yuck for yeast steak and teleportation is due to happen. Would be hard to trust it. I have to get a tee-shirt again.

Susan Says

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Oh Alex, you're so sweet. I'm flattered. I was reading about yeast, thinking weirdly (as I always do, especially early in the morn, "This is kinda relevant to me, 'cuz I'm supposed to not have any yeast during Passover." And then there I am! Thank you, thank you. To be among some of my faves, too, like Debra at Just Keepin It Real, is a double honor.

Bish Denham said...

Yeast cakes... Why do I keep thinking soylent green? I'm sure I could find a use for a ray-gun of some kind... zap weeds? :)

Have to admit, I'm glad this is the last week of the challenge. I'm about done.

Murees Dupè said...

Congratulations on finishing the A-Z challenge! You made it look easy:) You definitely deserve a little break. Congrats to Chrys Fey on her new release!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Lots of new-to-me ideas here. Not sure I'd be a fan of teleportation. I really liked that in Enterprise (Star Trek) the characters tried to avoid the 'new' transportation technology.

Arlee Bird said...

I like the idea of teleportation though I've never heard it referred to "vibra-transmitting". Yeast steak? Yech! Does not sound very good.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out

Catherine Stine said...

So many cool sci-fi and science terms I feel like I'm in school. There was no way I could've done A to Z this time, but it's so fun to read other posts.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I love Despicable Me. I have so many Minions, it looks like a shrine.

Sandra Cox said...

Happy Monday, Alex.

Jeremy did a great job on the T Shirt. Kudos.

cleemckenzie said...

These early sci-fi writers had such an incredible imagination. I'm blown away by them and that they created concepts that have had such staying power. Thanks for mentioning the bloggers. I still haven't reached many of them on the trip from AtoZ.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Hi Alex!

Buck Rogers was SO cool WAY back when. Now? *shudders*

Vibra-Transmitter? That sounds suspect.

Gravity looked good too, but the Husband doesn't like movies all in space. :)

The Genesis machine. Way cool storyline.

Yeast Steak? Bleh! I wanted to see Snowpiercer. Now, I'm not sure. :)

Freeze-Ray!!

Best of luck, Chrys and to the authors from the anthology!

Heather

Al Penwasser said...

Not only did the Genesis device create life from lifelessness, it turned Saavik ugly.
Okay, relatively.

Nicola said...

There is a Zero G plane at Cologne airport waiting for mugs to pay extortionate prices to experience .... I feel sick thinking about it. I love gravity and like to keep my feet firmly on the ground. Mind you I thought Sandra Bullock was fabulous in Gravity. She is brilliant. I wonder how many times she threw up making that film :) Congrats on reaching 'Z'. Hope the training went well. Have a great week.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Congratulations Alex on completing the A to Z Lite. I loved all your posts and as I told you before I have copied them down as I hope to write a Scifi story some time in future. This lite version of the challenge is good.

And thank you for featuring me in your A to Z Challenge post. This was such a lovely surprise. I am definitely going to use this Ultroz in one of my books. I like the way you connect a scientific term to a blog buddy it reminds you of. Hugs!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Btw..I forgot to ask you, do you need help with the May IWSG. Do you have enough co-hosts? I can help if you want.

Tonja Drecker said...

Yeast steak and Ultroz are new ones for me...and I was a HUGE Buck Rogers fan as a kid. I can't believe A-Z is almost over. It just flew by!

Robin said...

For me, this has been one of the easier (and more fun) A To Zs. That said, I'll still be glad when it's over. Blogging is consuming so much of my time. I'm really tired and ready to get back to business as usual (for a while).

Unknown said...

I wouldn't ride the Vomit Comet even if Clooney himself saved me a seat. Yeast steak sounds akin to fast food delicacies. If only we could teleport and skip the inevitable airport debacles. Ahhhh! I LOVE Jeremy's shirt & mug designs! A great way to end the challenge!!

Cheers!
The AtoZ of EOS
#TeamDamyanti

Yolanda Renée said...

Vomit comet? You just had to go there. Yuck, no I couldn't do it. I get airsick, seasick, and car sick. It would literally be the vomit comet if I were aboard. LOL
Truly unique choices for the week though, gotta give you that one! Hadn't heard of most of these, well weightlessness, sure, and a yeast starter, but not steak. A chocolate starter, now that's one I'd be interested in. :)

So glad this is the last week, but I'll miss April, it's too soon for May!!!

Sherry Ellis said...

Never heard of the "U" substance. Sounds pretty cool! Well done on the challenge!

I've read Robyn's latest book. It's really good!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

My Stetson's off to you for surviving the A TO Z CHALLENGE. I loved GRAVITY and I amazed at Sandra Bullock's stamina at doing all those solo scenes for most of the movie.

Robyn's latest book is a epic of self-revelation and great writing. My Stetson's off to her, too. :-)

Pat Hatt said...

Never heard of the U one and I still have to watch Snowpiercer, good reminder for that. The cat survived with ease, already got 2 posts done for next years a to z lol although not sure the order next year as there are too many sunday's to skip them all and get it in. Just FYI. You got a year to figure that out haha

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Looks like the A-Z is over for you. Great theme. I think weightlessness would be awesome. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, I know I'd be sick.

Robyn, you're welcome!

Sandra, yes he did.

Heather, at least Buck Rogers had Erin Gray.

Al, you called it.

Rachna, you're welcome! And I have next month all set for hosts. I planned way ahead...

Samantha, yes it is!

Andrew Leon said...

Hmm... a t-shirt is tempting.

Julie Flanders said...

Yeast steak sounds so, so gross!
Congrats on finishing another year of the Challenge, Alex.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Love the Despicable Me reference. That movie was so zany and different. Still love to re-watch on cable. Synthetic food is...here. But that yeast food stuff sounds intriguing. Not delicious but interesting none the less.

Mars said...

Popped in at U to find you've finished - interested to read your reflections post on the A to Z lite!

Ultroz sounds cool :)

Mars xx
@TrollbeadBlog from
Curling Stones for Lego People

D.G. Hudson said...

I'd love to read that science fiction book from the 1600s by Keplar, wonder how their imaginings compare with now. And I've read a few books that featured yeast grown food. (Real food was still available at exorbitant rates and sold on the black market.)

These last few letters from the A to Z are not prepped in advance so it's a bit more tough, but still do-able. . .

stephen Hayes said...

I hope you're taking next Monday off to do something exciting. Take care.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

You have a great selection of movies to choose from on your A to Z. Congratulations on being finished with it. Seeing Star Trek listed here makes me wonder if the third Star Trek film do out this summer is going to be a disaster. Many people seem to think so :/

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Interesting, but I don't think yeast steak sounds very appealing.

Loved the Star Trek movies. Thanks for sharing all of this.

Mary Montague Sikes
Notes Along the Way
The Artful Way

Birgit said...

This is great stuff-who knew something sci-fi related was written in Latin! I love how you joined these terms with the bloggers-it's perfect:) I still have to see Snowpiercer and (gasp) the X-Men movie since I am a fan of all the X-Men films. Can't stand Gravity but Love I, Robot and love all the Star Trek films even the uneven ones. Buck Rogers was a hoot to watch. Great list you have done here

Liz A. said...

Teleportation troubles me since seeing the video positing that it would be a suicide box. (I'll find the link if you're interested.)

Thanks for including me in your blogging list.

Just need to get through this week. Almost there...

Carrie-Anne said...

Yeast steak sounds disgusting.

When I was 12, I read a book about future technology and life that human teleportation wouldn't be possible till at least 2100. I'd love for it to be reality now, though I understand a lot of technical issues need to be ironed out before it's close to 100% safe and trustworthy.

Susan Kane said...

Almost all the movies, esp. the older ones. Flash Gordon, so entertaining! Max Von Sydow was great as the villain.

Where was Peter Dinklage in X Men: Future of the Past?

Michelle Wallace said...

Hey Alex!
You floated through this challenge on an A TO Z Lite Ride! Well done!
I don't know all of those bloggers.

I need a t-shirt and a mug! *sad face*
International postage is risky...the package may just land up in Timbuktu. I'll just have to try and see.
Writer In Transit

J E Oneil said...

That ultroz stuff sounds like it would be dangerous to be around. You could walk right into it!

Wait a minute. That's me! Thanks for the shout out :P

Cynthia said...

I should probably check out X-Men's Days of Future Past since I like time travel stories.

Hearing about yeast steak is going to make me look at the yeast I use to make bread in a whole new different way.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Yay! The end. What a great accomplishment. Just 5 more days, and I can say Yay too.

Thanks for your kind words. I was late getting started with my writing, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.

And, from your posts I'm learning a lot of good stuff. Thanks.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Great job, Alex. You did it! Thanks for sharing all the news.

Joanne said...

Congrats on A to Z. You finished off the week in fine Zap gun style. No ride on the vomit comet for me. I get motion sick- not meant for the future. Keep being our captain on earth. Have a great week

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

DG it would be interesting to see how they imagined it back then.

Stephen - yeah, sleep!

Michael, I'm not worried.

Liz, you're welcome!

Carrie-Anne, like the chance we could be fused together with a fly?

Susan, he was Dr. Trask, the inventor of the Sentinels that hunted down mutants and humans in the future.

Michelle, sorry!

JE, you're welcome!

nashvillecats2 said...

Congratulations Alex on the completion of the challenge once again.
I ordered my T Shirt in anticipation of completing.
Yvonne.

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

Very cool: "This appears in what it considered the first science fiction book, Somnium (The Dream) by Johannes Keplar in 1634. Written in 1608 in Latin."

as was Gravity!

Jean

congratulations, Alex! :)

Cherie Reich said...

I'm not too sure about that yeast steak, but I'm all about teleportation. We need to get on that now. :)

Cherdo said...

Your A-to-Z Lite is very good, Alex! I like this twist.

Robyn's book is fun; she kindly sent me a copy and I read straight through it.

Thanks for taking the time to visit the Flipside; I'm honored.

Donna McDine said...

You always come up with the most fascinating words and their origins! Enjoyable as always!

Botanist said...

Gravity was a good movie overall, very tense, but only once I stopped laughing at Hubble and ISS orbiting a stone's throw from each other. Oh well, I was willing enough to suspend disbelief on that one in the interests of entertainment :)

Loved Despicable Me. No quibbles on scientific accuracy there ;)

Cathrina Constantine said...

I just watched for the 2nd time X-Men. Really like those movies!!! Congrats to Chrys! I've yet to see Gravity.

DMS said...

So many interesting terms and ideas. I have always wanted to be able to teleport!Fascinating to learn about the origins of the idea. ;)
~Jess

J.L. Campbell said...

I'd like to be able to teleport myself to wherever I want to be.
Yeast steaks, I don't like so much. :/
Congrats to Chris on her new book!

Ella said...

Yeast steak and Zero-Ray, oh, my! So, many great references and people to visit-thanks Captain!

Jeremy did a great job designing the T-shirt!
Happy Monday, Captain~

Helena said...

I love how you tie in a writer friend with each of the letters/words and their origin.

And here I thought teleportation started with beaming people around on Star Trek.

Elizabeth said...

Wow, here we are at the last week already, this month flew by! I watched and enjoyed that X-Men movie and Despicable Me. I have not heard of Snowpiecer before, but it sounds interesting.

Teleportation would be nice. I would also like to try an anti-gravity simulator.

Congrats on getting all your letters posted and may your ninja skills be with you as you zip through comments this week :)

Anonymous said...

Yay, you made it. It was great reading these entries and seeing familiar faces of bloggers. I have my copy of Seismic Crimes.

Cathy Keaton said...

What the heck? Ultroz? Never heard of that, but I know about everything else. Sci-fi allows you to make up your own weird names.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yvonne, Jeremy will appreciate that!

Cherdo, I always enjoy visiting you!

Ella, yes he did!

Helena, I thought so as well.

Unknown said...

Looks like someone finished early with the challenge this year!!! Congrats!

Tamara Narayan said...

I'm liking the A to Z lite idea more and more. I am experiencing serious blog fatigue. Must write less. At least the end is in sight.

Fascinating to think science fiction got its start in the 1600s.

Unknown said...

Yeast steak...doesn't sound appealing in the least. however I'd love to be able to teleport!

Anonymous said...

Yeast steak sounds wrong. LOL

~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Hey, I looked into the future and the challenge was a success and now you and I are sipping a lemonade watching the cars drive by our house...

Welcome in the letter "V"... thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2016]

Stop over and find a free "SIX STRINGS: BLOGGING AtoZ CHALLENGE" Here: http://www.jmhdigital.com/

HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

Fundy Blue said...

This was a really interesting collection of science fiction words, Alex! I want to see if I can track down the book "Somium." I wish my Latin teacher had used something like that in our Latin classes so long ago! I enjoyed your A-Z light from beginning to end! I think the experiment was highly successful! Maybe next year I'll give it a go. I just have to get ahead! LOL I hope you enjoyed your break!

Juneta key said...

Enjoying all the sci-fi words and history. Congrats Chrys on new releads
Good job on A to Z lite.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Those are some great choices for the last part of the alphabet. Very creative. Loved your topic and posts!

Nissa Annakindt said...

Love learning all these retro SF terms. I like old SF. I'm having a lot of fun visiting and posting on the A to Z Challenge even though I couldn't keep up due to a computer death in the family. ;)
http://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com

Intangible Hearts said...

I think Life by Chocolate sounds like fun and this time I've seen some of the movies you mentioned. Enjoyed Gravity and Despicable Me. Congrats on finishing another A to Z!!

Sandra Cox said...

Good afternoon, Alex.
Congrats to Chrys on her new release.

The Cynical Sailor said...

Yeast steak - yummy. Okay, not really. I much prefer the idea of a chocolate steak. That I could eat without any problem. The film, Snowpiercer, sounds quite good. I'll have to look out for it.

Cheers - Ellen | thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com

Patricia Stoltey said...

I applaud all those who stuck it out through the A to Z Challenge!

Anonymous said...

Vomit comet? Ha, ha, that's what I'd probably be doing if I rode on it. Especially if I had eaten some yeast steak. That sounds disgusting. And so does the synthetic Jell-O stuff. Just ewwww. Ultroz is an interesting word. It sounds like something that would be very useful. I don't remember Mel Blanc being in Buck Rogers. I'll have to watch that again. Congrats on finishing A to Z and congrats to Chrys on her new release! Enjoy your day off!

Kathe W. said...

Time travel- yes please!

XmasDolly said...

You made it! Awesome and with utterly divine intelligence. Wow, you came up with something for each letter. I found it rather difficult getting to the end letters, but I'm still stuck on one, but I'm still looking!!! CONGRATS BIG GUY! You deserve the rest. Ya done a great job!

Jemi Fraser said...

I could totally use some teleportation!! I feel like I've spent days on the road recently helping family members to and from hospitals and appointments!! Beam me up :)

N. R. Williams said...

Interesting.
Nancy

Loni Townsend said...

I've used Teleportation! (But it was in a magic sense, not a scientific one.) I really enjoyed Despicable Me, so it was good to see him pop up. "Freeze Ray!"

SpacerGuy said...

You kept it real for us while we trekked through the neighborhood. I'm looking forward to my zzzzz. Right now teleportation would be neat. See you on the other side...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tamara, I'm a bit fatigued as well...

Jeremy, that sounds good.

Fundy, that would've been a much more interesting book to read.

Nissa, sorry about your computer.

Lori, I know I would be barfing.

Jemi, I'm sorry.

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats, Alex, running(writing?) hard and arms extended you crossed the finish line:)

kjmckendry said...

So many great movies you highlighted, though I think I'll pass on the yeast steak! I would love to read Keplar's book, it's amazing that we can still read a book written 400 years ago!

And I love Jeremy's t-shirt and mug idea! :)

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm sorry but your mention of Erin Gray in Buck Rogers distracted me! :)

Anonymous said...

Cool sci fi words, Alex.
I'd love to try a yeast steak some day.

alexia said...

I've gotta say, vibra-transmitter just sounds like a space-age vibrator to me. LOL. And Snowpiercer! Original yes. Hilariously bad, also yes. Could have been really cool, but epically failed. His line about eating babies made me LOL so hard when I watched that movie, due to his terrible, terrible acting, culminating in that one ridiculous scene.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I'm curious to hear how you feel A-to-Z Lite went. I might be able to pull it off that way next year. And there's something about the term "yeast steak" that's a bit off-putting. Urk.

Ann V Friend said...

Congrats, your A to Z Lite was successfully completed! Well done, my friend. Blessings!

Sean McLachlan said...

I enjoyed Armageddon: 2419 AD. Actually I read the fixup, which took that novella and a sequel and combined them into a novel under the Armageddon: 2419 AD. The Ace edition has one of those awesome covers they were famous for back in the day.

Leovi said...

I would love to have Ultroz, in many situations I'd be invisible.

mail4rosey said...

The A-Z lite (or is it light?) is a great option. Congrats on making it to the end!

Anonymous said...

It was so nice that you were able to feature three bloggers with the letters you had to choose from. I actually have a friend who rode on the vomit comet. Part of an effort to get science teachers hands-on (or stomachs-on) experiences to include in their teaching. I didn't try it because I have way too weak of a stomach.

ediFanoB said...

Hi Alex,
you did it! From my point of view your different approach to the A to Z Challenge has been successful.

Even the lite form needed preparation and as far as I can see you had to spend several hours to put together all the information.

Now you deserve a rest!

I have been impressed by Snowpiercer

Haneen Ibrahim said...

X-Men: Days of Future Past are amazing. And a Sc-Fi written in 1600? Man I feel clueless :| Snowpiercer sounds great, I think I should give it a try :) Thanks for your huge effort to entertain and educate us Alex :)

Haneen Ibrahim said...

X-Men: Days of Future Past are amazing. And a Sc-Fi written in 1600? Man I feel clueless :| Snowpiercer sounds great, I think I should give it a try :) Thanks for your huge effort to entertain and educate us Alex :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

Way to finish strong, Alex!!!

Nice job on your posts this month!

Sandra Cox said...

I did not see SnowPiercer or Days of Future Past. I need to rectify that.

Leslie S. Rose said...

Oh that Keppler. Life of the party.

J Lenni Dorner said...

J here, of the #atozchallenge Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
Have you enjoyed the challenge? Did you hop to other blogs? The end of the alphabet here! Reflections sign up is May 9-- mark a calendar.
My blog's giveaway is still going. I'm encouraging everyone to visit more stops.
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
X-men, Gravity, and Snowpiercer-- all great movies!

i b arora said...

my first visit, but i think i will have to read all your posts, i will do it soon

http://www.obliqview.blogspot.in

The Happy Whisk said...

Wolverine is yummy.

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite movies to this day is I, Robot. Which just reminded me of Ex Machina, you've seen that, right? If not, I recommend it, it's a great watch!

I don't think I'd eat yeast steak either...chocolate steak, heck yeah!

Unknown said...

After thirty-six hours in the car with all my kids I am so ready for teleportation. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Charles, it almost distracted me!

Shannon, lite helped, but the problem lies in the fact that everyone else is still posting daily.

Kim, that's wild you know someone who rode it.

Edi, each letter still took almost three hours.

Sandra, new X-Men comes out soon - need to catch up!

Ivy, to look at or to eat?

Elsie, I have seen it!

Melanie, I don't blame you.

Hart Johnson said...

I would love to have a teleporter. My family on the far side of the country is one of the things that makes me saddest. All this other tech though, I think I'd prefer to do without--yeast steak? Ewwwwww. Fun to read about though.

Sandra Cox said...

It's date night, Alex.

Inge H. Borg said...

Has George Lucas come calling yet?
If not, try Steven Spielberg...he should know how to put your books into a great film series!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

There are so many new books, I can't keep up. But that's a good thing. It means a lot of dreams are coming true.

(And I'm sure Robyn would be sooo happy with a man made of chocolate, or even one dipped in chocolate!)

SpacerGuy said...

Top Trumps to you Alex. Star Trek the Search for Spock shows us how to bring someone back from beyond... it can be done, it does beg the question. Why not for William Shatner?

Unknown said...

I'm shocked there was an SF story written in 1608, and in Latin no less. Wow! I loved Despicable Me, and think Asimov is the bomb, and want to see Snowpiercer, but as I gave up TV a years ago, it'll be a while. Thanks for all the incredible info you've researched and posted this month. You're the bomb too, Alex!! :)

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

As always, fascinating and I learned a few things! I always like the idea of teleportation. In fact, just yesterday while I was driving home I was wondering if there would ever come a day when public teleportation was used to move mass amounts of commuters quickly, saving time, helping the environment, etc. Of course, the second thought I had was if the government was in charge of it, it would be unreliable and some folks would never reappear or would get mixed up with other people. :P
Oh, and thanks for the visits to L&F during your crazy, hectic AtoZ! I really appreciate it, Alex!
Revisit the Tender Years with me at
Life & Faith in Caneyhead

Mike said...

Interesting...I'll have the yeast steak medium rare said no one.

Sandra Cox said...

Ultroz would come in handy, wouldn't it?
Have a great Saturday, Alex.

Sandra Cox said...

Ultroz would come in handy, wouldn't it?
Have a great Saturday, Alex.

XmasDolly said...

WOO HOO! Alex, I did it! I found something for "Z" and I finished the challenge just like you. You were definitely my inspiration. Thank you so very much!!! hugs

Kathe W. said...

I think it would be fun to be weightless as long as I was attached to the ground! Cheers for A to Z!

SpacerGuy said...

Drinks are on me for everyone who participated in the A to Z Challenge and I have to say, well done everyone, its been a joly great trek considering the ship hit a good few quantum filaments along the way. At least the food replicators stayed online!

Blue Grumpster said...

Ah the Wrath of Khan... One of my favorites, Alex. And I don't mean the reboot: Khaaaaaaaan!

Question: Would you like to be teleported into the past?

Truedessa said...

Congratulations for completing another year of the A to Z. I know you put your heart into this project with endless hours of blogging. You are an amazing person let your light always shine.

Mason T. Matchak said...

I had at least a passing familiarity with everything in this entry... except for yeast steak. O_o Sure, I've heard of vat-grown food before, but just the phrase "yeast steak" is gross. Yeesh.

I really enjoyed what you did with the challenge this year. ^_^

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Hello Alex and happy Monday. I do think that it is about time that someone invented teleportation. I would personally love to sign up to be an "experimentee"

Trisha said...

Maybe I should try A to Z Lite myself, next year. I will still be studying then so it might be too much to do the usual A to Z again.

Liza said...

Congratulation on another successful A-Z campaign!! You rock, Alex!

Unknown said...

enjoy some well-deserved time off! :)

Chrys Fey said...

I almost missed it! Thanks for including Seismic Crimes in this post.

I love the new A to Z shirt. I'm bummed I didn't participate this year. I want it! lol

Donna K. Weaver said...

So would you call the A to Z lite trial a success?

Misha Gerrick said...

I won, but I feel like I didn't keep up the way that I should. (Visited less than half the amount of blogs I wanted to.)

Sigh. ZzzzZZzzzzzzZzzzz

Sandra Cox said...

I thought it was interesting that the astronaut that came back from outer space was 2" taller because of lack of gravity but would lose the 2" after exposed to gravity again.

klahanie said...

Hey dude,

Yay and it appears I can now come out of hiding! Thank goodness that alphabet thingy is almost over for the year, unless you include the reflection posts! Sigh....

Well done on completing the challenge in your own sharing, unique way, good sir.

Notable links. It's pretty bad when the word "survive" is used in relation to the A to Z. Thankfully, I didn't get any emails this year from bloggers who were struggling with it.

Take care and oh how I long for the good old days of blogging when it was more like folks' diaries to the world.

All the best, Alex.

Gary

Empty Nest Insider said...

Looks like your A to Z "lite" experiment turned out great, Alex! Nice shout-out to Robyn and her "chocolate men!"

Julie

ViolaFury said...

Alex,

Ugh, I meant Sean, not Kevin... Lordie. Short term memory loss. The Last Hotel Room looks wonderful! Mary