Wraith Defenders Club

[Todd's Pet]

These outdoor lights also have a bit of a Wraithy feel to them. I so want a lamp that looks like a replica Wraith stun bomb.

Loving all those lamps, Orb. It wouldn't take a lot to add to these and make them truly wraithy

[Todd's Pet]

Yes, the rattan ball light strings are pricey in stores around here too. Sears wants $50 US dollars for them. There are some cheaper ones on ebay from Thailand like this (and they have red ones):

http://cgi.ebay.com/20-RED-RATTAN-BA...item588aea6f37

I did find a cheap and beautiful lighted grapevine twig ball like this at a local craft store today and bought one:

http://www.especiallyforyouhomedecor...t.asp?One=1475

OMG! Squeeee!
I want these to string across my bedroom wall around all my wraithy portraits

[WraithTech]

So most of us speculate and theorise and pick up on others' ideas and run with them - some of us even write fanfics incorporating either our pet theories or play with lots of different theories in different stories.
Throwing theories around and bouncing ideas off of each other is part of the fun of the WDC - and gives us a chance to do what TPTB never had the courage to do: develop the wraith as a viable species with a history and a culture and, most importantly, a future.

That sums up what I like about WDC the best, along with sharing our talents and finding ways to enjoy Wraithy things from this galaxy.

[JadedWraith]

I agree with you absolutely, Leksa - I don't think there's very many of us here in the WDC who would disagree - the science in SGA is gobble-de-gook at best, at worst it;s just plain confusing and wrong!

However, for most wraith fans, to leave it at that is too frustrating. To just accept that wraith development is never done would mean that forums like the WDC would die because there would be nothing to talk about!
So most of us speculate and theorise and pick up on others' ideas and run with them - some of us even write fanfics incorporating either our pet theories or play with lots of different theories in different stories.
Throwing theories around and bouncing ideas off of each other is part of the fun of the WDC - and gives us a chance to do what TPTB never had the courage to do: develop the wraith as a viable species with a history and a culture and, most importantly, a future.
<snip>

psst.You're forgetting it's also our pretext for our daily gutter dive.
But it's also the place to bounce some theories, more or less scientific, as TP said, and to gaze at the most amazing on-line art work I've seen.

[Todd's Pet]

psst.You're forgetting it's also our pretext for our daily gutter dive.
But it's also the place to bounce some theories, more or less scientific, as TP said, and to gaze at the most amazing on-line art work I've seen.

But of course - I may be the biggest gutter head here! Loving that smiley - can I snurch it, please?

[leksa]

I agree with you absolutely, Leksa - I don't think there's very many of us here in the WDC who would disagree - the science in SGA is gobble-de-gook at best, at worst it;s just plain confusing and wrong!

Nice choice of the words to describe the science at SGA :-)

However, for most wraith fans, to leave it at that is too frustrating. To just accept that wraith development is never done would mean that forums like the WDC would die because there would be nothing to talk about!
So most of us speculate and theorise and pick up on others' ideas and run with them - some of us even write fanfics incorporating either our pet theories or play with lots of different theories in different stories.
Throwing theories around and bouncing ideas off of each other is part of the fun of the WDC - and gives us a chance to do what TPTB never had the courage to do: develop the wraith as a viable species with a history and a culture and, most importantly, a future.

I like the protein idea you mentioned - I'm not as familiar with "hard" science as I am with metaphysics and philosophy or "mysticism", so I;d be really interested to hear more details of what you think about this aspect, as you only briefly touched upon it.

Yes, I remember. I probably missed loads of the discussions since I was not active here. And since I do not have the "gutter" tendencies my ideas would probably be a bit opposite than majority here because I would approach the Wraith as sort of "applied science" project.

Protein is not my idea. It is actually from SGA, (first season) when they met that Hoffman (spelling?) people. Hoffman's scientists isolated the protein that was naturaly occuring in the people who survived Wraith feeding and used it as the base to develop the "cure". Later that somehow turned into some kind of virus.
I'm astrophysicists so my knowledge about the medicine is limited. However I know that protein production is regulated by an organism DNA, and the whole situation does seems like a natural evolution of the humans in the conditions where they would be exposed to the Wraith for 10000. The ones who survive feeding would reproduce and pass the "immunity" to their offspring. But for the reasons known only to the writers this path was abandoned and protein was turned up into the pure virus (one would need a retrovirus to do genetic therapy that would result in protein production). Probably because virus infection gives strong and fast results while messed up gene therapy will probably be visible only in future generations.

Personally, I have impression that writers of SGA were big fans of Creationism, because most of the "qualities" they gave Wraith could not be possible to gain by normal evolution.

[Todd's Pet]

Yes, I remember. I probably missed loads of the discussions since I was not active here. And since I do not have the "gutter" tendencies my ideas would probably be a bit opposite than majority here because I would approach the Wraith as sort of "applied science" project.

Oh my - that sounds like an excellent idea!!!!

Steve: TP is very good at the applied stuff and as far as I;m concerned she passed her practical with flying colours!

Protein is not my idea. It is actually from SGA, (first season) when they met that Hoffman (spelling?) people. Hoffman's scientists isolated the protein that was naturaly occuring in the people who survived Wraith feeding and used it as the base to develop the "cure". Later that somehow turned into some kind of virus.
I'm astrophysicists so my knowledge about the medicine is limited. However I know that protein production is regulated by an organism DNA, and the whole situation does seems like a natural evolution of the humans in the conditions where they would be exposed to the Wraith for 10000. The ones who survive feeding would reproduce and pass the "immunity" to their offspring. But for the reasons known only to the writers this path was abandoned and protein was turned up into the pure virus (one would need a retrovirus to do genetic therapy that would result in protein production). Probably because virus infection gives strong and fast results while messed up gene therapy will probably be visible only in future generations.

Personally, I have impression that writers of SGA were big fans of Creationism, because most of the "qualities" they gave Wraith could not be possible to gain by normal evolution.

I love your use of the phrase, "somehow turned into..." There seems to be a lot of that in SGA!

I tend to agree with your last statement. IMHO wraith could never have evolved the way they did in the SGA Universe - it just doesn';t make any sense. Isolde has often pointed out that any predator that depends so completely on one food source (and an awkward, stubborn one that fights back, too!) is almost inevitably doomed to extinction.

Contrary to popular opinion () I love to hear people's more scientific views - I just love being in the wraith gutter too!!!

[leksa]

Oh my - that sounds like an excellent idea!!!!

Steve: TP is very good at the applied stuff and as far as I;m concerned she passed her practical with flying colours!

OK, we can start then :-)

I love your use of the phrase, "somehow turned into..." There seems to be a lot of that in SGA!

I tend to agree with your last statement. IMHO wraith could never have evolved the way they did in the SGA Universe - it just doesn';t make any sense. Isolde has often pointed out that any predator that depends so completely on one food source (and an awkward, stubborn one that fights back, too!) is almost inevitably doomed to extinction.

Contrary to popular opinion () I love to hear people's more scientific views - I just love being in the wraith gutter too!!!

I agree with Isolde. That's correct from pure biological standpoint. And when we include the fact that the Wraith are sentient and practically immortal all thing seems unreal. Like some weird daydream where some quite insecure person tries to imagine as formidable enemy as possible just so that daydreamer can end up victorious under any circumstances and prove to himself that they are valuable individual.

Additional fact for the false "evolution". Wraith evolved on some dark planet away from humans or Ancients and managed somehow to develop that food specialisation. I suspect Harry Potter (or some of his colleagues) was involved

[Todd's Pet]

I agree with Isolde. That's correct from pure biological standpoint. And when we include the fact that the Wraith are sentient and practically immortal all thing seems unreal. Like some weird daydream where some quite insecure person tries to imagine as formidable enemy as possible just so that daydreamer can end up victorious under any circumstances and prove to himself that they are valuable individual.

Additional fact for the false "evolution". Wraith evolved on some dark planet away from humans or Ancients and managed somehow to develop that food specialisation. I suspect Harry Potter (or some of his colleagues) was involved

Oh, so right! There was definitely some magic involved there! It couldn't have happened any other way!

Makes you also wonder how sentient and immortal beings got themselves into such a pickle in the first place!

[leksa]

When you muse over the Wraith, are you attempting to preserve as much as possible of the show (and writers) premisses or you try to make some feasible logical explanation?
I remember that during my last discussion on this forum, one other member of WDC and I concluded that only way to explain so many contradictory infos about the Wraith and their "evolution" and the time-frame was to assume that they are basically a consequence of ancient genetic experiment gone wrong. An experiment in which they attempted either to create new "warriors" or to prolong their lives. That was a theory that covered the biggest number of the SGA assumptions about the Wraith.

However, I was never part of the attempt to develop a feasible theory of the natural Wraith evolution. And the development of their society.

[Todd's Pet]

When you muse over the Wraith, are you attempting to preserve as much as possible of the show (and writers) premisses or you try to make some feasible logical explanation?
I remember that during my last discussion on this forum, one other member of WDC and I concluded that only way to explain so many contradictory infos about the Wraith and their "evolution" and the time-frame was to assume that they are basically a consequence of ancient genetic experiment gone wrong. An experiment in which they attempted either to create new "warriors" or to prolong their lives. That was a theory that covered the biggest number of the SGA assumptions about the Wraith.

However, I was never part of the attempt to develop a feasible theory of the natural Wraith evolution. And the development of their society.

I can't speak for others in the WDC - though I think there are some who do and some who don't and some who do both to a certain degree.
For me personally, I feel the show had so many (sometimes huge!) plot holes that it left the realms of believability, IMHO. As such, in my own fanfics, I never even attempt to preserve the wraith as seen in the show. For me, the show was just the spring board for me to drift off with my own theories about wraith.
Some may think my theories and stories are just as full of holes, and they have the right to think so - but I;m not writing science, I;m writing romance and fantasy - and the whole point in my fics is fun, not realism!

There are, however, some bloody good fics out there that make a damn good job of retaining "wraith like realism".

IMHO with something as "open ended" as the wraith, there is room for all shades of grey, from hard science to complete flights of fancy

[leksa]

I can't speak for others in the WDC - though I think there are some who do and some who don't and some who do both to a certain degree.

Oh, I asked only so that I can direct my comment appropriately. It is different if one tries to find as logical as possible explanation of the Wraith than when one tries to justify the SGA premisses.

For me personally, I feel the show had so many (sometimes huge!) plot holes that it left the realms of believability, IMHO.

That's not just your opinion. I agree with that. And I'm not at all humble with this agreement

As such, in my own fanfics, I never even attempt to preserve the wraith as seen in the show. For me, the show was just the spring board for me to drift off with my own theories about wraith.
Some may think my theories and stories are just as full of holes, and they have the right to think so - but I;m not writing science, I;m writing romance and fantasy - and the whole point in my fics is fun, not realism!

There are, however, some bloody good fics out there that make a damn good job of retaining "wraith like realism".

IMHO with something as "open ended" as the wraith, there is room for all shades of grey, from hard science to complete flights of fancy

Good point, after all if you are writing a story, you are writing a story, not the science report.
On the other hand, I can understand if the writer from repressed society uses SciFi to comment at the bad points of his/her society. Even use of SciFi as certain view of the political propaganda is already seen. But, I like imagining how would real aliens be. Such attempts force me to think about what makes us what we are; what makes our societies tick. I lived in several difference countries and cultures, enough to see how the same specie can be shaped by it's environment and past even in smilingly unconnected issues. I saw how societies are complex and how different governmental emphasis on the certain issues mould not only the society but the mentality and complete direction of the society. For me it is quite interesting trying to imagine how truly different an alien society would be.

[Todd's Pet]

That's not just your opinion. I agree with that. And I'm not at all humble with this agreement

Well said!

Good point, after all if you are writing a story, you are writing a story, not the science report.
On the other hand, I can understand if the writer from repressed society uses SciFi to comment at the bad points of his/her society. Even use of SciFi as certain view of the political propaganda is already seen. But, I like imagining how would real aliens be. Such attempts force me to think about what makes us what we are; what makes our societies tick. I lived in several difference countries and cultures, enough to see how the same specie can be shaped by it's environment and past even in smilingly unconnected issues. I saw how societies are complex and how different governmental emphasis on the certain issues mould not only the society but the mentality and complete direction of the society. For me it is quite interesting trying to imagine how truly different an alien society would be.

I couldn't agree more!

One day I would love to write more serious sci-fi, addressing many of these issues. When I was younger I couldn;t get enough sci-fi and read many of the classics of my youth, so I've been weaned on just the kind of sci-fi you describe.

In my defense of my own wraith fanfics - they;re light and fluffy and not much more than romance stories, but I do work full time and just don't have the time or the energy left for a lengthy and serious piece of fiction.
I do dream, however, of one day being able to spend hours every day working out plot details and creating an entire (and feasible) culture, with deep and mutilayered characters.
But I don't retire for at least another 15 years - so don;t hold your breath waiting!!!

[leksa]

No worries, I'll continue breading. I understand about the "job" obstacle. Often we're prevented from pursuing the simple pleasures by demands of our stomach ;-)

BTW. It will be my pleasure to discuss with you some of the premisses you think that are relevant for your stories. I just hope I will not break your creative flow by hard science approach.

[Replicator Fifth]

reality is for those who have no creativity... (or actually those who can make a good story out of hard science are more creative then me @_@)