Comments on: SF squids

SF squids

dhruva — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:02:59 -0800

Talking Squids in Outer Space : The Pinnacle of Science Fiction

By: humannaire

humannaire — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:27:04 -0800

Wow! This speech/presentation and footage at TED by David Gallo [YouTube] from the post above is freaking awesome!

By: Artw

Artw — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:43:59 -0800

This is, of course, all down to Margaret Atwood saying that science fiction is all "talking squids in outer space", and of course nothing like her stories of bioengineering and/or radical social change set in the future. I think it annoyed some people.

By: Artw

Artw — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:46:19 -0800

Also: That font is horrifying.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:04:21 -0800

Spoiler

By: mediareport

mediareport — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:07:56 -0800

The site's from scifi writer Vonda McIntyre, btw. And here's more about Atwood vs. SciFi.

By: ursus_comiter

ursus_comiter — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:10:40 -0800

The squidliography omits Accelerando by Charlie Stross.

By: Artw

Artw — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:13:22 -0800

Dave Langfords Ansible kind of picked up the talking squids thing and ran with it.

By: wendell

wendell — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:23:46 -0800

I couldn't find references in the site to the most famous/popular space cephalopods in Pop Culture today... Kang and Kodos.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:31:38 -0800

The ~~Pinnacle~~ Tentacle of Science Fiction

By: wendell

wendell — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:32:06 -0800

The site does have a link to "Space Squid Magazine", a collection of intentionally bad SciFi, which, in addition to an intentionally sexist cover, contains a feature that ties in with another recent MeFi thread: The Octopus With Enormous Breasts. Please don't shoot the messenger.

By: well_balanced

well_balanced — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:38:58 -0800

I wonder if you could trace all this back to Lovecraft?

By: slapshot57

slapshot57 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:02:15 -0800

It's a trap

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:04:00 -0800

Funny enough, I'm right in the middle of Baxter's Manifold: Time right now.

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:06:12 -0800

Wow! Plus the pinnacle of web design, in the same package!

By: rouftop

rouftop — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:47:08 -0800

I was expecting this: A Boy and his Squid.

By: Artw

Artw — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:57:09 -0800

Cthulhu is not a squid, he's a thing beyond all comprehension who just happens to have tentacles when viewed by primitive human perceptual systems. And he doesn't talk - he shatters minds. Honestly, this is exactly the kind of thing that made Blair Reynolds freak the hell out. Have some respect.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:08:03 -0800

When I saw the title i just knew this was going to reference the Baxter Manifold series. (Ultra-depressing, all three volumes are)

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:12:56 -0800

That octopus with enormous breasts is not without appeal, only I'm a bit concerned as to the location of her beak.

By: skippyhacker

skippyhacker — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:52:49 -0800

Must remember to lock library door. Someone has scanned all my first edition covers.

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:15:13 -0800

I'm a sucker for this sort of thing (sorry)

By: CheeseburgerBrown

CheeseburgerBrown — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:26:48 -0800

I'll take your talking cosmic squids and raise you one hyperdimensional superbeing nostalgic for a wee nip of history at the end of time.

By: devon

devon — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:12:18 -0800

No Zoidberg?

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:21:16 -0800

Can anyone tell me the source of that Margaret Atwood quote?

By: kliuless

kliuless — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:55:02 -0800

admiral ackbar, as opposed to stephen baxter? fwiw, on a google search, apparently it's from a 'BBC1 Breakfast News' interview... oh and also noticed this:

London, 17 June 2005, The Guardian: "Aliens have taken the place of angels - Margaret Atwood on why we need science fiction", includes the line "I have written two works of science fiction or, if you prefer, speculative fiction." [cf.]

btw, for me (hope :) the pinnacle of science fiction; it's been six years... may '08!

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:33:38 -0800

I don't know if he originated the idea but Carl Sagan did a very thorough analysis of ETs having replaced angels and demons in The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (nonfiction).