Tag: Writing
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Cheah vs ChatGPT
I’ve always been a skeptic of the use of artificial intelligence in creative work, especially Large Language Models and art generators. An AI analyzes a prompt, gathers input, optimises data, and generates an output that attempts to satisfy the prompt. An AI does not create. An AI does not think. An AI does not know.…
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Are Singaporeans Creative? Yes, No, It’s Complicated.
Singaporean students are the most creative students in the world. Singapore is also one of the least creative First World societies. Both of these statements are simultaneously true. I am one of Singapore’s most prolific and versatile writers. I have published 17 novels, 24 short stories and 2 non-fiction works. I also have 12 more…
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The Purpose of Violence in James Clavell’s Shogun
James Clavell depicts a Japan gripped in the throes of an uneasy interregnum. Ambitious lords scheme to discredit and destroy each other, forcing their rivals to break the peace of the deceased Taiko or to commit seppuku. The Portuguese plot to retain monopoly on the Japan-China trade, while the Jesuits seek to convert all of…
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Invincible Under Heaven is Live on Amazon!
The unthinkable has finally occurred. Driven mad by the relentless pursuit of power, a martial prodigy turns against the rivers and lakes. Behind him is the Shadow Horde, a group of devil cultivators with immeasurable powers at their command. Hellbent on restoring the Yue Dynasty, they carve a swathe of destruction through the Five States…
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A Novel Like Shogun Can Never Be Written Today
Shogun is a masterwork of historical fiction. Set in 1600, it portrays a feudal Japan on the brink of war. With the passing of the Taiko, the Council of Regents rules the nation until the Taiko’s heir comes of age. Toranaga Yoshi, President of the Council, struggles against fellow daimyo and Regent Ishido for dominance.…
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A Culture Fractured
The old magic is gone. There won’t be another Lord of the Rings. Nor will there be another Narnia, Conan, Shadow, Zorro, or any other cultural icon that will bring a culture together. The ones still in existence have been parasitized by corporate interests, transformed into one part soulless cash cow, one part propaganda machine.…