Comments on: Jo Walton on the protocols of reading science fiction http://futurismic.com/2010/01/20/jo-walton-on-the-protocols-of-reading-science-fiction/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jt http://futurismic.com/2010/01/20/jo-walton-on-the-protocols-of-reading-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-70350 jt Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:33:11 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10255#comment-70350 douglas adams, no shit. stephenson is a good one too. douglas adams, no shit.

stephenson is a good one too.

]]> By: Shockey Funke http://futurismic.com/2010/01/20/jo-walton-on-the-protocols-of-reading-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-68634 Shockey Funke Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:39:05 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10255#comment-68634 I've had some success with Dune, usually with a younger crowd, and also with Gibson. I think Gibson works well as a gateway (incidentally the title of a good sci fi book) because his more contemporary stuff (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country) isn't so much sci fi as AR or very near future sci fi. You still have to do the work of world building, but the foundation is based in "the real world" giving those who are just starting with sci fi a level of familiarity and thus comfort. Its like re-reading a book in a way. Since there are some things you already know it is easier for your brain to pick up on the subtleties of the text, in this case the details that make Gibson's world unique and interesting. I’ve had some success with Dune, usually with a younger crowd, and also with Gibson. I think Gibson works well as a gateway (incidentally the title of a good sci fi book) because his more contemporary stuff (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country) isn’t so much sci fi as AR or very near future sci fi. You still have to do the work of world building, but the foundation is based in “the real world” giving those who are just starting with sci fi a level of familiarity and thus comfort. Its like re-reading a book in a way. Since there are some things you already know it is easier for your brain to pick up on the subtleties of the text, in this case the details that make Gibson’s world unique and interesting.

]]> By: Nancy Jane Moore http://futurismic.com/2010/01/20/jo-walton-on-the-protocols-of-reading-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-68603 Nancy Jane Moore Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:07:50 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10255#comment-68603 It's way past time to retire the idea that the golden age of SF is 12. I doubt it was ever true, even if some of the male writers from the so-called golden age were writing the kind of stories they wished had been around when they were 12. At this point, when we're living to a great degree in a science fictional world (what else would you call a world with instant worldwide communication and "printers" that can construct actual objects from a download?), SF is relevant to everyone. Though I confess to the same problem in converting those who assume all SF is pulp skiffy stuff. And no, I don't think you have to grow up reading SF to learn how to include just enough, but not too much, information in your stories. What you need to do to learn how to do that is to carefully read books by people who are good at it and figure out what they did. Margaret Atwood, who supposedly doesn't even write SF, did a wonderful job of worldbuilding in her recent SF novel, <i>The Year of the Flood</i>. It’s way past time to retire the idea that the golden age of SF is 12. I doubt it was ever true, even if some of the male writers from the so-called golden age were writing the kind of stories they wished had been around when they were 12.

At this point, when we’re living to a great degree in a science fictional world (what else would you call a world with instant worldwide communication and “printers” that can construct actual objects from a download?), SF is relevant to everyone. Though I confess to the same problem in converting those who assume all SF is pulp skiffy stuff.

And no, I don’t think you have to grow up reading SF to learn how to include just enough, but not too much, information in your stories. What you need to do to learn how to do that is to carefully read books by people who are good at it and figure out what they did.

Margaret Atwood, who supposedly doesn’t even write SF, did a wonderful job of worldbuilding in her recent SF novel, The Year of the Flood.

]]> By: SMD http://futurismic.com/2010/01/20/jo-walton-on-the-protocols-of-reading-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-68564 SMD Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:46:00 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10255#comment-68564 I haven't had any direct success. I did get my mother into epic fantasy, though. Totally didn't expect her to fall for Eddings, or Asprin, but she did. I'll get her on SF soon enough, though. I haven’t had any direct success. I did get my mother into epic fantasy, though. Totally didn’t expect her to fall for Eddings, or Asprin, but she did. I’ll get her on SF soon enough, though.

]]>