And The Nominees Are... (Shockah's Envelope)

This is kinda like when Siskel & Ebert used to have thier own awards show, where they'd each open an envelope and announce their best movies of the year, etc.

So I took Burley's 25 ideas and gave them a ranking of 1-3: 1 if I just wasn't interested in the idea, 2 for ideas that had something interesting to them but were lacking some kind of "hook" to really draw me in, and 3 for the ideas I'm ready to jump into. I had plans for what to do if there were too many or too few 3s, but as fate would have it, I came up with exactly eight 3s.

And it's an interesting list -- I think Burley will be surprised. The 3s run the gamut of his Top 25, not really from one particular area, and just because it was in his Top 5, for example, doesn't mean it'll have the same ranking in my Top 8.

As you'll see now. And the nominees are, from least favorite (comparatively; I truly dig all these ideas) to most favorite:

8. Cop On the Hunt (Burley rank: #20)
In a world where galactic criminals are rounded and left to die on one planet, one man--a crooked cop--must penetrate their violent society to spring a prison break with the leader of the most ruthless gang. If he succeeds, his name is clear. If he fails, Earth will fall to INVADING IMPATIENT ALIENS.

7. Methane Madness (Burley rank: #9)
In a World where stranded humans must guard themselves from a poisonous atmosphere, one scientist finds a process for rendering the air on the planet breathable. The only problem is, the planet is a prison and the guards will kill them all if they found out about the experiments.

6. Time to Die (Burley rank: #10)
In a World where death itself is beaten by genetic regeneration, a guard is killed during a riot on the prison planet. One woman--his wife--faces sure death to retrieve his body in time to bring him back to life. It's a race against time, with one nearly resourcesless woman willfully fighting like a juggernaut against the prisoners who are holding his body hostage, and the powers that be that think she should just give up. All to simply save the man she loves from eternal death.

5. If It Pleases the Court (Burley rank: #2)
In a World where crimes are judged and juried by encrypted, anonymous computer terminals, one jury foreman doesn't realize that the man she's arguing so strongly should be committed to the Prison Planet for life is actually her husband--and the crime he's accused of--but hasn't committed yet--is murdering her.

4. The Atheist (Burley rank: #1)
In a world devout to an all powerful god, one man uncovers exposes an unspeakable truth: their planet wasn't carved by a deity, it was created to hold the most dangerous prisoners in the galaxy: their ancestors. What crime is so unspeakable that not only you will be punished for committing it, but all of your heirs will as well? And what happens when you find out that your captors are still watching your every move?

3. Little Black Stray (Burley rank: #4)
In a World where violent male offenders are sent to labor camps on the remote prison planet, one crew of hardened men finds something impossible: a young woman in tattered clothes, mute and frightened. A small group protect and feed her, keeping her out of site of the guards and away from those who would use her mercilessly. As she gains in strength it seems that she has an agenda--and the truth of what she was doing on a world where no women stepped before might be a big enough secret to shatter the whole planet of forced labor.

2. Robots in Love (Burley rank: #11)
In a World where robots are immature, but can easily pass the turning test, one young android idolizes a slightly older movie star, and tries everything in his power to become like his idol. As part of his transformation, the robot works at becoming quite the ladies man, but his game is called when he meets a girl that actually likes him and that he doesn't have to chase. She would certainly never sleep with him if she knew he was an android, but being an android he is physically incapable of sleeping with her. Will truth ruin love, or can the technology-crossed-lovers find a way to remain together?

1. Rasputin the Translator (Burley rank: #13)
In a World contacted by a sentient and potentially violent alien race, one man--bearded and wild eyed--is the only person on earth who can translate between the languages of humans and the language of the aliens. But this strange man is not only hostile to both sides of the debate, he is also untrustworthy, and possibly manipulating the negotiations to his own ends. With all of Earth being turned into a prison as the stakes, one government has a very limited time to not only unravel the mysteries of the alien language, but also the history of the interpreter.