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Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 14 Sep 2015, 08:23
by Paul
A land where everyone is pretty and parties all the time - sounds like a Fight the Future taping! Tally is about to turn 16, when she will become a Pretty, thanks to the radical plastic surgery her society demands. But when she makes contact with people outside the city, she learns that there's a downside, that rhymes with "brain lesions". No wait, it's just brain lesions. Dan and Paul are joined by Tally (a different one!) to talk about Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 14 Sep 2015, 19:08
by winterpanda
As someone who has taken courses in neuroscience, I also had a problem with the lesions. I mean, if someone invented a pill that can regrow brain cells, they deserve a Nobel Prize and a billion dollars.

Great episode! I really liked Tally as a guest.

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 15 Sep 2015, 03:36
by Zaz
I don't think I've ever listened through the outro music properly before, because with this episode I realised it is awesome! Is it the intro without the voices?

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 15 Sep 2015, 09:46
by Paul
Zaz wrote:I don't think I've ever listened through the outro music properly before, because with this episode I realised it is awesome! Is it the intro without the voices?


Not quite. Bradley made the track as the intro music and we loved it, but it was a little too long, so we got him to do a shorter version for the intro and used the full length version for the outro music.

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 16 Sep 2015, 10:50
by AdmiralMemo
Where do the quotes in the intro come from, by the way? The only one I know of is "I volunteer as tribute" from the Hunger Games (and I haven't even seen the movie/read the book). How about the rest?

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 16 Sep 2015, 10:57
by ritchards
I may have missed this, but are the middle aged Pretties actually mentally competent, what with the alcoholic partying in their past and the brain lesions and that? I'm wondering who performs the actual operation, and who looks after all the machines when they break.

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 17 Sep 2015, 10:08
by Daniel
@zaz I also think it's awesome! It's not just shorter - there are some other subtle differences. Holy cow did Bradley Rains do an amazing job of making music from my vague descriptions! ("more urgent, and doomed")

@ritchards I think I cut that bit out, but middle Pretties get some of their cognitive function restored. Awkward aspect of the world, at least if we're going with "lesions".

@AdmiralMemo That should be a contest! Hope you didn't look them up already!

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 17 Sep 2015, 11:07
by AdmiralMemo
I did not because I would not know where to start, other than just Googling the phrases themselves.

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 17 Sep 2015, 11:32
by Daniel
Googling the phrases totally works. Even from the only one *not* from a YA dystopia - exactly one hit! D'oh!

Re: Fight the Future 13 - Uglies

Posted: 18 Sep 2015, 16:46
by mutant_pie
Another very good and interesting podcast folks. I think the author spun his story off of this episode of the Twilight Zone; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_12 ... t_Like_You

It's a goody and I recommend watching it. I wouldn't call the books story a direct "steal." However there are many similar elements and themes. I strongly recommend a viewing. Also, I'm a strong believer in "Good artists borrow, great artists steal" however, mostly it seems like it was the context that was lifted. I think it's great when one artist is able to build off of the work of another without traceable plagiarism.