Talk:Berserker (novel series)

Inaccuracy in Berserker origins?
I don't remember seeing any description in the Saberhagen stories, and I think I've read all of them, to the sequence of events described in the article at present, in which the Berserkers were initially out to eliminate only all sentient life and then changed to eliminating all life and potentially life-bearing habitats only after discovering that some sentient life could fight back. The descriptions I do remember seeing all amount to variations on: Whatever the berserkers' initial programming might have been (before it apparently malfunctioned and they turned on their makers), their intent is now to destroy all life wherever they can find it. The description of their programming and its history should be changed toward this unless support for the first-only-sentient-life-and-then-all-life-as-long-range-tactics sequence can be found somewhere in the stories.

Also, the reference to how their makers 'somehow forgot how to turn them off' makes it sound sillier than the stories imply. No such stupid "whoops" absentminded stupidity is specified. The nature of the malfunction of the programming, or of how the Builders lost control, is not known. This should be changed to just saying that the berserkers' makers lost control.

Made edits to correct both these issues.


 * What I remember from Berserker Prime, was that they were an automated war machine. After killing an enemy civilization, it just kept on going and eventually killed their masters. The war machine kept on going after that, killing everyone and everything.

-G

Historical analogy
I added the historical analogy with Lepanto. Does anyone have the reference? One place is the introduction to one of the Berserker collections, but I don't recall which one. It would also be good to know other analogies, e.g. who is David Hemphill? DavidBofinger 00:20, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Removed an ad from the external links
It was to a page trying to sell a statue of a nordic bezerker. Spam, basically.

Fair use rationale for Image:Beserker Saberhagen Ace 92.jpg
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BetacommandBot 12:12, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

Literary analogy
Since 'Starsong' was so obviously analogous to 'Orpheus and Eurydice', I decided to change the heading title and include this tidbit. Obviously, this happened before I created a Wikipedia account. Fairly minor edit, but in the spirit of the article section. Any cleanup of the title or my addition to the section is welcome. —Preceding unsigned comment added by FiReSTaRT (talk • contribs) 15:43, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

Goodlife
As I dimly remember the story "Goodlife", the eponymous character is an orphan raised by a Berserker and taught to believe that life is evil — rather than a traitor helping the Berserkers in order to "stay alive a little longer" as the article now has it. Later, of course, "goodlife" is the word for anyone who helps Berserkers for whatever reason. —Tamfang (talk) 04:24, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Gettysburg Address

 * See Also Gettysburg Address, the "...shall not perish from the earth" text recited in the first story to prove someone had returned to sanity after being struck by the berserker's mind-scrambling beam.
 * Some American removed this saying it was trivial. It is NOT trivial to readers outside of the United States.  We do NOT all grow up knowing what the Gettysburg Address is.  Please leave it in for our benefit.  Thanks.

Er what? Does the story not say that it's the Gettysburg Address, and could a reader curious about its history not use that title to learn more? Should every article about a story that contains any historical allusion have a See Also section explaining that allusion?

I called it "trivial" because the story would be the same story if the test of attention span were Jabberwocky or a page of fruit packaging regulations. —Tamfang (talk) 22:57, 19 February 2016 (UTC)


 * If we had an article summarizing the plot of that story (remind me, which story?), that would be a natural place to link the Gettysburg Address; and an article about "The Annihilation of Angkor Apeiron" would definitely need a link to copyright trap. Here, either lacks context. —Tamfang (talk) 17:50, 25 May 2023 (UTC)


 * The version published as a short story called "Fortress Ship" in January 1963 "if" magazine pp.96-105 on page 100 has only this:

The animal turned, hearing a change in his voice. Now Del could say the words that would tell Newton it was safe to set his master free, a sequence too long for anyone under the mindweapon to recite. "—shall not perish from the Earth," he finished.

So no it doesn't say it's the Gettysburg Address, but then neither does it contain any more than the last 6 words of it. But maybe some book editions put more of it in there. 79.73.46.98 (talk) 13:00, 6 June 2023 (UTC)