Sci-Fi Group Book Club discussion
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Charles Stross
Charles Stross' list of space opera clichés
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Greg wrote: "Charles Stross has created a funny but all too true list of space opera clichés at his blog: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-.... A number of peo..."O_O Wow! The list is crazy long, but the responses are hilarious. :D I guess this explains why it's taking me a minute to get through Saturn's Children...
Even so, I have to extend an invitation to check out my book. I'd like to think it is original and creative enough to not be one cliche after the other. Skies Over Tomorrow: Constellation.
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Yeah that list takes a while to go through! I may have skipped one or two sections.... ;)
I've added your book to my TBR shelf - I'll keep an eye out for the paperback. I notice, by the way, that it's a revised version of an anthology you first brought out in 2004. Did you replace any of the stories with new ones for this edition or just tweaked the writing a bit? I write mainly non-fiction (archaeology/history) and sometimes I look back on an earlier piece of writing and think: 'Hmm, I could've said that better....' It's harder to fix when it's a journal article but I did get to do that once when a new online journal (now defunct) republished an article that the previous periodical had damaged by garbling some of the references.
Greg wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Greg wrote: "Charles Stross has created a funny but all too true list of space opera clichés at his blog: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-......"Hey, Greg. Well, taking into account feedback from WD judge back then, I also felt there were some unanswered questions with some of the stories; so, I both tweaked them and added new content. The revision is an effort to tighten them up as individual tales and to connect them better. As it obvious from its GR listing of editions, I also redid the cover with new art work, and removed almost half the illustrations from the original, too, to keep the page count relatively the same; or to make room for 19 pages of added text.
Speaking candidly, and as to provide a little history, that life event called divorce took the wind out of my sails in '04, '05. So, after the single parent, full time job stretch, I am just getting back to myself and picking up where I left off, as I promised myself I would do this title justice. One way I never gave up on it was with creating a website for it and doing little things over the years, and then when I looked up, I realized I had everything to make this moment happen; so, here I am. :)
Any way, I was going through the list thinking there is no way I possibly could have fallen into cliches, but figured the best way to know for sure is to get feedback. Thus, the invite to check it out. It's the artist in me, I suppose--to create something and put out into world just see what comes back. :)
That said, I do appreciate the TBR.
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Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.
And this was from a female Quaker writer! :O
Greg wrote: "I like the new cover art! I was wondering about the long gap since the initial publication but I understand that now. Your comments bring to mind that Jessamyn West (d. 1984) quote: Writing is a ..."
Nice!
OMG,I love this list of the tropes of SF. Mind you,if the authors try to avoid all these cliches,they will never write anything!Is anybody here familiar with the TV Tropes website which has a lot to say on all the SF tropes? Great website to browse,
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Is anybody here familiar with the TV Tropes website which has a lot ..."
Haven't seen that site yet. Have you got the URL for it?
And you're probably right though that it would be almost impossible to write any SF without using a cliché or two in the process! LOL
check out http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...the site is enormous and can be a difficult to navigate at times,and there are so many enticing diversions,I often go off on intriguing tangents. I only look at the literature sections which give excellent recommendations,but it covers anime,films,comics as well..There is an incredible amount of info here,but they have an insoucisant irreverent take on cliches :0)
Some excellent clichés there! Does a book 'fail' if it adopts one but uses a second cliché to explain away the first?
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Hmm. Interesting suggestion! I wonder if it's even possible to write a book now without something that some readers will regard as clichéd!
Another trick....The technologies that let people walk through walls somehow doesn't let them fall through floors. I wonder why not?
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The technologies that let people walk through walls somehow doesn't let them fall through floors. I wonder why not?"
Hmm. Maybe it's the chewing gum stuck to the soles of their shoes? :P
This could turn out to be quite a useful list for genre writers who want to write something new without using any of there clichés!