Talk:Influences and references

I've just read Roadside Picnic and I'm confused about why you regard the "Mosquito Mange" as an influence or reference. Was this something Fred and Paul said in a chat session? Is there something in Star Control II that is similar? I've thought about it and I fail to see the connection. Please enlighten. --PsiPhi 00:59, 19 Jul 2005 (CEST)

That item was actually one to be researched further (which is why I put the question marks there). I haven't read the story myself yet, but it's been mentioned in the IRC channel as a possible origin of the "mosquito mange" expression which is used in SC2 when examining the Androsynth ruins: ":I see requests to the central computer for information -- data on `reality aberrations', the `Mosquito Mange' and, er, ghosts, poltergeists, and other malevolent supernatural creatures." -- SvdB 04:23, 19 Jul 2005 (CEST)

For those who want to do some work on this page, there are two threads at the PNF boards, which have some more useful info. Be sure to verify these though, as some are plain wrong.

• http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~starcontrol/forum/index.php?topic=53.0
• http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~starcontrol/forum/index.php?topic=698.0

-- SvdB 05:32, 19 Jul 2005 (CEST)

I've been doing some work on these references (mostly the names) and have put up the ones that seem the most likely given the context and time period. Here are a few more captain names that I wasn't sure enough on though:

• Danning - Sybil Danning (mentioned on one of the PNF board threads)
• Munro - Caroline Munro, famous scream queen
• Decker - character from ST:TMP or Commodore Decker of USS Constellation in the Original Series ('The Doomsday Machine' episode)
• Graeme - from characters in the Childe Cycle by Gordon R. Dickson (I've seen the characters' names also spelled Grahame so I'm not sure)
• Alura - the only thing I found was Superman's mother. This might just be a word-play on 'Allure'
• BOOJI-1 - reference to Booji Boy of Devo fame

Are any of these reasonable enough to include on this page? Also, if there are any that I've already put up that you disagree with, we can discuss and edit as needs be - I won't take it too personally. Next on the my list is to parse the works of the authors they mention, looking for references and such. Of course if we have fans of these works, they'd be the first and best to find those. Fyzixfighter 04:59, 3 Aug 2005 (CEST)

I think Alura was Supergirl's mother, not Superman's.-- PsiPhi 11:02, 5 Aug 2005 (CEST)

You're right - I slipped up on that one. Is there any other possible Alura reference/inpsiration? Fyzixfighter 00:23, 12 Aug 2005 (CEST)

I can't find any other. I think it would be safe to add it for now. PsiPhi 03:54, 18 Aug 2005 (CEST)

My only qualms with adding this Alura reference is that it doesn't exactly fit the context. All the others are centrallish characters that tend to have certain qualities that match the Syreen image. Supergirl's mom simply seems like a flat, background character on the sidelines of the DC universe. Personally, of all the possible inspirations I've proposed I think that this one is the weakest (followed closely by penny). I did find a third potential inspiration: Princess Allura of Voltron fame. So the list of possibilities is:

• Word play on allure
• Supergirl's mother
• Princess in Voltron
• something else???

How do we decide what can reasonably be stated as the reference/influence that Paul and Fred intended anyways? When I've been looking, my criteria has been the works of the explicitly stated authors, occuring before SC2's release, well known pop culture - usually sci-fi, uniqueness, and context. I think that we've probably nailed the majority of the captain names and other influences, but what about the cases, like Alura, where it's just a decent guess. My two cents is that we continue to express such uncertainties in the edits, reserving the more definitive statements for the surer references. That said, I think I'll add the rest of these references and see what happens. -- Fyzixfighter 09:56, 18 Aug 2005 (CEST)

Wow, Voltron! I loved that show as a kid. 20 years later and I can still remember the theme song (scary). Now that you bring it up, Princess Allura fits a lot better than Supergirl's mother. She was an important character and did command one of the lions after Sven left. If Chimchim is a reference to the pet in Speed Racer and if Kimba is also a reference to a character in Japanese animation (plus the fact that the entire Shofixti culture was based on the Japanese), this does form a pattern that one of the designers loved Japanese anime. It is possible they accidentally misspelled her name. Knowing this, I would put Princess Allura far ahead of Supergirl's mother (who, as you put it, wasn't that important a character).PsiPhi 20:42, 18 Aug 2005 (CEST)

Not to be a jerk or anything, but I'm removing the slylandro etymology remark until someone can provide an external reference for it, i.e. a greek dictionary showing slyl=sky. I remember seeing this over on the Androsynth page and it's rubbed me the wrong way ever since. And don't just point me to the threads on the forum because it's always the same person making this claim, and I'd like something a little more objective. Every greek dictionary I've looked at either has ouranos or aither as the the word for sky. So if you're a proponent of this, I'll gladly eat crow and repost it if you can back it up. Fyzixfighter 06:32, 19 Aug 2005 (CEST)