for Writing Speculative Fiction: A Nerd's Guide3/28/2007 c10 Mal Renyolds
Just curious on the alien invasion chapter. Why not, when you bombard Earth, just do it with asteroids? It would be concievably cheaper and more efficent to drop a few doomsday asteroids on Earth.
Just curious on the alien invasion chapter. Why not, when you bombard Earth, just do it with asteroids? It would be concievably cheaper and more efficent to drop a few doomsday asteroids on Earth.
3/5/2007 c6 Mal Renyolds
About post historic books, what about A Canticle for Leibowitz?
About post historic books, what about A Canticle for Leibowitz?
2/20/2007 c38 
8KeytoExistence
About aliens catching our germs: though it's common to show humans getting an alien disease (Andromeda Strain) or aliens catching a human one (War of the Worlds) I distinctly remember one sci-fi writer pointing out that interplanetary diseases would be impossible because bacteria and viruses (especially viruses) have evolved to infect certain organisms/organs/cells/whatever. Of course, there are always prions, assuming the amino acids in the aliens are similar enough.
8KeytoExistenceAbout aliens catching our germs: though it's common to show humans getting an alien disease (Andromeda Strain) or aliens catching a human one (War of the Worlds) I distinctly remember one sci-fi writer pointing out that interplanetary diseases would be impossible because bacteria and viruses (especially viruses) have evolved to infect certain organisms/organs/cells/whatever. Of course, there are always prions, assuming the amino acids in the aliens are similar enough.
2/7/2007 c3 32Skye Hegyes
I love the PS (even though I am a girl). It adds humor and most of the time... its true. But sorry to tell you, I am one of those that would be picking up the gun as well, because sometimes, the guy isn't worth it either.
Now that that is out of my system, I can talk about this chapter. I like how you gave a list of places people can look for ideas - the websites and books and authors and stuff. It was a good idea.
Maybe I don't know much about guns or any kind of weaponry, but I like the ideas that you throw around in this chapter. Interesting viewpoint and something most people probably wouldn't have thought of.
32Skye HegyesI love the PS (even though I am a girl). It adds humor and most of the time... its true. But sorry to tell you, I am one of those that would be picking up the gun as well, because sometimes, the guy isn't worth it either.
Now that that is out of my system, I can talk about this chapter. I like how you gave a list of places people can look for ideas - the websites and books and authors and stuff. It was a good idea.
Maybe I don't know much about guns or any kind of weaponry, but I like the ideas that you throw around in this chapter. Interesting viewpoint and something most people probably wouldn't have thought of.
2/7/2007 c2 Skye Hegyes
Interesting to read. "Or not." lol! Great line there. You play with it a lot and it sounds awesome! Great advice as well. People need to be original before they can be anything else.
Interesting to read. "Or not." lol! Great line there. You play with it a lot and it sounds awesome! Great advice as well. People need to be original before they can be anything else.
2/5/2007 c37 12Radio Saturday
In my stories, elves are fascists.
I like this a lot. Especially the mention of my favorite Bas-Lag book, "The Scar." It's hard to come up with good aliens.
12Radio SaturdayIn my stories, elves are fascists.
I like this a lot. Especially the mention of my favorite Bas-Lag book, "The Scar." It's hard to come up with good aliens.
1/6/2007 c4 1Narc
It's funny that in your article that you mention the theory of Ether here. In my current steampunk, aether is the material used to make the ships fly (it's the alternate spelling of ether).
1NarcIt's funny that in your article that you mention the theory of Ether here. In my current steampunk, aether is the material used to make the ships fly (it's the alternate spelling of ether).
1/4/2007 c37 1Edcrab
He's mostly kidding about it too, I'm sure: mostly in this piece he never seems to attack a theme outright, more its misuse. I must admit to harbouring a dislike for vampire fiction, but that's purely because it's a genre that's been abused so thoroughly by inexperienced authors in the past. I'm sure I could love something that was well-written: hell, I dislike romance for the exact same reason ;)
Anyway, Jave, you mentioned these species ideas in your recent forum dicussions, and I notice that HoSAM's creatures obviously draw from the kind of themes you mention here. It's a great point: *why*, exactly, do fantasy species always seem to be so much less fleshed-out than their sci-fi equivalents? And yes, my hate for the overuse (and misapplication) of "anthro" species shows no signs of abating either...
1EdcrabHe's mostly kidding about it too, I'm sure: mostly in this piece he never seems to attack a theme outright, more its misuse. I must admit to harbouring a dislike for vampire fiction, but that's purely because it's a genre that's been abused so thoroughly by inexperienced authors in the past. I'm sure I could love something that was well-written: hell, I dislike romance for the exact same reason ;)
Anyway, Jave, you mentioned these species ideas in your recent forum dicussions, and I notice that HoSAM's creatures obviously draw from the kind of themes you mention here. It's a great point: *why*, exactly, do fantasy species always seem to be so much less fleshed-out than their sci-fi equivalents? And yes, my hate for the overuse (and misapplication) of "anthro" species shows no signs of abating either...
12/30/2006 c9 6January Gray
Well, I'm going to read this entire thing tonight, even though I should be working on my own stories. It's very good though, even though I don't write sci-fi and read very little of it.
I must say though that I'm vaguely offended by the "shitty vampire stories" remark in this chapter though. While I do agree that most of them, especially on Fictionpress, do suck, vampire stories can be good and it obviously represents something enduring and significant to the human psyche since vampire myths and legends are quite universal. When you insult them, just try not to be too all-encompassing because some of us who write stories with vampires aren't goths and don't give into cliches and really don't have fantasies bitten and/or fucked by the undead. (Ha, I just realized that I'm indirectly plugging my own work in a review, I feel slightly sleezy, but oh well, especially since my vampire story is still in the research and draft stages. See, some of us even do research for vampire stories.)
Just so you know, I'm mostly joking about the whole vampire thing. Cheers.
~Rain
6January GrayWell, I'm going to read this entire thing tonight, even though I should be working on my own stories. It's very good though, even though I don't write sci-fi and read very little of it.
I must say though that I'm vaguely offended by the "shitty vampire stories" remark in this chapter though. While I do agree that most of them, especially on Fictionpress, do suck, vampire stories can be good and it obviously represents something enduring and significant to the human psyche since vampire myths and legends are quite universal. When you insult them, just try not to be too all-encompassing because some of us who write stories with vampires aren't goths and don't give into cliches and really don't have fantasies bitten and/or fucked by the undead. (Ha, I just realized that I'm indirectly plugging my own work in a review, I feel slightly sleezy, but oh well, especially since my vampire story is still in the research and draft stages. See, some of us even do research for vampire stories.)
Just so you know, I'm mostly joking about the whole vampire thing. Cheers.
~Rain
12/7/2006 c1 32Skye Hegyes
This is actually pretty funny to read. I just started reading some sci-fi stuff myself... The reason I don't is because I am tired of little green aliens. This will be interesting to read all the way through I think.
32Skye HegyesThis is actually pretty funny to read. I just started reading some sci-fi stuff myself... The reason I don't is because I am tired of little green aliens. This will be interesting to read all the way through I think.
11/14/2006 c36 Mbwun
Whatever form the revolution comes in, remember one thing: It will not be televised.
Whatever form the revolution comes in, remember one thing: It will not be televised.
11/14/2006 c34 Mbwun
Can't believe you wrote a chapter on transhumanism and didn't mention Alastair Reynolds. He has developed a number of fascinating transhuman cultures in the universe his stories are set in.
Other than that, gut gemacht.
Can't believe you wrote a chapter on transhumanism and didn't mention Alastair Reynolds. He has developed a number of fascinating transhuman cultures in the universe his stories are set in.
Other than that, gut gemacht.
8/27/2006 c2 Caplock
Thank you for writing this, i'm sure it will come into use later, as i'm currently writing a fantasy peice, but plan on doinga few sci fi stories along the way
Thank you for writing this, i'm sure it will come into use later, as i'm currently writing a fantasy peice, but plan on doinga few sci fi stories along the way
8/20/2006 c20 7Jolly Jeff
If you're interested (and who wouldn't be?), there's a National Geographic television program airing today and on September 4th called "Fight Science." It's about scientists who constructed a special lab/dojo and used crash test dummies-among other things-to test expert martial artists' abilities.
If you want to know more (and trust me, you do), here's a preview: http:/w9.nationalgeographic.com/channel/fightscience/videoPreview.html
There's also a podcast somewhere on the site, which talks about how they were trained to make their bones harder than stone. This is not, by the way, science fiction.
7Jolly JeffIf you're interested (and who wouldn't be?), there's a National Geographic television program airing today and on September 4th called "Fight Science." It's about scientists who constructed a special lab/dojo and used crash test dummies-among other things-to test expert martial artists' abilities.
If you want to know more (and trust me, you do), here's a preview: http:/w9.nationalgeographic.com/channel/fightscience/videoPreview.html
There's also a podcast somewhere on the site, which talks about how they were trained to make their bones harder than stone. This is not, by the way, science fiction.