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This article honestly reminds me of nothing so much as why I stopped reading current science-fiction, and why the science-fiction I wrote took more inspiration

by jarcane 11y ago

This article honestly reminds me of nothing so much as why I stopped reading current science-fiction, and why the science-fiction I wrote took more inspiration from Douglas Adams and DC Comics than anything from the "proper SF" sphere of the last few decades. It seems like the whole genre has become the demesne of nitpicky amateur astrophysicists instead of about humanity through the lens of projection and symbol as it used to be. I don't care how "hard" your science is, I care what your book has to say about humanity, or at least how well it manages to entertain and enlighten.

walterbell 11y ago
Try Lafferty's timeless sci-fi, e.g. the 55-year-old 'Slow Tuesday Night' about human responses to accelerated culture, http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/9781618249203/9781618249203___2.htm http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/9781618249203/97816182492... "A thoughtful-man named Maxwell Mouser had just produced a work of actinic philosophy. It took him seven minutes to write it. To write works of philosophy one used the flexible outlines and the idea indexes; one set the activator for such a wordage in each subsection; an adept would use the paradox, feed-in, and the striking-analogy blender; one calibrated the particular-slant and the personality-signature. It had to come out a good work, for excellence had become the automatic minimum for such productions. “I will scatter a few nuts on the frosting,” said Maxwell, and he pushed the lever for that. This sifted handfuls of words like chthonic and heuristic and prozymeides through the thing so that nobody could doubt it was a work of philosophy."
osxrand 11y ago
Check Karl Schroeder, you may find him a refreshing change. His first book is available to read online at his website http://karlschroeder.com http://karlschroeder.com From what you mentioned, it sounds like his books may be right up your alley.
- DennisP 11y ago
  Lockstep is a neat one. They have sublight interstellar travel, but it seems like FTL because everybody spends most of their time in hibernation, all on the same schedule.

by jarcane 11y ago

walterbell 11y ago

Try Lafferty's timeless sci-fi, e.g. the 55-year-old 'Slow Tuesday Night' about human responses to accelerated culture, http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/9781618249203/9781618249203___2.htm http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/9781618249203/97816182492... "A thoughtful-man named Maxwell Mouser had just produced a work of actinic philosophy. It took him seven minutes to write it. To write works of philosophy one used the flexible outlines and the idea indexes; one set the activator for such a wordage in each subsection; an adept would use the paradox, feed-in, and the striking-analogy blender; one calibrated the particular-slant and the personality-signature. It had to come out a good work, for excellence had become the automatic minimum for such productions. “I will scatter a few nuts on the frosting,” said Maxwell, and he pushed the lever for that. This sifted handfuls of words like chthonic and heuristic and prozymeides through the thing so that nobody could doubt it was a work of philosophy."

osxrand 11y ago

Check Karl Schroeder, you may find him a refreshing change. His first book is available to read online at his website http://karlschroeder.com http://karlschroeder.com From what you mentioned, it sounds like his books may be right up your alley.

DennisP 11y ago
Lockstep is a neat one. They have sublight interstellar travel, but it seems like FTL because everybody spends most of their time in hibernation, all on the same schedule.