Predator: Badlands And Intelligent Adversaries
Spoiler Alert – This post will talk about Predator: Badlands and it WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched this SciFi Action Movie set on a fantastical alien world, you might wish to skip this post.
I LOVED Predator: Badlands and yes, I have enjoyed ALL of the Predator movies (my favorite being the first Alien vs Predator movie, which I would consider to be a romance if the hero’s fate wasn’t what it was – dang it).
But Predator: Badlands is special.
Because the alien world it is set in is absolutely amazing. It is worth viewing for this alone.
There are magical little details like the razor grass, which could very well have ancestors in common with our Earth vegetation. Grass cuts on our planet are extremely painful (they are similar to deep paper cuts, yet with the increased possibility of infection). And there are plants that are silver in color.
Every plant and/or creature in this alien world has possible relatives here on Earth. As someone who loves world building AND evolutionary biology, this level of care is impressive.
Another reason to watch Predator: Badlands is the big baddie.
The unkillable creature the Predator is hunting has earned its place at the top of this hostile planet’s extensive food chain.
One of my pet peeves are dumb big baddies. Yes, underlings can be idiots. That is highly likely. (grins) And yes, villains can make mistakes (one common human mistake is overconfidence).
But you don’t get to the top by being dumb (So NEVER dismiss a real life big baddie because you feel they lack intelligence. They don’t. You’re underestimating them.).
In Predator: Badlands, we are shown that the Big Baddie, the alien creature the Predator is hunting, can learn. Quickly. It can communicate. It can problem solve.
It is formidable opponent.
And that makes this already action-packed movie even more thrilling. And interesting.
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Muse Food – Respect For The Land
I read a quote recently that said you can determine who are the invaders and who are the locals by how they treat the land.
Invaders are careless with the land. They destroy it. Forever
Locals are careful with the land. They try their best not to harm it permanently.
Are the beings in the world you’re writing or reading invaders or locals? How do they treat the land around them?
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Muse Food – Dinosaurs And The Remains We Display
What happens to the remnants of beings and other living things after they die tells us a lot about the world we live in, the beliefs, the culture, the priorities.
Why do many humans in North America believe it is okay to display human corpses from ancient Egyptian times (i.e. mummies) but it isn’t okay to display the corpse of a celebrity who died last year?
Why do displays of bones from dinosaurs draw crowds yet the fossilized plant life from the same period is rarely even displayed?
How are the remnants of beings and other formerly living things treated in the world you’re writing or reading about? What does that say about that world?
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Muse Food – The Statues We Erect
The statues or sculptures we erect tell visitors what is important to us.
If the statues are all military figures, visitors will know they are in a war-loving place. They should expect hostilities toward strangers, a big police or military presence, disputes that end in violence.
If the statues or artwork are of artists, writers, sculptors, weavers, singers, visitors will expect a place that celebrates and values the arts, a creative, free thinking place that accepts differences.
If the statues are, like the above sculpture called ‘The Washer Woman’ by Jim Demetro in Puerto Vallarta, of the average working person, visitors will expect a place that strives to treat everyone fairly equally, that values the efforts of everyone.
What statues have been erected in the fictional world you’re creating or reading about? What do they say about that world?
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Muse Food – Fairy Houses And Other World Building Hints
When the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I visited Iceland, we were fascinated by the fairy houses, tiny homes crafted by humans for the hidden folk.
In a story, structures like that would be a strong hint we weren’t in a purely human world. It is a hint of magic, of the paranormal, of the unknown.
And hints like these are powerful in storytelling and for worldbuilding.
Because a much beloved story technique is to, at first, make a world seem like the reader’s world here in present day Earth. That is comfortable. It is relatable. The reader can focus on the characters.
Then we slowly introduce the unusual world-specific elements, pushing the reader out of their comfort zones.
Little hints such as fairy houses or a clockwork-like clicking sound deep in a forest or upside down rain are great ways to start this transition.
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Muse Food – The Little Delights
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I were trekking along a rock-covered shore and we spotted this little snail hidden among the rocks.
There are little creatures all around us. They might be too little for our eyes to see without help. Or they could be hidden. Or they could be merely…small. (smiles)
That is true in the worlds we build also. Not every creature or other type of life form will be easily visible. But they are likely there. And they might cause chaos or invoke delight in your characters.
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Intrepid Encounter
Cyborg vs. Valkyrie
Blood will be spilled and hearts will be captured.
Intrepid and his crew on the Dauntless guard the border to the cyborg sector. The D Model cyborg captain has dedicated his lifespan to protecting their homeland. He’ll do anything to secure the space and keep his brethren safe.
That includes confronting a Valkyrie intent on vengeance.
The female warrior is beautiful, brave, strong…and Intrepid’s genetic match. She’s the one being he is fated to claim. Her voice causes his circuits to hum. Her touch produces a passion he struggles to control.
But if he has to stop her…permanently…to protect his kind, he will make that sacrifice.
Olrun has been tracking the whereabouts of a one-of-a-kind object. The stolen item is critical to the safety of her Valkyrie sisters, and she’ll do anything to retrieve it.
That includes waging war on a tall, broad-shouldered cyborg warrior sporting brilliant-blue eyes and grimly set lips.
The male might…just might…have battle skills matching her own. And that excites the immortal fighter. She craves his rough handling, his punishing embrace, his stern words.
But Olrun’s desire for the cyborg won’t distract her from achieving her goal. She will shield her fellow Valkyries from danger, even if that means ending Intrepid’s lifespan in the process.
Intrepid Encounter is an enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a protective cyborg, a vengeful Valkyrie, and a destiny neither of them can predict.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/intrepid-encounter/id6450374920
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intrepid-encounter-cynthia-sax/1143664740
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/intrepid-encounter
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/1409350
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