h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Being Human - A87738042
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090

This was prompted by January's Science Fiction Challenge.

I've got 4 of the pictures in, but the kitchen just didn't fit.

The picture of the Neanderthals was informed by an article in the 'New Scientist' on 14 January.

Very exciting. Since this is Sol's challenge, maybe she'll be along shortly to comment.

Maybe it's the way the challenge was written around pictures, but this is very visual, I find. Which gives it a storyboard quality. I kept thinking it would film well.

Thanks Dmitri.

it was fun to write.

What an interesting idea, and well crafted. I'm sure you have the stuff here to make a whole book out of it if you chose to do so.

Thanks Bel.

I've got so many writing projects that I ought to be working on!

Now that the 'picture stories' are slated to appear in the 6 February issue of (sorry, I appear to have become a one-man PR department ), we can all look forward to Create's February challenges.

The theme's going to be 'local interest', I believe I've heard. I'm sure you can think of something in that direction.

Good for you. I got none.

This is great (she says, late but moving fast). I really like the way you wove different strands of dehumanising 'other' types in, as well as the main one. And, of course, that it;s space opera.

Plus it ends in the best way - I have a theory how the story could continue and I'd like to read on and find out.

Fun!

But what's it doing here? *waves arms around* It's proper scifi is this!

Thanks Solnushka.

It must be serendipity. I was trying to write this story and a copy of the 'New Scientist' popped through the letterbox, with an article about Neanderthals.

Apparently, scientists think they were good at making things like stone tools, but didn't innovate much. They cared for their own group, burying the dead for example, but they didn't mix readily with strangers.

How many of us are Neanderthals?

*raises hand*

As someone who had to have a fused molar removed, I can claim to be fairly sure I have Neanderthaler DNA.

I am terrible at stone tools, however, as I have said before: A43148243.

MVP, if you haven't yet, would you put a thread on the Sci-Fi Workshop page with your A-number on?

An excellent question MVP. Me, for one. Except the bit about tool-using. And certainly making. Deary me, Dmitri.