The how Battlestar Galactica could have ended better link asks Chris Roberson how he would have improved the ending. His thoughtful, measured response begins:
Um, written a decent finale? Perhaps one that wasn't a steaming pile of dogshit? Honestly, that was like a trainwreck wrapped inside a clusterfuck topped with a healthy splash of "Fuck the audience."
Dear Chris: Avoid hyperbole. Not one writer in a million can use it correctly. posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:24 PM on May 6
He's actually an angel. posted by Artw at 3:26 PM on May 6
this is pretty fabulous. thank you!
the section on women writers in sf is pretty pertinent to me.
when browsing i generally look for two things: female authors and non-european names. it doesn't always work out, but it does keep the offerings found more enticing.
(and when you say that he's an "angel" does that mean he's lacking in the fun parts?) posted by artof.mulata at 3:39 PM on May 6
when browsing i generally look for two things: female authors and non-european names. it doesn't always work out, but it does keep the offerings found more enticing.
Tyler Cowen (marginal revolution blogger) had an interesting heuristic. Read translated novels. If someone thought they were good enough to bother translating that is higher barrier to publication and filters out some of the crap. posted by srboisvert at 4:02 PM on May 6 [1 favorite has favorites]
Making Solaris double good! posted by Artw at 4:03 PM on May 6
Nice post. Love the discussions you linked to.
I would put Dianetics on the list of most controversial, if that counts as science fiction. posted by misha at 4:12 PM on May 6
misha and eavesdroppers: i took my first solo cross-country (u.s.) flight when i was 12. my stepfather decided to grab me a book. i wanted a science fiction book. i wanted space opera.
the old man asked a bookstore clerk who he considered good in the field and the sub-genre and the guy pointed someone out. the old man, aware of what a voracious and swift reader the brat was grabbed the biggest volume he could find of the suggested author. he handed me a copy of dianetics as we drove to the airport.
i am permanently screwed and cannot distinguish between good writing and bad, reality and katie holmes and upper and lower case. thank you, science fiction. posted by artof.mulata at 4:37 PM on May 6 [1 favorite has favorites]
Excellent post. I am now going to go read "His Dark Materials" which a family member has been hounding me for 5 years to read. posted by bz at 5:20 PM on May 6
artof.mulata - Could have been worse, could have been a Dune sequel. posted by Artw at 5:22 PM on May 6
Artw, i'd be careful mocking frank herbert; i'm pretty sure he lived on one of the islands across the water from us. hark. that could be wormsong...
(thank you for the other suggestions, too!) posted by artof.mulata at 5:29 PM on May 6
On the Tor list I'd have to admit I've only read four of those authors (and one of them on womens history list is perhaps most famous for everyone thinking they were a guy) so I probably ought to do some reading there myself. posted by Artw at 5:34 PM on May 6
Oddly though I scan through SF Signal every day I rarely bother with the Mind Meld (though the Battlestar Galactica one was great). I really must pay it more attention. posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:40 AM on May 7
Man, no one got my super nerdy title reference... posted by Artw at 2:11 PM on May 7
what? title ref? what?
thanks for all the Tor lists, Artw; i've got a number of holds at spl.org now. posted by artof.mulata at 6:18 PM on May 7
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Um, written a decent finale? Perhaps one that wasn't a steaming pile of dogshit? Honestly, that was like a trainwreck wrapped inside a clusterfuck topped with a healthy splash of "Fuck the audience."
Dear Chris: Avoid hyperbole. Not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:24 PM on May 6