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The post Lyme Disease in Cats: Causes‚ Signs &; Treatments (Vet Answer) by Dr. Emma Chandley‚ BVetMed MRCVS (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Animals and humans become infected via the bite of a tick. It is a common misconception that Lyme disease is caused by ticks‚ as ticks merely spread the disease. Lyme disease is mainly spread by Ixodes ticks. These commonly feed off deer and other wildlife such as rabbits and foxes. Lyme disease is very common in North America and affects all kinds of mammals‚ including humans. It is not very common in cats‚ but they can get infected too. What Is Lyme Disease in Cats? Lyme disease in cats is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi which is a bacterium and is transmitted by tick bites. Lyme disease is a debilitating disease that has effects on many different organs and systems in the body‚ including the joints‚ the nervous system‚ the heart‚ and the kidneys. There are at least four known types of tick that are believed to spread the disease. The most common of these ticks is the deer tick‚ also known as the black-legged tick. Cats become infected when an infected tick bites the cat. When the tick becomes attached to the cat‚ it takes between 1 and 2 days for the bacteria to be transmitted. They pass the bacteria on through their saliva. This is why it is always advised to quickly remove ticks seen attached. The risk of infection is highest when the ticks are seeking hosts—this is springtime for nymphs and spring and fall for adults. Once a cat has been bitten by an infected tick‚ it can take months for clinical signs to develop‚ and some cats may never show any clinical signs. Image Credit: thka‚ Shutterstock What Are the Signs of Lyme Disease in Cats? It is actually very rare for cats to display clinical signs when they are infected with Lyme disease. Common signs are generalized and non-specific and may include: Lameness Lethargy Increased sleeping time Loss of appetite Less interactive than usual Fever Stiffness of joints Swelling of joints If the disease has spread to organs in the body and has started to affect them‚ further clinical signs may be seen such as: Vomiting Diarrhea Weight loss Edema of the limbs Tremors Swollen abdomen Unlike humans and dogs‚ cats tend not to react when they are bitten at the bite sight. Dogs and humans often get a characteristic “bull’s eye” rash‚ but this is not commonly reported in cats. What Are the Causes of Lyme Disease in Cats? The cause of Lyme disease in cats is being bitten by a tick infected with Borrelia Burgdorferi. The tick must have latched onto the cat for 24–48 hours for the bacteria to be transmitted. The bacteria invade the body and replicate rapidly‚ migrating through the tissues and affecting multiple organs. Due to the fact they groom themselves regularly‚ cats often remove ticks while they are licking themselves. This usually occurs before the bacteria has had a chance to be transmitted to the cat from the tick. This may explain why Lyme disease is a lot less common in cats compared to other animals such as dogs. How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed in Cats? Diagnosis of Lyme disease is usually based on clinical signs and history. Your vet is likely to rule out other causes of any clinical signs present first‚ as Lyme disease is not very common in cats. Your vet will speak to you first to get a full history‚ including any relevant travel history and whether your cat goes outdoors or not. They will examine your cat from head to tail and they may then decide to carry out blood tests and urinalysis. There is a specific blood test for Lyme disease that can be carried out‚ and other diagnostic tests can help your vet assess the severity of the disease. Frustratingly‚ cats may not test positive for Lyme disease for up to 8 weeks after a bite. Image Credit: Stock-Asso‚ Shutterstock How Do I Care for a Cat with Lyme Disease Cats that are diagnosed with Lyme disease should be given a course of antibiotics. The usual length of the course is 30 days‚ although some cats may require a long course of antibiotics—this depends on how severe the infection is. The antibiotic usually given to treat Lyme disease is doxycycline. This is very effective against the bacteria; however‚ it is not tolerated well by all cats. Some cats can develop esophageal strictures when given oral doxycycline as the tablet can get stuck. Your vet may offer your cat the liquid form or advise you to flush the tablet down your cat’s throat with water after giving them the tablet. As well as antibiotics‚ your vet may prescribe pain relief such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. This can be helpful for joint pain. Depending on how severe the infection is‚ they may also administer supportive care‚ for example‚ intravenous fluid therapy‚ and nutritional support. This all depends on what organs have been affected. Image Credit; Uryupina Nadezhda‚ Shutterstock Frequently Asked Questions Can cats survive Lyme disease? Lyme disease is very rare in cats. If your cat does become infected‚ and the infection is identified early‚ then the prognosis is good. Cats can make a full recovery with prompt administration of antibiotics if the disease is caught in the mild‚ early stages. If a cat gets the disease and for some reason‚ it goes unnoticed and untreated‚ then it will be more complicated to treat‚ and recovery will be longer. How serious is Lyme disease in cats? Lyme disease can be very serious in cats if it is left undiagnosed. If cats are infected‚ the disease can progress to cause lameness‚ lethargy‚ stiffness in limbs fatigue‚ breathing difficulties‚ and kidney problems amongst other things. On the other hand‚ some cats can be infected but show no clinical signs at all‚ so the severity of the disease does vary. Can cats pass Lyme disease onto humans? It is not possible for cats to pass Lyme disease directly onto humans. Your cat may‚ however‚ bring infected ticks into the home‚ and they can easily move from your cat to you. If they bite any humans in the house and they are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi‚ they will pass it on‚ and the humans can become infected. This is why it is so important to use tick prevention parasite treatment. Image Credit: Anna Kraynova‚ Shutterstock Conclusion Lyme disease is relatively rare in cats. It is caused by bacteria and spread by ticks. If caught early‚ it is straightforward to treat‚ and the prognosis is good. If the disease has been allowed to progress‚ it can develop into a debilitating condition and the prognosis is poorer. Common complications include long-term kidney damage and arthritis. It is a zoonotic disease so humans must be careful too. It is very important to keep up to date with tick prevention treatment‚ especially in areas where there are lots of ticks. Sources https://www.msdvetmanual.com/cat-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-cats/lyme-disease-lyme-borreliosis-in-cats#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20occurs%20much%20more‚noticeable%20signs%2C%20despite%20being%20infected. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/lyme-borreliosis/lyme-borreliosis-in-animals https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html#:~:text=It%20is%20transmitted%20to%20humans‚heart%2C%20and%20the%20nervous%20system. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tick-bite-prophylaxis.html#:~:text=In%20areas%20that%20are%20highly‚a%20high%2Drisk%20tick%20bite. Featured Image Credit: anastasiya parfenyuk‚ Shutterstock The post Lyme Disease in Cats: Causes‚ Signs &; Treatments (Vet Answer) by Dr. Emma Chandley‚ BVetMed MRCVS (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Acclaimed author Howard Waldrop passed away on January 15‚ 2024 in Austin‚ Texas at the age of 77 after complications from a stroke. Waldrop‚ who is recognized by many to be one of the best short story writers in SFF‚ was known for works including 1980’s “The Ugly Chickens‚” a story about how the dodo became extinct in the South‚ which won the Nebula and World Fantasy awards that year. Waldrop was born in Houston‚ Mississippi on September 15‚ 1946‚ but moved to Weatherford‚ Texas when he was four years old. He lived in Texas for most of his life‚ and was a founding member of the state’s Turkey City Writer’s Workshop‚ a program founded in 1973 that is seen as the locus for the cyberpunk subgenre. Waldrop’s first published genre work was “Lunchbox‚” which appeared in the May 1972 issue of Analog. His first novel was 1974’s The Texas-Israeli War: 1999‚ which he co-authored with Jake Saunders. That story took place in a post-World War III dystopian future where 90 percent of the population had been killed. Waldrop‚ however‚ is best known for his short fiction. In addition to “The Ugly Chickens‚” he’s also known for 1987’s “Night of the Cooters‚” which Vincent D’Onofrio adapted as a 2022 film short that he directed and starred in‚ with George R.R. Martin producing. In over 50 years he published more than 80 short stories‚ and had several collections published‚ including Strange Monsters of the Recent Past‚ Night of the Cooters: More Neat Stories‚ Horse of a Different Color: Stories and‚ most recently‚ 2023’s H’ard Starts: The Early Waldrop. In 2021‚ Waldrop received the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. “Most people reading my writing think I’m like a buffoon‚ you know‚ blowing off my bazoo just by the writing‚” Waldrop said in a 2017 interview with The Austin Chronicle. “I don’t use it to hide‚ but people reading it can probably figure out what I’m about. But I don’t set out to do that. Most people write to show off. I write because I don’t know anything else.” The post Author Howard Waldrop Passes Away at Age 77 appeared first on Reactor.

Netflix’s adaptation of Jaroslav KalfaÅ™’s novel‚ Spaceman of Bohemia‚ is set to premiere with much fanfare in a little over a month. The movie stars Adam Sandler as the Czech astronaut Jakub‚ who during a six-month stint alone in space makes friends with an alien spider named HanuÅ¡ (voiced by Paul Dano) who helps him with his faltering marriage to Lenka (Carey Mulligan). The premise on the surface could be seen as funny‚ but the novel—and apparently the adaptation based on the trailer released today—is a heartrending tale that explores themes of love and family across the seemingly unending chasm of time and space. The movie comes to us from director Johan Renck‚ who also directed all five episodes of HBO’s limited series‚ Chernobyl‚ with a screenplay by Colby Day. In addition to Sandler‚ Dano‚ and Mulligan‚ the cast stars Kunal Nayyar‚ Lena Olin‚ and Isabella Rossellini. The casting is one of the most intriguing things about this adaptation. Sandler has already proved his drama chops in projects like Hustle and Uncut Gems‚ and it looks like Spaceman will see him in another dramatic role. Dano’s eerie voicing of HanuÅ¡ also stands out in the trailer. “Paul was the first thing that came up in thinking about [the creature]‚” Renck told TUDUM‚ a Netflix-run website. “He has this peculiar cadence when he’s speaking‚ his careful formulation of words‚ and his very unique voice.” KalfaÅ™ was consulted during the adaptation and spent several hours with Sandler via Zoom to answer his questions about Czech culture. The author is also pleased with how the movie version of his story came out. “I was completely blown away when I saw the film. I’ve seen it twice now‚” KalfaÅ™ told TUDUM. “I think all the people out there who love weird things and weird art will hopefully be delighted by it.” Spaceman will play in select theaters starting February 23‚ 2024‚ and will be available on Netflix starting March 1‚ 2024. The post Spaceman Trailer: Adam Sandler Is Sad in Space‚ So Paul Dano’s Spider Alien Will Help Him appeared first on Reactor.

We’ve known for years that a reboot of the Highlander franchise was one of the many projects that John Wick director Chad Stahelski had on his plate (other projects include an adaptation of Black Samurai and a live-action television show and an anime installment in the Wick universe). Highlander‚ however‚ will not only be the next project the filmmaker tackles after John Wick: Chapter 4—due to a new deal with Lionsgate‚ Stahelski will also be overseeing all projects in both the Wick and Highlander universes across television and film. According to The Hollywood Reporter‚ Stahelski has been developing a Highlander movie since 2016‚ and Henry Cavill has been attached to the reboot since 2021. The original 1986 film‚ of course‚ starred Christopher Lambert as the titular highlander (pictured above)‚ the 16th-century-born Connor MacLeod. Sean Connery and Clancy Brown also star as two other immortals‚ and the three battle over hundreds of years because there “can only be one” immortal who survives and wins… the Prize. After that first film‚ the franchise spawned three additional theatrical releases‚ one made-for-television movie‚ two live-action and one animated TV series‚ an animated television series‚ an anime film‚ comic books‚ and more. The franchise has been dormant in the film and television space‚ however‚ since 2007. “I am pleased to be able to grow my relationship with Lionsgate in this new oversight role for the John Wick universe and its further expansion‚” Stahelski said in a statement. “John Wick is so close to my heart and to be able to continue shepherding it will be a blast for me. I’m so happy to also be launching another franchise with Highlander‚ a world that is so rich with engaging stories to be told.” No news yet on when Stahelski’s Highlander will go into production. On the Wick front‚ however‚ we have the theatrical spin-off Ballerina coming out on June 7‚ 2024 and a potential fifth John Wick movie in the works as well.   The post John Wick Director Is Officially Tackling Highlander Next‚ With Henry Cavill On Board appeared first on Reactor.

It’s January: for those of us in the northern hemisphere‚ the nights are long and the days are bitterly cold. For many‚ now is a season of new beginnings; of setting goals and fighting to achieve them. But thriving in January can feel—sometimes—an awful lot like trying to rise from the depths of a pond whose surface has frozen over. If you’re struggling to break through the hard shell of January into the new year‚ these twelve poems might be just the thing you need. Not optimistic but stubborn‚ they tell tales of ice and persistence in the gloomiest month of the year.   “Shelter From the Storm” – The Stupendium No gold or silver‚ coal’s the only thing of worth to me The only precious metal to our name would be the mercury That fragile strip of burgundy that ever hurtles to the deep Alerting us as Mother Nature’s taking every cursed degree… Unlike the other poetry on this list‚ “Shelter From the Storm” is a song‚ created by The Stupendium—a musician known for their nerdy verses inspired by various video games. This particular song tackles Frostpunk‚ a city-building survival game which takes place in an alternate-19th century London beset by an intense volcanic winter. With its tight rhyme scheme and intricate lyrics‚ its chorus reminiscent of a sea shanty or work song‚ this song paints a picture of hardship and endurance‚ and is motivating to listen to even if you’ve never played the game.   “Undoing” – Khadijah Queen In winter traffic‚ fog of midday shoves toward our machines—snow eclipses the mountainscapes I drive toward‚ keeping time against the urge to quit moving… There is something gritty and indomitable woven through this poem by the winner of the 2021 William Carlos Williams Award for poetry. It evokes bleak environmental fears with precision as cutting as the cold—yet even as the ice closes in‚ the narrator is determined to keep going.   “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” – Robert Frost My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year… This quiet‚ wistful poem from 1923 captures a brief moment of stillness in an unnamed traveller’s nighttime journey through the snow. What is his story? Why has he paused? There’s something eerie about this tranquil scene‚ and much opportunity to speculate.   “Tinnitus: January‚ thin rain becoming ice” – David Harsent The spirit lamp in that house on the headland could easily fall and spill and the fire burn all night… This frosty seaside scene is rich with ominous detail which truly captures the uncertainty of January. Read this poem and you’ll find yourself hearing the ghostly whisper of waves upon the shore.   “January Thaw” – Rosalie Dunlap Hickler There was rain in the night‚ a dull delivering rain That washed the air of sparkle and hard blue gleam… Penned in 1930‚ this poem illustrates the turn of the seasons: from bright‚ hard‚ sparkling ice there rises determined plant life and rushing water. And with it‚ laughter. If you’re in need of a reminder that this winter won’t last forever‚ look here and watch the first tendrils of spring as the cold recedes.   “Winter Flowers” – Stanley Moss Once my friends and I went out in deep paradise snow with Saint Bernards and Great Pyrenees to find those lost in the blizzard that God made for Himself because He prefers not seeing what happens on earth… Building on the tentative optimism of the previous poem‚ this one follows its narrator through a snowy landscape. The narrator‚ on their journey‚ is inspired into a surreal and speculative back-and-forth with God.   “Blizzard” – Linda Pastan The snow has forgotten how to stop it falls stuttering at the glass… Just as it seemed the seasons might be turning—here comes another relentless snowfall. With short‚ abrupt lines and beautiful simile‚ this poem narrates a cold snap in a way that will make you yearn for a blanket.   “January” – Nancy Schoenberger Two-faced god‚ looking fore and aft: Do you really belong to past glories‚ boredoms‚ indignities?… This poem from 1998 (almost the turn of the millennium!) marks the turn of December into a new year with a contemplation of Janus‚ the two-faced Roman god of duality for which January is named.   “Iron Burns Out” – R.B. Lemberg Sól ek sá (I saw the sun) when I was by a great grief stricken‚ tilting out of this world; my tongue was as trees in winter ok kólnat at fyrir utan (and around me‚ coldness)… In evocative‚ fantastical language‚ this poem describes the feeling of having no time to rest despite a dire need for it…of putting other things—more important things—first. The verses dance between ice and snowmelt‚ exhaustion and resolve. If you’re already feeling the pressures of the new year‚ this might be a good poem to read.   “Cradling Fish” – Laura Ma Winter storm: lightning flashes old ghosts on my blade. The metal light as a carp piercing through the dragon’s gate. When shÄ«fù still lived: she taught me that growth is a shattering of murky fins raining into silver scales‚ that a promise means swimming against the current‚ flailing up from the river to chance immortal wells… This beautiful wuxia poem begins with ice and ends with summer. With vivid imagery‚ it illustrates the shifting of relationships that comes with the shifting of the seasons.   “January‚ 1795” – Mary Robinson Pavement slipp’ry‚ people sneezing‚ Lords in ermine‚ beggars freezing; Titled gluttons dainties carving‚ Genius in a garret starving… The oldest poem on this list‚ this piece by Mary Robinson takes you back to a very specific January in 1795. Though over 200 years separate us from its creation‚ there is something deeply familiar about the scenes it brings to life in rhyme. A reminder that people have always been people‚ and January has always been January.   “Unlike objects‚ two stories can occupy the same space” – Charles Peek Out along the last curve in the brick walk the grass has begun to green‚ with the freezing cold and coming snow its certain fate… This final poem encapsulates the themes of all the previous: of cycles‚ of ice and summer locked in a dance. There may be false starts‚ and the progress made in spring or summer may feel as though it’s been undone by the harshness of the cold seasons when they arrive. But this—Peek reminds us—is okay. ***   Do you have any favourite poems about snow and ice? And what are you doing to dust off the ice at the start of this new year? Let me know in the comments. Holly Kybett Smith is a writer and a recent graduate in MA in Victorian Gothic. A keen lover of historical and speculative fiction‚ she specialises in all things dark‚ whimsical and weird. Her work has been featured in Issue #2 of the New Gothic Review. The post 12 Poems To Break Through the January Ice appeared first on Reactor.

Laurence J. Peter’s Peter Principle is elegantly simple: “In a hierarchy‚ every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” The corollary is‚ of course: “In time‚ every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties.” This is because people who are good at their jobs tend to be promoted. Given sufficient time‚ they will be promoted from a position in which their skills‚ aptitudes‚ and experience were applicable‚ to one in which they are not. Having reached that level‚ meritocratic promotion halts. The effect of this principle may be disheartening; it implies that even if one escapes being an example of the Peter Principle‚ one may well end up working under or supervising an example of the Peter Principle. For authors‚ on the other hand‚ the Peter Principle can be the germ of many fascinating plots. Characters can prove their mettle by creatively circumventing incompetent bosses or subordinates… or they can serve as cautionary tales. Herewith‚ five works illustrating the Peter Principle.   Mindswap by Robert Sheckley (1966) Unable to afford the eye-watering expense of conventional space flight‚ Marvin settles for the more affordable option of swapping minds with a Martian named Ze Kraggash. Alas‚ Kraggash is a con-artist who rented the same body to two people. One body can support only one occupant. Marvin would like to go back to his old body‚ but the scoundrel Kraggash fled into hiding while wearing Marvin’s body. Desperate to locate Kraggash‚ Marvin turns to Detective Urf Urdorf. Urdorf is utterly confident that he will catch Kraggash. Why is he so confident? Because Urdorf has failed to solve one hundred fifty-eight cases in a row. “One hundred and fifty-eight failures! It’s a fantastic record‚ an unbelievable record‚ especially if you grant my incorruptibility‚ good faith‚ and skill. One hundred fifty-eight! A run like that simply has to break! I could probably sit here in my office and do nothing‚ and the criminal would find his way to me. That’s how strong the probabilities are in my favor.” Is Urdorf’s unshakable confidence warranted? Everyone familiar with Sheckley knows the answer is no. Too bad for Marvin but huzzah for the readers.   The Big Black Mark by A. Bertram Chandler (1975) Chandler wrote dozens of stories and novels about John Grimes‚ hero of the spaceways. Grimes often irritated his superiors‚ thanks to his bravado and lack of interest in paperwork and other such minutiae. Nonetheless‚ Grimes’ one sterling quality—stupendous luck—has ensured his slow rise through the ranks. Nemesis arrives in the form of a promotion for which Grimes is not at all suited: commander of the Discovery‚ the starship to which the Survey Service consigns its square pegs. While tolerant of eccentricity‚ Grimes does prefer that the starships on which he is living be functional enough to sustain life. Efforts to ensure proper maintenance vex Discovery’s crew‚ who see Grimes as an interstellar Captain Bligh! Contact with a lost colony of voluptuaries proves the final wedge. Unwilling to obey Grimes’ orders‚ the crew resolves to heed the example of Captain Bligh’s Pacific voyage and rid themselves of their officious captain. The Grimes stories made it abundantly clear that at some point Grimes would involuntarily exit the Survey Service he loved and embrace a career in the Rim Worlds. Details of his exit (as noted in various tales) were hazy. This novel provided the link between those two phases of Grimes’ life.   The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (1983) Magicians Doctor Romany and Amenophis Fikee have a bold plan to make Egypt great again. All that is needed is an arcane magical ceremony far beyond the pair’s abilities. The ceremony is an entirely predictable abject failure. Its calamitous results punch holes in time‚ all the way up and down the time steam. It is under these circumstances that bereaved Professor Brendan Doyle is recruited to provide commentary for an 1810 Samuel Taylor Coleridge lecture. In addition to his encyclopedic knowledge of the period’s art world‚ Doyle also possesses a remarkable talent for attracting danger‚ whether from his boss (Romany) or other sinister figures inhabiting the English underworld. Good news for Doyle‚ who may now be forced to focus on something other than grieving for his late wife. Many of the schemes in this novel fail because there are many people working at cross-purposes‚ often inadvertently. However‚ the cabal of traditionalist Egyptian magicians repeatedly proves ill-suited for plots of the magnitude contemplated. It’s almost as though clinging to a regressive‚ archconservative worldview can have a corrosive effect on the brain.   Growing Light by Marta Randall (1993) Growing Light was a thriving agricultural software company until visionary George Ashby took command. Under Ashby’s bold leadership‚ Growing Light now provides the world with unwanted‚ unworkable products. To ensure employees do not flee his disruptive management style‚ Ashby has staffed Growing Light with colorful eccentrics‚ each as ill-suited to their assigned roles as they would be unemployable if they quit. Enter widow Anne Monroe‚ whose competence threatens Ashby. Her unpleasant tour as Ashby’s designated enemy is as short-lived as Ashby himself. Alas for Anne‚ local Sheriff Jackson is as poorly suited to his job as any Growing Light employee is to theirs. Many people wanted Ashby dead‚ but Anne is Jackson’s prime suspect after the boss is found dead. If Anne wants to avoid arrest and possible conviction‚ she can’t depend on Jackson to properly investigate. While technically a mundane mystery‚ this contra-Hallmark small-town mystery has SFnal elements. Randall (best known as an SF author) must depict a computer company circa the early Nineties; to do so she must explain computers to readers who might not know much about them. Randall’s approach to the infodumping is very SFnal. [Side note: I was a bit boggled to note the absence of computers in Westlake’s 1984 publishing comedy A Likely Story. I was fairly sure that computers would have been used in offices by then. Even if they weren’t familiar to the masses. Industry insiders assure me I was hopelessly optimistic.]   Severance by Ling Ma (2018) Specta office drone Candice Chen packages expensive Bibles for the religious book market. Her job is boring. Still‚ Chen realizes that she’s better off than many other people—particularly the billions doomed to perish of Shen fever. Not only does Chen avoid fungal zombification‚ she is promoted to keeping the Specta New York office open for the duration of the catastrophe. Which may be as long as it takes for civilization to collapse. Forced to flee New York‚ Chen makes the terrible decision to accompany Bob to the secure location Bob swears is waiting for them. Bob’s self-confidence far outweighs his actual skills. To follow Bob is to forge relentlessly towards failure and almost certain doom. One of Bob’s little quirks is an inability to grasp the difference between fiction and reality. Another is his endearing conviction that other people want to listen to him expound at great length‚ even on subjects about which they are already well informed. It almost feels as if the author had real-world models in mind…but where could she possibly have met someone like Bob in real life? ***   Science fiction and fantasy is rich with plot-enabling characters promoted far beyond the bounds of their competence. Heck‚ Laumer and Sladek novels could keep me here all day. Perhaps I overlooked your favorite (fictional) examples. If so‚ comments are below. In the words of fanfiction author Musty181‚ four-time Hugo finalist‚ prolific book reviewer‚ and perennial Darwin Award nominee James Davis Nicoll “looks like a default mii with glasses.” His work has appeared in Interzone‚ Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times as well as on his own websites‚ James Nicoll Reviews (where he is assisted by editor Karen Lofstrom and web person Adrienne L. Travis) and the 2021‚ 2022‚ and 2023 Aurora Award finalist Young People Read Old SFF (where he is assisted by web person Adrienne L. Travis). His Patreon can be found here. The post Incompetence Is Inevitable: Five Books That Illustrate the Peter Principle appeared first on Reactor.

May the spice flow… for one day. IMAX announced today that it would play Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One in select theaters for just one day‚ and those who can snag tickets will also be treated to an “exclusive sneak peek” of Dune: Part Two. The event‚ which will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday‚ January 24 at select IMAX theaters‚ is‚ of course‚ part of the promotional lead-up to the release of Dune: Part Two‚ which is set to premiere in theaters on March 15‚ 2024. What will be part of the “exclusive sneak peek” at this screening is unclear‚ though it’s likely to be scenes from the upcoming film‚ which chronicles the second part of Frank Hebert’s iconic sci-fi novel‚ Dune. Dune: Part One takes place through the first part of Hebert’s book‚ up to the moment when Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) have joined the Fremen after the Harkonnens have murdered Paul’s father (Oscar Isaac) and reclaimed rule of the desert planet‚ Arrakis (aka Dune). The second film‚ according to Villenueve‚ will be more emotional than the first. “Part One was like the promise of something‚ but Part Two delivers on that‚” the director said in an interview this summer with Empire‚ later adding that‚ “the first movie was more contemplative—a young man discovering a world. Here‚ it’s a war movie.” Part Two will also bring some of the book’s major characters to the big screen‚ including Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler)‚  Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh)‚ and Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). Whatever we have in store for us in Part Two‚ the opportunity to see the first film on an IMAX screen (again) before the second movie comes out is a good thing. You can see if there are tickets available for a screening near you by clicking here. The post Dune: Part One Returns to IMAX for One Day‚ Includes “Sneak Peek” of Part Two appeared first on Reactor.