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What are your expectations?, A Question of Sci-Fi Readers

Fifth Fifth Legion Autodueller Renegade Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 3, 2010 NOTE: This has NOTHING to do with Brooke's Tale. Answers will not affect the Tale at all. For those of you who read science fiction or fantasy books? Do you expect high-minded ideas? Rip-roaring adventure? Both? Something else? Just kind of wondering. ......................... vet wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 2:39 am

Groove Champion The Groove Champions Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Members Posts: 4,813 Joined: Sep 16, 2008 I'm not sure why you're asking, so I don't know if this will be helpful... I've always loved the whole sci-fi thing, but it doesn't seem to be the preferred theme for talented artists - at least as far as writing is concerned. I've noticed many authors build their tale around some sort of critical idea - one that usually has merit - but fall short as soon as that idea begins to blend into the sci-fi universe. That isn't to say there aren't well-written sci-fi stories out there, but the authors are generally "medium talent" at best. Frank Herbert's Dune is a good example, albeit an exceptional one: Herbert managed to write an entire book, from cover to cover, that was sensational (the first Dune) before running astray with his initial idea and muddling the rest of the series. There are other such examples, but the work of lesser sci-fi writers is often lost because their publishers are as good at their job as their clients. If you can find yourself a copy of City by Clifford Simak, it is another good example of a writer who managed to spawn a decent story amidst a sea of (his own) literary crap. So I guess that means as far as my preference goes, keep the story to blazing guns, UFOs swiping at cities and giant robots abducting beautiful women. If I want to ponder deeper questions I'll look to the classics of another style. Regardless, I hope you have fun writing! ......................... vet combatL1 wv cont0,5,0 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 2:52 am

Fifth Fifth Legion Autodueller Renegade Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 3, 2010 Thanks Groove. I am part of an online writers' group mostly made up of SFF authors, and this question was central to a debate we had today. Whether SFF needed to become like literary (mainstream) fiction, and focus on big ideas, or follow the Star Wars route and have Stuff Blowing Up take center stage. So as not to prejudice results, I'll keep my own feelings hidden for the moment. (Oh yeah, part 10 is up! Enjoy!) ......................... vet wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 3:01 am

Groove Champion The Groove Champions Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Members Posts: 4,813 Joined: Sep 16, 2008 Is there any way to get the list of DW gazette issues that have Brooke's Tale segments in them? I'd like to take up the tale from its beginning. ......................... vet combatL1 wv cont0,5,0 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 3:26 am

Fifth Fifth Legion Autodueller Renegade Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 3, 2010 First one is in May/June 2062, and they're in every Gazette since. Enjoy. ......................... vet wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 4:19 am

*Rev. V* Cestus Dei Darkwind Guru Civs Faction Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 3,210 Joined: Aug 4, 2010 "By the way, if the nuns of Cestus Dei invite you to a 'prayer meeting,' it's not what it sounds like." Hogwash! The phrase "Oh God...Oh God...Oh God...." gets repeated over and over, loudly, and with great passion. ......................... vet wv zom marshal paintladder cont Posted Aug 1, 2012, 4:38 am

Fifth Fifth Legion Autodueller Renegade Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 3, 2010 *Rev. V* said: "By the way, if the nuns of Cestus Dei invite you to a 'prayer meeting,' it's not what it sounds like." Hogwash! The phrase "Oh God...Oh God...Oh God...." gets repeated over and over, loudly, and with great passion. Yes, but Brooke is thinking Bibles and uncomfortable chairs... and clothes. ......................... vet wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 5:27 am

*Rev. V* Cestus Dei Darkwind Guru Civs Faction Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 3,210 Joined: Aug 4, 2010 Sometimes people get tied to uncomfortable chairs! ......................... vet wv zom marshal paintladder cont Posted Aug 1, 2012, 12:13 pm

*DoubleTap* The Ghosts Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals Posts: 895 Joined: Jul 13, 2007 I think the best SFF writers manage both. Sometimes the big ideas take center stage (Stephenson) and sometimes the rip-roaring and swashbuckling is layed on so thick, it's possible to miss the big ideas (Abnett.) I like it when the big ideas grow organically (or at least seem to do so) from characterization. Then again, I think many of the best authors do that, and some are just nerdy enough, like me, to enjoy sci fi and fantasy. ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 3:33 pm

Djihani Rollovers Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Members Posts: 899 Joined: Jun 26, 2009 I stopped reading the big known random or just simply random fantasy/scifi settings and stayed with books set in the games workshop universe a few years back. Mostly because they all build on and expand the same loose universe whether they are ridiculously poorly written or fantabulously awesome to read. Other than that I guess it's all about the danger and excitement, and death, and a pinch of drama. ......................... vet wv zom gateautumn raceL1 deathrceL10,4,0 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 4:55 pm

*sam* The Salthill Sluggerz Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Lead Developer Posts: 16,789 Joined: Jan 19, 2006 I like stuff that depicts the future of humanity, e.g. the Kim Stanley Robinson "Mars" trilogy, or that explore alternative realities.. currently reading 'The Long Earth' by Terry Pratchett (I never likes Discworld BTW). I guess that means it's about the big questions. But equally, adventure stories in an SF setting can be great too ;-) ......................... marshal vet deathrce1 paintladder combat1 wv ped1 cont slay2013 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 8:32 pm

Juris Hessians Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Members Posts: 1,706 Joined: Sep 16, 2010 Big fan of Alastair Reynolds and David Brin myself - I like science fiction to contain some actual science. Some people call this 'hard' science fiction but to me it just demonstrates the author knows a bit about what he is describing. This gives me confidence that I'm not just gonna have the resolution come down to 'reversing the polarity' or the 'force' or some other fantastical mumbo jumbo. And of course the characters need to rock, but if you're going to do science fiction know something about science. ......................... vet wv pvp1 pvp5 pvp4 race1 zom pvp2 deathrce1 pvp3 combat1 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 8:38 pm

Joel Autobaun Joels Bastards Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Sinbinned Posts: 4,598 Joined: Nov 10, 2008 I stopped reading all fantasy and scifi after the 10th book of Robert Jordan. I am done with the money wheel these people get on. Since Game of Thrones started up on HBO I will finally read the 3rd book there (after stopping at book 2 ten years ago when Robert Jordan pissed me off writing about his PMSing knitting circle women for an entire book...Martin suffered as a result.) I suspect Martin can actually wrap it up. They don't get it, Tolkien could finish the story, why can't they? ......................... vet northernsummer deathrce1 raceL1 deathrceL1 ww ped1 sssc paintball semiprocombat ped2 e2g gwextrav gwped combat1 paintladder elmsautumn gateautumn wv race1 combatL1 pvp1 pvp5 pvp4 zom pvp3 circuit1 pvp2 circuit2 circuit3 ss2fl67 slay2013 storm2013 geek triangle198,103,31 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 9:23 pm

*Tango* 2ManyRads CI Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Marshals Posts: 2,543 Joined: Mar 21, 2010 Joel Autobaun said: They don't get it, Tolkien could finish the story, why can't they? when the story ends, so does the money. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is an excellent one shot.  I'm not a big fan of either author, despite having tried a handful of works by both. ......................... marshal vet wv pvp5 pvp4 combat1 pvp3 zom community Posted Aug 1, 2012, 9:51 pm Last edited Aug 1, 2012, 9:54 pm by *Tango*

Fifth Fifth Legion Autodueller Renegade Group: Members Posts: 480 Joined: Jan 3, 2010 *Tango* said: Joel Autobaun said: They don't get it, Tolkien could finish the story, why can't they? when the story ends, so does the money. Sometimes this, sometimes, as has happened to a friend of mine, you've come up with a universe so big and interesting (you being the writer here) that every new idea you have gets seen through the lens of that universe. Or sometimes, you've got a Big Central Conflict that you have no idea how to solve entertainingly, so you put off the resolution with delaying fillers a la Inuyasha while you try to get the ending figured out. I think this is what happened to Steven Erikson's Malazan series, ye gods. And oh man I find it annoying as heck as a reader. And as a practical matter, I've heard that some publishers are happier to see more of a popular universe that they know will sell than a new series from a familiar author that might tick off the fan base. One reason traditional publishing ticks me off, but that rant ends here. ......................... vet wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 10:00 pm

*DoubleTap* The Ghosts Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals Posts: 895 Joined: Jul 13, 2007 For near-future stuff, William Gibson is about as good at it gets, methinks. Although his more recent stuff take place in the present... or maybe next week. ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Aug 1, 2012, 10:30 pm

Sarge K R U Autodueller Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Members Posts: 392 Joined: Mar 6, 2011 From blowing stuff up high adventure with Jack Vance "Planet of Adventure" (even sounds like a B-Movie!) to the near future brilliance of William Gibson & Walter Jon Williams ("Neuromancer" and "Hardwired") to big ideas with Arthur C Clarke ("Rendezvous with Rama") I think Sci-fi has it all already. No need to concentrate on any one thing, there is room for all ......................... vet wv0,3,0 Posted Aug 1, 2012, 10:53 pm

*Tango* 2ManyRads CI Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Marshals Posts: 2,543 Joined: Mar 21, 2010 *DoubleTap* said: For near-future stuff, William Gibson is about as good at it gets, methinks. Although his more recent stuff take place in the present... or maybe next week. Hear him, I beg.  Though he can be so...sparse at times you simply must re-read or pay extremely close attention to get all the nuance.  I've read everything he's published. ......................... marshal vet wv pvp5 pvp4 combat1 pvp3 zom community Posted Aug 1, 2012, 11:05 pm

*K1500* Big Dumb Object Autodueller Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Marshals Posts: 394 Joined: Dec 29, 2011 Interesting discussion... For anyone who has an interest in science fiction I'd recommend "Science Fiction" by Adam Roberts - more of an academic piece about the history of science fiction and how it can, as a genre, contribute to our culture(s). Aside from that I like science fiction which examines the effects of technology on the human condition - Gibson is a perfect example of this. Other favorites are Jeff Noon for the trippy and surreal ("Needle in the Groove" is a must read for anyone who has played in a band before). You cant go past Samual R Delany as one of the most important writers - Babel 17 is an absolute classic (language as a technology). Joe Haldeman for the Forever War (superior to Starship Troopers in concept and execution), Neal Stephenson for more realist science fiction (some even historically set)... I'm not so into space operas or pulps now (thought I do have a decent collection of them from the 60's and 70's) but have fond memories of them. Phew, I could go on. However what I look for in science fiction is a good idea, explored well. I've been accused of being highbrow about it by friends before but I think that is the strength of science fiction - using future questions to examine historical issues. As a genre, science fiction offers so many more possibilites than many other genres. Okay yeah I am a bit highbrow - but thats what I like. ......................... vet wv zom circuit1 storm2013 circuit3 marshal pvp2 ped2 pvp4 circuit2 ped1 gwped Posted Aug 2, 2012, 12:57 am

*Tango* 2ManyRads CI Darkwind Guru Deathrace Mafia Faction Group: Marshals Posts: 2,543 Joined: Mar 21, 2010 K1500 said: You cant go past Samual R Delany as one of the most important writers - Babel 17 is an absolute classic (language as a technology). Neal Stephen's Snow Crash explores the tower of babel and using language to program other peoples minds.  I like his books but he gets very...detailed.  Parts of it got a little boring. K1500 said: Phew, I could go on. However what I look for in science fiction is a good idea, explored well. I missed Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) for about 20 years before I found it, that was a good idea explored well. ......................... marshal vet wv pvp5 pvp4 combat1 pvp3 zom community Posted Aug 2, 2012, 1:08 am

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