| Speculative biology is simultaneously a science and form of art in which one speculates on the possibilities of life and evolution. What could the world look like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct? What could alien lifeforms look like? What kinds of plants and animals might exist in the far future? These questions and more are tackled by speculative biologists, and the Speculative Evolution welcomes all relevant ideas, inquiries, and world-building projects alike. With a member base comprising users from across the world, our community is the largest and longest-running place of gathering for speculative biologists on the web. While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous. Join our community today! |
| The Time Traveller; Jurassic, Pleistocene, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Civil War, Interplanetary War | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Jun 19 2012, 05:42 PM (1,921 Views) | |
| miocenemadness | Jun 19 2012, 05:42 PM Post #1 |
![]()
Adolescent
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Ok, I am still going to continue World of Cryptids, but this novel idea has been stuck in my head. Basically, a group of people (none of their names have been thought of yet) find a time machine. They think it is a joke, so they believe that there will be no harm in typing out a number of years ago or in the future. However, they type in 150,000,000 years ago, thinking nothing will happen, but they go back to that time, and they land in where the Rockies are today. First of all, the Jurassic. The group of people land in the American Midwest, and are confused. However, as they trek from the fern prairie to the forest, they realize that they have time travelled as they see an Ornitholestes, which at first they thought was harmless, but one ends up biting off one person's finger. As they try to get to the time machine, a herd of Diplodocus block their path, along with a male Stegosaurus. At first, they think that they just have to avoid the Stegosaurus, but then a pair of Epanterias change everything. Once the group get in the time machine, the Epanterias begin shaking the time machine, but before they can destroy it, the group is safely back in the present. While most of the people just leave, one of them decides to keep on time travelling, and sets the machine to 10,000 BC. Next, in the Pleistocene, the man journeys through the taiga of Europe, and most of the creatures he encounters are modern day European creatures, e.g. deer, elk, moose, wolves, bears, lynxes, saiga, etc., but he also encounters prehistoric beasts such as the woolly mammoth, Irish elk, cave bear, woolly rhinoceros, cave lion, and the Neanderthal. As the man encounters a herd of woolly mammoths which is accompanied by a woolly rhino and some elk, the man thinks he is safe, but it becomes a feeding frenzy for cave bears, cave hyenas, cave lions, wolves, grizzly bears, and Neanderthals, so the man retreats to a river where some saiga are also drinking. As soon as he approaches the time machine, a group of Neanderthals begins to pursue him. However, they run away, and the man thinks that they were scared of him, and starts to make fun of the Neanderthals (in a similar way to how Jake in Avatar made fun of the Hammerhead Titanothere), but he realizes that they were scared off by a group of anatomically modern humans, which try to light the time machine, but before they can, the man types in some numbers, not realizing what he is typing, and ends up in Ancient Egypt during a war. In Ancient Egypt, the time machine lands in the middle of an Ancient Egyptian army that is riding camels. They think that he is an intruder, and the Egyptians fight off the time machine (which is obviously bow-and-arrow proof and spear proof). But as they realize that they are unable to fight it, they retreat to the coast to fight. The man then comes out once the Egyptians leave, and wonder where they are going, so he follows them. Then, he realizes that the Egyptians are fighting off Atlanteans (Atlantis exists in this world), and the mermaids (which are like normal mermaids in literature) fight off with stingray barb spears. The man leaves before he gets shot, and as he approaches the mouth of the Nile River to drink, he sees what he thinks is a drowning woman, but once he 'rescues' her, he realizes that it is a mermaid, which somehow can speak English. The man explains to her that he is not going to hurt her, and wants to take her to his time period to marry her, but he knows that she has to live in the water and that it would take too long, so he puts her back in the river. As a sandstorm is about to blow in, he says farewell to the mermaid and runs to the time machine, and decides to go to Ancient Rome next. He then arrives in Italy during the height of the Roman Empire. He walks through a Roman town and sees many exotic creatures (camels, elephants, lions, hyenas, leopards, junglefowl, etc.), but then someone grabs him, as he is mistaken for a Roman gladiator. So, they take him to the Roman Colloseum to fight a Barbary lion, in which our guy wins the fight. Being freed, he soon decides to travel to a more recent event, and he travels to the Civil War. He arrives in Perryville next, and gets to witness the Battle of Perryville. However, some Confederates take him and make him join the Confederacy, and he soon fights against the Union. However, he is about to shoot someone, but realizes that it is one of his great grandfathers, and he stops from shooting him, as he doesn't want to create a time paradox. Then, he retreats to the time machine, and as both armies begin shooting the time machine, the time machine takes the man to the future. As he arrives over 560 million years in the future in the evening, he realizes that the moon isn't out, but also realizes that it is not a new moon. Instead, the moon had been destroyed a few million years earlier. Now, many lifeforms are extinct because the Moon pieces crashed into Earth, and now only a few arthropod-like creatures inhabit Earth, and our guy has to struggle for every breath. However, he is rescued by a spacecraft that is operated by anatomically modern humans (future forms of us, not prehistoric), and they rescue him and take him to a terraformed Europa. As they fly past other planets, our guy realizes that though Mars looks the same as our Mars for the most part, he realizes that there are small spots of green and blue, hinting that Mars was unsuccessfully terraformed. As they approach Europa, he notices that Europa is now an ocean planet with no land, only manmade continents made from metal. The driver tells him about the war that Europa is currently in between with the remaining Martians, which are smaller than modern-day humans as food is scarce. However, later, our guy realizes that there are small people that don't look like Europans or modern-day people, and realizes that they are Martians, and he warns the Europans, and they fight. The Europans win the war, and a giant bomb is designed, and he gets to watch Mars being blown up. There are also some time periods I am considering: World War 2 (Our guy lands in Japan and gets to see the Japanese plan their attack on Pearl Harbor) Milky Way-Andromeda Galaxy Collision (Just as it says; he views it from Titan instead of Earth or Europa though, using a gas mask that the Europans gave to him to breath) Hey guys, I know that this is pretty far fetched, e.g. mermaids that exactly resemble mermaids of literature, etc., but it is just fiction (I'm talking to you especially, Fakey). And I would like to use terror birds somehow without my guy going to the Eocene or Pliocene South America. I was thinking about a terror bird-like bird in the Jurassic, but I realized that birds had only began to evolve in the Jurassic. So would a terror bird-like maniraptoran dinosaur be plausible? (I want some things to be plausible and others I don't care; once again, I am especially talking to you, Fakey) EDIT: I also need to give a special thanks to Mermaids: The Body Found for the idea of stingray barb spears. EDIT: Don't pay attention to any of this, as I have a new better idea for a novel and this time traveller idea is very screwy. Edited by miocenemadness, Jun 29 2012, 01:07 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Replies: | |
|---|---|
| Rick Raptor | Jun 25 2012, 08:54 AM Post #31 |
|
Adolescent
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
It´s odd miocenemadness hasn´t replayed yet to any of the critiques... While I like Time Travel stories, I think this one sounds too bland. It´s just "let´s go to see dinosaurs, then mammoths and cavemen, then some famous historical settings, then end with the future where we can travel through space". There is no explanation why there is a time machine and the only thing we get to know about the main character is that he would date a half-fish human. And the chosen past settings are so overused they´re just cliché; only creative one was using the Late Jurassic instead of the end of the Cretaceous (with them escaping just in time from the asteroid, of course) and the Ancient Egypt with the Atlantis mermaids (why no mermen? Is it a female-only civilization?) in a WTF way. BTW, it was a pleasure to read T. Neo ripping apart the flaws in this story piece by piece
Edited by Rick Raptor, Jun 25 2012, 08:56 AM.
|
| [My DeviantArt account] | |
![]() |
|
| Scrublord | Jun 26 2012, 02:10 PM Post #32 |
|
Father Pellegrini
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
What is is with that little weirdo and his mermaids? Why is he obsessed with them? |
|
My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
![]() |
|
| Tartarus | Jun 27 2012, 02:22 AM Post #33 |
|
Prime Specimen
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
From what was shown of the Mermaids documentary on the Animal Planet website, I remember they showed cave paintings in Egypt that depicted merbeings. However, cave paintings are not the same as hieroglyphics, and the culture that made the paintings were not the ancient Egyptian civilisation, but rather a far earlier culture of Saharan hunter-gatherers. As for whether these cave paintings exist in real life I'm not sure. Though if they do, the question of whether they are portraying real events (as the mockumentary implies) or merely prehistoric fiction, is a whole other matter. Concerning your time travel story, I must say that it is unfortunately not so good. As others have pointed out, the plot seems to be little more than just going from one time to another (good time travel stories place more significance on what periods are visited), there are a number of anachronisms, there is far too much use of the Super Persistent Predator trope, and the characters feel rather one-dimensional. As this reply began with a response to your mermaid question, let's use your mermaids as an example of problems with the story. While I have no problem with you having mermaids in your story, it makes no sense to have English speaking mermaids in ancient times. Though fiction certainly doesn't have to follow all the laws of reality it still should make some sense. Furthermore, the brief love interest between the man and the mermaid feels rather shallow and unnecessary to the story. He falls instantly in love, but has no problem leaving her without a second thought? That just doesn't work. And unless the man-mermaid romance has any significance to the plot (which does not appear to be the case) it is unnecessary to include it at all. If you want this mermaid aspect to work in the story, here are some tips for how: Firstly, instead of having English speaking mermaids, you could instead have the character take time to learn the mermaid language, and vice versa. Secondly, if you really want a love interest in the mermaid actually have it matter to the story. Instead of just having the guy briefly love her and then bugger off to another time without a second thought, actually make it a significant aspect of the plot and perhaps explore the dilemma the guy faces concerning the fact that they are of two completely different habitats. And as for the rest of the story, try to have more to the plot than just randomly going from one time period to another. Also, when things try to kill them, try to have good reasons for this. Edited by Tartarus, Jun 27 2012, 02:26 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| lamna | Jun 27 2012, 02:26 AM Post #34 |
![]() ![]()
|
I wanted to mention that, but couldn't really work it into my sarcastic narrative. |
|
Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
![]() |
|
| bloom_boi | Jun 27 2012, 10:41 AM Post #35 |
![]()
What The?
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Why are you so against this guy? Sure, he's not the most educated amongst us, but all your doing is crushing his creativity and possible future learnings. Yeah, this is the internet, it's tough, but this isn't 4chan! Yes, this guy has made MANY slip ups, but he is better than scum who abhor creativity and knowledge. And Im pretty sure youve been a retard many times. I think this project is a decent start for a young, uneducated speccer whos built up his knowledge probably all by himself. Now leave him alone squib. |
|
"You shall perish, whatever you do! If you are taken with arms in your hands, death! If you beg for mercy, death! Whichever way you turn, right, left, back, forward, up, down, death! You are not merely outside the law, you are outside humanity. Neither age nor sex shall save you and yours. You shall die, but first you shall taste the agony of your wife, your sister, your sons and daughters, even those in the cradle! Before your eyes the wounded man shall be taken out of the ambulance and hacked with bayonets or knocked down with the butt end of a rifle. He shall be dragged living by his broken leg or bleeding arm and flung like a suffering, groaning bundle of refuse into the gutter. Death! Death! Death!" | |
![]() |
|
| lamna | Jun 27 2012, 11:45 AM Post #36 |
![]() ![]()
|
My time travel story was much better, it was supposed to be about art, but art is boring, so I just made a painting a magic portal to pre-Roman Britain, where I taught the British how to fight like the Romans did. How exactly I did this when Britain was divided into many different tribes, I wouldn't know the language and didn't know much more than the fact the Romans fought in a more ordered fashion, with armour. Not to mention I didn't mention which invasion it was. That's better right? I acknowledge he's young, but you nobody learns by just being told they did a good job. |
|
Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
![]() |
|
| miocenemadness | Jun 29 2012, 01:03 PM Post #37 |
![]()
Adolescent
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Watcher, it's ok; I'm just ignoring Squibbonator. But now I have been thinking of a different novel idea, so no more time travelling. (Note: It is not your fault, it is just now I realize that my novel idea is very screwed up, with mermaids (which I am overly obsessed with, don't know why), Egyptians, mammoths, dinosaurs, and bad history) So now I have a new novel idea. |
![]() |
|
| TAXESbutNano | Jun 29 2012, 04:41 PM Post #38 |
|
I'm going back to basics.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Ooh, what's it about? I can help out if you need it/I remember. |
![]() |
|
| colddigger | Jun 29 2012, 10:29 PM Post #39 |
|
Joke's over! Love, Parasky
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Sure it is. |
|
Oh Fine. Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP?? v Don't click v Spoiler: click to toggle | |
![]() |
|
| Scrublord | Jul 16 2012, 09:04 PM Post #40 |
|
Father Pellegrini
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I'm not. I just think that, since he's joined the forum, he should put more effort into creating realistic, well-thought-out projects. He's shown that he's capable of good speculative biology--for example, the creatures he made for the evolutionary continuum project--but he doesn't put that skill to enough use. To put it another way, I don't think Mio is terrible at what he does, just that he's missing his chance to be a lot better. That, and he has a weird fixation on mermaids. Edited by Scrublord, Jul 17 2012, 12:59 PM.
|
|
My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Café Cosmique · Next Topic » |












9:27 AM Jul 11