Shadows Of Medusa

Shadows of Medusa is a science fiction novel intended to be part of a series. It is written by space enthusiast Brian Enke. He writes about future Mars settlements sponsored by secret beneficiaries with a hidden agenda. The story intertwines real science with interpersonal human issues. It is a suspense and a mystery novel along with the intrigue of Mars. Being a space enthusiast, Enke appreciates the science involved in a Mars mission. It is frustrating when a science fiction story takes you on a trail of the improbable and downright impossible science behind the tale. It is acceptable when the story is supposed to be a fantasy. When the laws of physics are completely ignored without any reference to magic or anything like that, well, that makes the story laughable. Enke, understands what would actually work and uses it to his advantage. You don't have to shake your head in disbelief like so many do when watching the old Sci-fi movies. They, of course, are in a genre all their own. So, here's to real science fiction the way it should be.

The word for today is...

Minion
From dictionary.com:
–noun

1.	a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.

2.	a favored or highly regarded person.

3.	a minor official.

4.	Printing. a 7-point type.

–adjective

5.	dainty; elegant; trim; pretty.

American Heritage dictionary says:

1. An obsequious follower or dependent; a sycophant.
2. A subordinate official, especially a servile one.
3. One who is highly esteemed or favored; a darling.

When thinking of the word minion, submissive followers with an evil over lord comes to mind. Little did I know that the word minion was one of the few words that can actually contradict itself. It is a dichotomy in the sense that its definitions have totally opposite meanings. Obviously, the average person who may read comic books or watch super hero shows, would probably think the more negative definition is the accurate one. A correct sentence might be: 'To the disciples, Jesus was their minion'. That may be correct using the more positive meaning, saying he was esteemed and favored. If a preacher said this to his congregation, the people might take offense thinking that the disciples led Jesus around like a puppet.
Language is a strange and wonderful art. Individuals are products of their upbringing. What will mean one thing to one person may have an entirely different meaning to someone else. So, kids, study semantics and language so you know whether or not, when someone calls you a minion, if it was a compliment or an insult.
Till next time, my minions of this blog, till next time.

Fairies in New York?! Who knew?

The Good Fairies Of New York
A fantasy is always a great backdrop for a tale. A good fantasy which comes from a mind that exists on a whole different level than most people is even better. Millar may not be Neil Gaiman but who is?
The Good Fairies of New York finds two Scottish thimble fairies transported to lower Manhattan. Morag and Heather, who didn't completely fit in back in the old country, are a bit bewildered by their new surroundings, but make do as best they can. They're not entirely alone-as it turns out, New York is heavily populated by fairies, including Italian, Chinese, and black ones.
They meet up with some humans; Morag joins Kerry, who suffers from Crohn's disease, while Heather hooks up with the asocial Dinnie. The humans aren't entirely enthralled by the fairies, with Dinnie telling Heather: "I've decided not to believe in you in the hope you'll disappear." His efforts are, of course, futile.
Neil Gaiman writes: "I owned this book for more than five years before reading it, then lent my copy to someone I thought should read it, and never got it back. Do not make either of my mistakes. Read it now, and then make your friends buy their own copies. You'll thank me one day."
Fairies make great subjects for stories if only to vindicate them. Sure, modern folklore puts them in the ranks of pretty little imps who playfully protect nature and only appear to those who really believe. Unfortunately, mythology has also painted a dark side to these tiny, mostly invisible pixies who bear no resemblance to Tinker Bell. Of course we all know that Tinker Bell had a murderous side to her being that she attempted to kill Wendy in a jealous rage. Does this book show their lighter side? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?