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2015/08/21 09:12:23
Subject: Black Library gripes
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Regular Dakkanaut
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I was on holiday last week and it turned out the three books I'd taken with me were insufficient, so I downloaded Skitarius by Rob Saunders. Now it's quiet clear that it's been written with GW's releases in mind, but what really bugs me is his use of the word 'phylactic'. I'm all with 'noosphere' as a made-up word for the Mechanicus' data transfer, and talk of 'auspectra' and the like but does Mr Sanders know that phylactic isn't a made-up word?
Here's an example "As Haldron-44 Stroika phylactically monitored the thousands of skitarii carrying out their tactical invasion..."
Really? Phylactic means to protect, especially against diseases (hence the word prophylactic). It jars every time I see the word, worse than when you see 'there' instead of 'their'.
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"Bloody typical, they've gone back to metric without telling us."
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh haven't you?"
"We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"
"Mind the oranges Marlon!" |
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2015/08/21 11:40:58
Subject: Re:Black Library gripes
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Hellish Haemonculus
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It sounds like the use of the word (converted to adverb form, of course) might still be correct. I haven't read the story, and so lack context, but depending on Stroika's intent in monitoring the Skitarii, it could mean just what it's supposed to.
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2015/08/21 12:11:14
Subject: Black Library gripes
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Alluring Sorcerer of Slaanesh
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Could he be protecting the skitarii from scrap code, malware or Rick Rolls?
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No pity, no remorse, no shoes |
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2015/08/21 12:36:01
Subject: Re:Black Library gripes
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Regular Dakkanaut
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It appears that it's intended to be another type of 'noospheric' communication - a few examples a search of the e-book brings up ..
"Augurs and phylactic intrusions crowded Stroika's optics..."
"Through phylactic communion..."
"Stroika was in phylactic communion with scores of skitarii..."
"Initiating phylactic communion, Haldron-44 Stroika..."
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"Bloody typical, they've gone back to metric without telling us."
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh haven't you?"
"We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"
"Mind the oranges Marlon!" |
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2015/08/21 16:25:46
Subject: Black Library gripes
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Longtime Dakkanaut
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Well, it's not exactly Banks level science fiction writing, is it.
Not sure what you were expecting... 
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2015/08/21 18:30:58
Subject: Black Library gripes
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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When I was single and dating, I experienced many communions phylactically to prevent corruption of my hardware.
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/08/21 18:31:21
DA:70S+G+M+B++I++Pw40k08+D++A++/fWD-R+T(M)DM+
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