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Thought about how to spell Swarm

richardshagrin 🚫

I like Thinking Horndog's Swarm Cycle. But it is not clear to me how he decided to call it that. The alien menace is the Swaarm, with some accents or other punctuation marks, at least in the first stories. Of course Cycle makes me think of bicycles or motorcycles, not a series of stories. Although there are some good stories that include either as story elements.

It has been really, really cold where I live and something to make me warm would be good, so we could delete the s in swarm to get warm. And I like military fiction, so we could lose the m in warm to get war. And without the r you have the postal code for Washington, where I live. Would it be better to leave off the double U or the A? I got A's in school, at least some of the time. I like stories set in schools where the hero gets A's. So the Swarm Cycle has a lot of good fiction behind it.

Replies: awnlee jawking

Keet 🚫

ROFLMAO
I think you had enough, lay back on the alcohol now :D

awnlee jawking 🚫

@richardshagrin

I got A's in school, at least some of the time. I like stories set in schools where the hero gets A's.

What's the point of a story set in a school if the hero is marked A for Absent all the time?

AJ

LonelyDad 🚫

Back to the original, hopefully serious post: At least a couple of the stories tell how newscasters who pronounce Sa'arm properly changed it to Swarm, and it just kind of stuck, because most of the population couldn't be bothered to use the correct name anywya.

Replies: Dominions Son joyR

Dominions Son 🚫

@LonelyDad

Back to the original, hopefully serious post:

The op is richardshagrin, there is no hope that it's serious.

joyR 🚫

@LonelyDad

Back to the original, hopefully serious post: At least a couple of the stories tell how newscasters who pronounce Sa'arm properly changed it to Swarm, and it just kind of stuck, because most of the population couldn't be bothered to use the correct name anywya.

I always imagined the reporter pronouncing Sa'arm in a 'Callie from the valley' accent.

Thus she makes Sa'arm sound like Swarm.

blast 🚫

We need more SWARM type stories so please all authors here pen some soon as possible I NEED A FIX of swarm actions

Replies: Ernest Bywater awnlee jawking

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@blast

I NEED A FIX of swarm actions

Go stick a finger in a beehive and you'll get more swarm activity than you can handle.

Replies: blast REP

blast 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

Done that before today i had a dozen hives however Ernest Bywater i should point out to you when a hive swarms they are just decamping and will not sting you... if you can manage to get the queen into a neculas hive put it on the ground beside where the swarm was you will see all the bees actually walk across the ground and into the new hive if it was placed close to where the swarm settled.... i managed to get 3 swarms from a church yard the swarms were on rose bushes in the garden ... just thought i would let you know this trivia however i STILL NEED A FIX of swarm actions

Replies: madnige

madnige 🚫

@blast

i STILL NEED A FIX of swarm actions

If you've read your way through the 500+ Sa'arm stories on Thinking Horndog's official Swarm site on ASSTR (~Thinkers_tales/Stories/The_Swarm/Swarm_main.html), then you'll just have to wait for more to be written - or write them yourself. If you do start writing Swarm stories, check the 'Info for Authors' link there first.

Replies: joyR blast helmut_meukel

joyR 🚫

@madnige

the 500+ Sa'arm stories

500....??? Typo...??

Replies: blast madnige

blast 🚫

@joyR

There are many hours of great reading in swarm stories however you want to try reading them in sequence by tbe author i can guarantee that you will enjoy them

madnige 🚫

@joyR

Oops, not a typo, more a brain-fart. I counted 5.5 blocks of stories, about 10 rows per block, but instead of multiplying by three columns, I multiplied by 10 rows again. So, 'only' about 160 or so stories.

Replies: joyR Keet

joyR 🚫

@madnige

So, 'only' about 160 or so stories.

Actually, as HM posted, more like 200 and change.

Keet 🚫

@madnige

So, 'only' about 160 or so stories.

206

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@Keet

206

Those are the ones 'accepted' as 'cannon'. There are stories posted elsewhere that are not 'cannon' so presumably are by default, 'fodder'.

Those include the '10' extracted from Hong Kong, who once aboard passed avian flu to every Ch'teek in existence. The AI's abandoned earth, but left a disc containing everything needed to build an AI behind, it was not compatible with chrome, so the human race was obliterated by the Sa'arm long before google's inevitable court case was heard.

Replies: Keet

Keet 🚫

@joyR

Those are the ones 'accepted' as 'cannon'. There are stories posted elsewhere that are not 'cannon' so presumably are by default, 'fodder'.

I referred to the count on asstr. The section "ALL" contains 206 stories. I have no idea how many stories are posted elsewhere since I don't know where elsewhere is ;)

Replies: LonelyDad

LonelyDad 🚫

@Keet

I referred to the count on asstr. The section "ALL" contains 206 stories. I have no idea how many stories are posted elsewhere since I don't know where elsewhere is ;)

It's obvious that the Swarm Cycle index on ASSTR hasn't been updated in several years. Since I don't know of any other repository, it seems that the listings here are the most complete.

blast 🚫

@madnige

I have read the lot and even been in contact with a couple of authors to do more on their stories i would love to see more on istar i feel that bace behind the enemy lines could have several more top shelf action stories baced on the small crew who servive battle damaged ships .... as i have stated I NEED A FIX of swarm actions

helmut_meukel 🚫

@madnige

If you've read your way through the 500+ Sa'arm stories on Thinking Horndog's official Swarm site on ASSTR (~Thinkers_tales/Stories/The_Swarm/Swarm_main.html)

I counted 200+ stories there.

HM.

Replies: Dominions Son

Dominions Son 🚫

@helmut_meukel

200+ = 500+ for some values of +. :)

REP 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

Go stick a finger in a beehive

That Swarm plot has already been done even though no fingers were stuck in anything. :)

awnlee jawking 🚫

@blast

We need more SWARM type stories

That's a matter of opinion. I'm not a fan of the very forced premise and the misogyny. Having said that, I've read a few of the stories and awarded them high star ratings provided they're well written with a decent plot and good characterisation and not just an excuse for a string of stroke scenes.

AJ

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I'm not a fan of the very forced premise and the misogyny.

To be fair, the original story was just that, a story. Nothing I've seen indicates that at the time of writing the author planned a follow up, much less a whole universe. With that in mind the premise wasn't thought out with a plethora of other authors joining in. If it had been intended it is likely the original author would have designed a better premise to build upon.

My 2c

blast 🚫

I still NEED A FIX of swarm actions

blast 🚫

G'day mates did any of you see the new swarm story that was penned by a new author a couple of weeks ago

Replies: Keet Dominions Son

Keet 🚫

@blast

Maybe a link, or at least an author/story name would give us a clue about what story you are referring to.

Dominions Son 🚫

@blast

G'day mates did any of you see the new swarm story that was penned by a new author a couple of weeks ago

The Swarm Cycle universe on SOL shows the two most recent stories are one posted just this last Saturday and one posted in January,

joyR 🚫

The Swarm Cycle - Stories in progress (excluding those marked as Incomplete and Inactive)

Marquis by starfiend in progress Updated: 07/02/2019, 18:19:14

A woman Warrior by Allan Joyal in progress Updated: 21/01/2019, 02:51:57

An Unusual 10 by James Marcus in progress Updated: 03/01/2019, 20:17:31

MMD by corsair in progress Updated: 14/05/2018, 15:07:14

blast 🚫

G'day mates did you happen to see a new story posted today called Cap-1 by Tetley it doesn't have a tag of being in the swarm universe however if you are a swarm addict like i am, i recomend that you read this story and then e-mail this author to continue with more it has potential to go in a lot of different directions.... this author has scored an Aussie fan with their story and i am hoping that they will pen more

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@blast

Cap-1 by Tetley

I enjoyed it and I'd like to read more by the author. However I don't think a direct sequel is feasible.

AJ

Replies: blast

blast 🚫

@awnlee jawking

G'day mate i can see this story going forward since the AI agreed to their demands they have to get picked up they have to collect everything that was agreed upon then the new planet has to be set up a side story can be about retesting some high DECO people.... there can be several spin off stories since the AI's wanted these pair for their knowledge these scientists could develop the means to combat the swarm.... there are stories also along this line of thought also we only have to persuade the author to continue with more it has potential

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@blast

Part of the reason I think a sequel wouldn't work is because the first story, to a large extent, makes fun of the weaknesses in the Swarm Cycle's premises - the misogyny, for example. From that starting point, I think it would be hard to fashion a serious sci-fi thriller.

Also, the two protagonists are very Mary Sueish, overcoming each obstacle with impunity. If they stayed in character, the Sa'arm and the rogue DECO operatives wouldn't last long at all.

AJ

Replies: REP

REP 🚫

@awnlee jawking

From that starting point, I think it would be hard to fashion a serious sci-fi thriller.

Why? The plot would obviously be based on them being rebels who are working to support destruction of the Sa'arm. The conflicts and friction between them, DECO, and the AI's would make a great story series.

blast 🚫

To all the authors here have written about swarm and posted what are your opinions on where Gap-1 could head if it was to continue.... i am for one hope that the author continues and have e-mail that to them .... other authors here could also put their own spin on what was agreed upon then the AI's agreed.... COME ON swarm authors here pen some soon as possible i need my fix again

Replies: REP

REP 🚫
Updated:

@blast

i am for one hope that the author continues and have e-mail that to them

At the current time, Tetley has no interest in continuing the story. Based on the emails I exchanged with him, my guess as to him continuing the storyline is Don't Hold Your Breath.

I agree the story has the potential for a sequel. If any Sa'arm authors would like to pickup the story, they can contact Tetley and discuss it with him.

Richard and Gillian both have CAP scores of -1. Since that is impossible the AIs believe they manipulated the CAP testing and their actual CAP scores are far higher. Richard is eligible for extraction but Gillian isn't since she is post-menopausal. So in a sequel:

Would Gillian go as Richard's concubine or a sponsor?

Would they be sent to a new world with one or both being the Governor, and how would they act in that position, or even more interesting, how would they act if someone else was Governor.

Since hundreds of people, most qualifying as concubines, would be extracted, who would be their sponsor? Richard, Gillian, both, or possibly the people extracted would include some who were sponsors and the concubines would be distributed amongst the few sponsors even though they would have an average of more than 10 concubines each?

Yes a sequel would be very interesting what with all the standard "rules" being violated.

blast 🚫
Updated:

G'day mates have any SWARM authors thought about penning more about GAP-1 story theme, i hope that some of you are considering doing something

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Thought about how to spell Swarm

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