Space zombie smog monsters are more suited for the climate near Los Angeles (Smogland), than San Jose (near Fogland).
Well, I'm originally from Los Angeles.
There was just the one day where the sky turned red and partially blotted out the sun... it looked like photos from Mars. The weeks before and since, the smoke looks very much like LA smog.
I don't know, going by most human literature we seem to blame ourselves for pretty much everything, including stuff that we're not to blame for. This "humans are always trying to shift the blame to monsters or outsiders" is itself a sort of "we humans are the problem" type of complaint.
Gods are for shifting blame towards.
Destiny is for shifting blame towards it.
Since everything is predetermined, we are not responsible for our own actions.
This changed with monotheisms, were gods became rather uncaring.
Jews, Christians, Moslims, all three of them have at the core of their believe, that whatever you do, you have to answer yourself before god for your actions, and that you have free will.
In older religions, Greek, and Roman religions, your life was predetermined by gods, so you had little to no free will, and your actions were not your own.
The Ur-Quan Masters finally gets a continuation of the story! Late backing possible, more info soon.
This changed with monotheisms, were gods became rather uncaring.
Jews, Christians, Moslims, all three of them have at the core of their believe, that whatever you do, you have to answer yourself before god for your actions, and that you have free will.
In older religions, Greek, and Roman religions, your life was predetermined by gods, so you had little to no free will, and your actions were not your own.
I think thats a bit of a modern interpretation. Afterall Europe sanctioned trial by combat (and other forms of trial by ordeal) until the middle of the 16th Century and the rationale behind that was the belief that God would intervene for the innocent.
However now it seems we are going full circle and its not "our" fault any more, the government should have banned it, advertisers shouldn't advertise and don't get me started on those evil video games!
In the Jewish belief,God will intervene for his people.
All Christians believed that God will punish the bad and reward the good, if not in this life, in the next.
Jewish and Christians were the biggest religions which actively stated that your life will mostly be defined by your own actions,and that She has a plan.
But the other coin side of this was the belief, that if you got accused for something which you did not, God would intervene to rectify faults of others. Your own fault, She would not intervene, but other's fault to your detriment would be rectified. Which God often did not. See the witch hunts all across Europe.
The Ur-Quan Masters finally gets a continuation of the story! Late backing possible, more info soon.
Minor caveat: Ancient Greek theology believed in free will in the sense that the three 'Fates' that oversaw the destiny of all were above even the gods as they drew their position from the Primordial Goddess of 'Anage' (Force, Necessity, inevitability) and her brother/consort Chronos (time); the birth of both marking the beginning of the Universe as we know it.
Depending on the interpretation the three Fates didn't dictate how one would live but that everyone's lives (including the gods themselves) would be constrained and inevitably end as those are the primordial laws of our Universe from its inception.
In the Jewish belief,God will intervene for his people.
All Christians believed that God will punish the bad and reward the good, if not in this life, in the next.
Jewish and Christians were the biggest religions which actively stated that your life will mostly be defined by your own actions,and that She has a plan.
But the other coin side of this was the belief, that if you got accused for something which you did not, God would intervene to rectify faults of others. Your own fault, She would not intervene, but other's fault to your detriment would be rectified. Which God often did not. See the witch hunts all across Europe.
It's like nominal Christians do not read or follow the Bible, unsurprising.
Returning to the WIP Discussion:
Dreams have odd reactions, but if he's lucid (page 187) something besides bones might be there.