Green T By E. S. Strout

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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: Green T By E. S. Strout

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

An interesting story. I must say, I'm surprised that the surgical change is at all expected to become a genetic change (that is, I believe, related to Lamarckian evolution); and I'm even more surprised that Mike would want to take orders from the army after rejecting his parents so thoroughly.
(a) The treatment introduced 'green' cells which functioned as an extreme form of gene therapy, overwhelming and replacing the patient's immune system AND DNA (modifying muscle and nerve tissues, etc., in the subject, but also making inheritable changes). Hence the children of two subjects (even assuming the new traits are recessive) would PROBABLY inherit AND express the changes.
(b) One of the changes was increased aggression. Mike would find the Army, which not only accepted but encourage aggression, very appealing...

RM
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Jack London (1876-1916)
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Re: Green T By E. S. Strout

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Scenario: Mike goes apeshit, starts doing a rock-star impression on the furniture and punching out (or, given his enhanced strength, punching THROUGH) anybody who gets in his way.

Parents: Mike, sweetheart! What's gotten into you? This isn't the sweet, gentle boy we knew...

Mike: Graaar. Mike smash puny humans.

Army observer: Mr. Norman, have we got a job for YOU!

Mike: Cooooool...
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Re: Green T By E. S. Strout

Post by Megawatts »

The intro could have been more attention grabbing. The first few lines of a story should capture one’s attention. I am a firm believer in that technique except for well established authors who have fans that read all their works. Like Stephen King, for his name captivates most readers.

Some more sensory input such as how cold the operating rooms were or the clean, sterile aroma of the hospital wards. Often, one word here and there like ‘warm’ ‘cold’ ‘windy’ and ‘damp’ can add much to a story’s fabric.

Otherwise, I thought the story very good. I just pointed out some slight opinions of my own that might help the author in his/her next works.

Writing is a vast field, and I’m certainly no expert!

I loved how a tissue sample saved from a dead alien in 1948 at Roswell is used to create a super soldier. Nice touch. We hear so much about reversed engineering, and captured alien technology. This story has a nice twist to it: It’s the alien’s biology that is used or reversed engineered if one wants to think of it in that term. I haven’t read many stories that uses an alien’s body parts or DNA.  

A good story based on Roswell’s mystery that has lingered since 1948.

I live in Johnstown Pennsylvania. Not far from Kecksburg. That’s our Roswell. And believe me they still argue about what happened there in 1965. Was it a UFO or a Soviet satellite re-entering earth.  

Stan Gordon---a researcher into UFO and other mysteries---lives in Greensburgh, Pa. Very close to Kecksburg. I don’t know him, but a guy I worked with did. He told me that Stan is no Nut-Ball and knows what he’s talking about. His web-site is very interesting.
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