Bonfire of the Genres: Critical Looks Sci-Fi and Fantasy

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Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Zero Wing

# ¿ Feb 2, 2019 18:38

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 14:51

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

more like Blandon Blanderson

# ¿ Feb 5, 2019 14:04

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

anilEhilated posted:

Speaking of fantasy trying to be literature, anyone willing to patiently explain why I should stop liking Viriconium?
(or any, y'know, other attempt to get this back on track to bitching about books as opposed to bitching about people)

You shouldn�t stop liking anything you like because it�s you and you do your own thing. Especially Viriconium, which is a good work of fantasy. However, I do suggest that all genre readers step outside their comfort zone and read some non-genre stuff because I did that and it was a big change for the better for me.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2019 09:10

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

A human heart posted:

of course reading exclusively stupid things has a negative effect on you.. how could it not do that?

well I�ve been reading these forums for over a decade and... oh

# ¿ Feb 7, 2019 11:18

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

I was given a book of Greek myths retold by Nathaniel Hawthorne as a child and I used to love it. I must�ve read it at least a dozen times. Wonder how it would hold up today

# ¿ Feb 11, 2019 22:06

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Someone once posted a fragment about a couple boarding a plane in a modern airport that was written in the style that most genre authors use for �world building� and it was hilarious. The way it went into details of how the baggage moving mechanism worked or the minutiae of the ticket reservation system really highlighted how useless all the countless passages written about courtly dating rituals of Deneb VII or the amazing alien game that is actually chess are. Not that we needed the parody to get the point, but I would gladly read it again if someone has saved it and can repost it.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2019 08:53

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

BravestOfTheLamps posted:

If all stories were written like science fiction stories
by Mark Rosenfelder

Roger and Ann needed to meet Sergey in San Francisco.

�Should we take a train, or a steamship, or a plane?� asked Ann.

�Trains are too slow, and the trip by steamship around South America would take months,� replied Roger. �We�ll take a plane.�

He logged onto the central network using his personal computer, and waited while the system verified his identity. With a few keystrokes he entered an electronic ticketing system, and entered the codes for his point of departure and his destination. In moments the computer displayed a list of possible flights, and he picked the earliest one. Dollars were automatically deducted from his personal account to pay for the transaction.

The planes left from the city airport, which they reached using the city bi-rail. Ann had changed into her travelling outfit, which consisted of a light shirt in polycarbon-derived artifical fabric, which showed off her pert figure, without genetic enhancements, and dark blue pants made of textiles. Her attractive brown hair was uncovered.

At the airport Roger presented their identification cards to a representative of the airline company, who used her own computer system to check his identity and retrieve his itinerary. She entered a confirmation number, and gave him two passes which gave them access to the boarding area. They now underwent a security inspection, which was required for all airline flights. They handed their luggage to another representative; it would be transported in a separate, unpressurized chamber on the aircraft.

�Do you think we�ll be flying on a propeller plane? Or one of the newer jets?� asked Ann.

�I�m sure it will be a jet,� said Roger. �Propeller planes are almost entirely out of date, after all. On the other hand, rocket engines are still experimental. It�s said that when they�re in general use, trips like this will take an hour at most. This one will take up to four hours.�

After a short wait, they were ushered onto the plane with the other passengers. The plane was an enormous steel cylinder at least a hundred meters long, with sleek backswept wings on which four jet engines were mounted. They glanced into the front cabin and saw the two pilots, consulting a bank of equipment needed the fly the plane. Roger was glad that he did not need to fly the plane himself; it was a difficult profession which required years of training.

The surprisingly large passenger area was equipped with soft benches, and windows through which they could look down at the countryside as they flew 11 km high at more than 800 km/h. There were nozzles for the pressurized air which kept the atmosphere in the cabin warm and comfortable despite the coldness of the stratosphere.

�I�m a little nervous,� Ann said, before the plane took off.

�There�s nothing to worry about,� he assured her. �These flights are entirely routine. You�re safer than you are in our ground transport cars!�

Despite his calm words, Roger had to admit to some nervousness as the pilot took off, and the land dropped away below them. He and the other passengers watched out the windows for a long time. With difficulty, he could make out houses and farms and moving vehicles far below.

�There are more people going to San Francisco today than I would have expected,� he remarked.

�Some of them may in fact be going elsewhere,� she answered. �As you know, it�s expensive to provide airplane links between all possible locations. We employ a hub system, and people from smaller cities travel first to the hub, and then to their final destination. Fortunately, you found us a flight that takes us straight to San Francisco.�

When they arrived at the San Francisco airport, agents of the airline company helped them out of their seats and retrieved their luggage, checking the numeric tags to ensure that they were given to the right people.

�I can hardly believe we�re already in another city,� said Ann. �Just four hours ago we were in Chicago.�

�We�re not quite there!� corrected Roger. �We�re in the airport, which is some distance from the city, since it requires a good deal of space on the ground, and because of occasional accidents. From here we�ll take a smaller vehicle into the city.�

They selected one of the hydrocarbon-powered ground transports from the queue which waited outside the airport. The fee was small enough that it was not paid electronically, but using portable dollar tokens. The driver conducted his car unit into the city; though he drove only at 100 km/hr, it felt much faster since they were only a meter from the concrete road surface. He looked over at Ann, concerned that the speed might alarm her; but she seemed to be enjoying the ride. A game girl, and intelligent as well!

At last the driver stopped his car, and they had arrived. Electronic self-opening doors welcomed them to Sergey�s building. The entire trip had taken less than seven hours.

Yes, thank you, this is brilliant

# ¿ Feb 23, 2019 09:24

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Sham bam bamina! posted:

I thought I was done posting this poo poo, but this is extremely good:

Posted by u/Fullhord22 5 hours ago
My first fantasy world. Thoughts?

My first fantasy world. http://imgur.com/gallery/8tdXonB Made in Inkarnate.

Needs more continent-splitting mountain chains

# ¿ Feb 23, 2019 14:08

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Poor vampire, thought of pyrite crystals and died

# ¿ Mar 3, 2019 16:43

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Milkfred E. Moore posted:

why is he called Kaladin

why are k-names so common in bad genre fantasy????

The same reason terrible parents spawn Kaydens and Kelly Cs

# ¿ Mar 3, 2019 23:18

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Can you imagine that, a loving shallow lake hundreds of miles wide, supporting a diverse ecosystem, set in a magical world. How wonderful it would be. However, �glasslike� and �transparent� is all the space that Sanderson is prepared to waste on describing the lake. How does he pad his thousands of pages then?

# ¿ Mar 5, 2019 08:47

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

What is �bad�, my friend?

# ¿ Mar 6, 2019 20:29

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Aka the Mormon morning-after pill

# ¿ Mar 7, 2019 20:31

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

drat

# ¿ Mar 7, 2019 20:36

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 14:51

Take the plunge! Okay!: Feb 24, 2007

Cardiac posted:

Botl brought nothing interesting to the book discussions and was in general boring. He didn�t bring any interesting insights but mostly disparaging insults.

As for saying his critics are thin skinned, he managed to get a mild mannered mod like HA to probe him on sight.

Making a thread about Rothuss and dissecting his work is one of those �why the gently caress do you do that�. Most people in TBB who read his work have dismissed it as thrash.

I would say fantasy in general are aware of the issues in the field, but Botl never seemed to grasp the fact that it is perfectly ok to read a book just as a way to pass the time.

Finally, if one thinks Mervyn Peake and Ghormengast is the height of literature, I don�t know what to say.
Good riddance.

gently caress you you dumb gently caress did you even read the thread you�re posting in

# ¿ Mar 14, 2019 07:30

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