(Realized World) Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

[James Nicoll]

Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

Eight centuries ago, Doran Falkner revolutionized physics and
saved the world. Interstellar civilization needs his brilliance
once more. Too bad he isn't the genius he claimed to be and might
not be up to the current task.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/stuck

[Titus G]

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams
Eight centuries ago, Doran Falkner revolutionized physics and
saved the world. Interstellar civilization needs his brilliance
once more. Too bad he isn't the genius he claimed to be and might
not be up to the current task.
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/stuck

The full review was much more interesting and positive so I have grabbed
a Kindle copy.
There were a couple of free books with the same name and several more at
varying prices with the Williams at $7.18c. The next book of the same
name by a different author was $7.14c. These exact prices can have no
basis in logic. Is someone calculating the price sensitivity subject to
demand or is someone just throwing darts?

[Paul S Person]

Post by Titus G

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams
Eight centuries ago, Doran Falkner revolutionized physics and
saved the world. Interstellar civilization needs his brilliance
once more. Too bad he isn't the genius he claimed to be and might
not be up to the current task.
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/stuck

The full review was much more interesting and positive so I have grabbed
a Kindle copy.
There were a couple of free books with the same name and several more at
varying prices with the Williams at $7.18c. The next book of the same
name by a different author was $7.14c. These exact prices can have no
basis in logic. Is someone calculating the price sensitivity subject to
demand or is someone just throwing darts?

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

But the prices look reasonable, ending in .99 ($US).

Marketing does do weird things. There was a time when I saved $5/DVD
by skipping the two-disc "Special Edition" and buying the 1-disk
version. When I referred to the latter as the "Not-So-Special Edition"
I got pushback online, just as I did when I referred to the second
disc (the one without the movie) as a "coaster".

Marketing, you see, was firmly convinced that calling a collection of
boring documentaries and other even less watchable items "Special
Features" meant they actually were "special" and so people would pay
more if they were included. They may still be convinced of this, who
can say?

[Christian Weisgerber]

Post by Paul S Person

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
the back of my head for some time:

There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?

Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

[William Hyde]

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Paul S Person

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?
Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

In this case I think it is.

The Knight Moves project is attempting to replicate teleportation.
Kinghts are the only pieces in chess that ignore obstacles. In a sense
they teleport.

But basically I don't think people can resist the lazy pun, Kinght as in
(allegedly) noble warrior, night as in darkness. I'm not sure there is
any underlying original expression.


William Hyde

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by William Hyde

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Paul S Person

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?
Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

In this case I think it is.
The Knight Moves project is attempting to replicate teleportation.
Kinghts are the only pieces in chess that ignore obstacles. In a sense
they teleport.
But basically I don't think people can resist the lazy pun, Kinght as in
(allegedly) noble warrior, night as in darkness. I'm not sure there is
any underlying original expression.

I woke last night to the sound of thunder...

[Cryptoengineer]

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Paul S Person

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?
Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

I don't think this is a case of imitation/satire, but rather
coincidence. 'knight' and 'night' have quite different
derivations, and perfectly valid meanings on their own, without
referencing the other.

My goto memory linked to 'Night Moves' is Bob Seger's 1976
song of that name, though usage for the term started spiking
around 1970.

Crossover confusion can get interesting. In my younger, more
innocent days, I thought the Moody Blues 1967 song was titled
'Knights in White Satin', and imagined knights in armor
galloping across fields with pure white surcoats.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_in_White_Satin

Turns out, Justin Hayward (who wrote the song at only 19),
was gifted a set of white satin sheets by his girlfriend.

pt

[Don]

Post by Cryptoengineer

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Paul S Person

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

On Amazon (USA) I too see a large number of books with that title,
many of them parts of different series, some of which may not be SF.

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?
Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

I don't think this is a case of imitation/satire, but rather
coincidence. 'knight' and 'night' have quite different
derivations, and perfectly valid meanings on their own, without
referencing the other.
My goto memory linked to 'Night Moves' is Bob Seger's 1976
song of that name, though usage for the term started spiking
around 1970.
Crossover confusion can get interesting. In my younger, more
innocent days, I thought the Moody Blues 1967 song was titled
'Knights in White Satin', and imagined knights in armor
galloping across fields with pure white surcoats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_in_White_Satin
Turns out, Justin Hayward (who wrote the song at only 19),
was gifted a set of white satin sheets by his girlfriend.

My mind also heard "Knights in White Satin." Hayward's observation
about how he "was at the end of one big love affair and the beginning
of another" is an excellent way to emotionally integrate old
girlfriends.

Charles Packer's methodology partially answers Christian's interesting
question:

<https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=night+moves%2Cknight+moves&year_start=1760&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3&case_insensitive=false>

It shows how "night moves" predates "knight moves." And centuries ago,
both phrases were almost as popular in English literature as they are
today.

This excerpt from POEMS by MISS H F GOULD is dated 1841:

THE NIGHT AND THE MORNING

...

The dismal night moves on but heavily,
While they, who came the sepulchre to keep
With bristling spears, the Roman soldiery,
Would fain resign their glittering arms for sleep.

<https://archive.org/details/poems03goul/page/n49/mode/2up>

Danke,

--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php
telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God.
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.

[David Duffy]

Post by Don

Post by Cryptoengineer

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by James Nicoll
Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams

This opportunity is as good as any to ask a question I've had at
There are many works of pop culture (movies, books as you note)
that have titles along the lines of "Knight Moves" and "Night Moves".
I assume one of those is a pun on the other, but which one? What's
the underlying original expression?
Yes, I know chess and how a knight moves, but that doesn't seem
very relevant.

I don't think this is a case of imitation/satire, but rather
coincidence. 'knight' and 'night' have quite different
derivations, and perfectly valid meanings on their own, without
referencing the other.
My goto memory linked to 'Night Moves' is Bob Seger's 1976
song of that name, though usage for the term started spiking
around 1970.
Crossover confusion can get interesting. In my younger, more
innocent days, I thought the Moody Blues 1967 song was titled
'Knights in White Satin', and imagined knights in armor
galloping across fields with pure white surcoats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_in_White_Satin
Turns out, Justin Hayward (who wrote the song at only 19),
was gifted a set of white satin sheets by his girlfriend.

My mind also heard "Knights in White Satin." Hayward's observation
about how he "was at the end of one big love affair and the beginning
of another" is an excellent way to emotionally integrate old
girlfriends.

_The Goodies_[0] quote

"One a knight, always a knight. Twice a night, doing all right..."

Cheers, David Duffy

[0] UK comedy trio and TV series. Several SFnal episodes.