SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

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message 1951: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat One might argue that all urban fantasy is dystopion.


message 1952: by Richard (new)

Richard Magahiz (milkfish) | 11 comments Denae wrote: "One might argue that all urban fantasy is dystopion."

That sounds like a challenge for writers. Maybe some kind of adventure urban fantasy where the non-humans and weird elements are depicted in shades of grey?


message 1953: by Rory M (last edited Apr 26, 2011 05:27AM) (new)

Rory M Smith (authorrorymsmith) | 2 comments It's go to be here to see what everyone is doing. Sounds like a challenge for me, and to help me see what people are writing about authors books. I am now working on book two and the screen play for my first book King Clayshon The Freedom Maker. I am also work on suspense thriller book. It's nice to meet you all, and thank some of you for becoming my friend.


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Denae wrote: "One might argue that all urban fantasy is dystopion."

I've read a fair bit of UF, and I can't say I've ever considered any of it dystopian.


message 1955: by [deleted user] (new)

Welcome, Nicola :)


message 1956: by Genia (new)

Genia Lukin Hello, new people.

I have to concur on the issue of Urban Fantasy not being dystopia. Having dark, gritty elements in your story, as well as adversarial forces, doesn't make a dystopia. A dystopia is an entire world, an entire reality, which is set up to be as unconducive to the human spirit as one can. It is the precise opposite of a utopia, which is a fulfillment of human ideals and accomplishments.

Urban Fantasy worlds, while gritty and sometimes even Gothic, don't warrant the title dystopian because society and people, on the whole, do not tend to be perfectly obstructive, oppressive, or destructive.


message 1957: by [deleted user] (new)

I really want to read a Dystopian Urban Fantasy now. Someone find me one.


message 1958: by Genia (new)

Genia Lukin Well, it certainly isn't easy to find, but I came up with two ideas that would meander close. One would be Lukyanenko's Night Watch and its ilk. It's set in present day Russia, but you have to admit that Russia is pretty dystopian in its own right.

The other, also from the desk of a Russian author, is my favourite, wonderful The Master and Margarita which, despite it not coming off as a dystopia, is a satire of obstructive bureaucracies, Communism, and oppression, and is thus a dystopia by the very definition of the term.


message 1959: by [deleted user] (last edited Apr 28, 2011 11:12AM) (new)

I've actually already read the entire Night Watch series, and seen the first movie(which was chock full of "wtf?"). Didn't seem dystopian, really. More of an "If Dresden were born Russian, what would happen?" than anything.

May have to give your other suggestion a try though :)


message 1960: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat I wish to fucking god text conveyed intonation.


message 1961: by [deleted user] (new)

Was it me? Did I do it?


YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING


message 1962: by colleen the convivial curmudgeon (last edited Apr 28, 2011 12:25PM) (new)

colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments I'm gonna go out on a limb, Ala, and say she probably meant her comment about UF being dystopian to be a witty commentary on the repressive and controlling nature of modern society.

FWIW, I find that adding emotes of some sort often let people know the tone you are aiming for. Smilies, winkies... or the ever popular *enter emotion or action of choice between asteriks*. (I'm a fan of *snerk*, personally.)

If there is still a misunderstanding of intention, one could always respond with something along the lines of "LOL guys - I know UF isn't really dystopian... I was just making a clever yet snarky comment about the state of our world today."

And we could all go "Ohhh. How droll!" And laugh together, both over the wittiness of the response, and the silliness of the misunderstanding.

Or you could just act like a crazy person. It worked for V, afterall, and that is dystopian.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. I may be barking up the entirely wrong tree. It wouldn't be the first time, and I'm sure it wouldn't be the last. It's hard to tell sometimes... *snerk*


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Rachel wrote: "*snerk* lol"

That's the spirit! ;)




message 1964: by Leland (new)

Leland (lelandhw) | 69 comments Colleen ~blackrose~ wrote: " It worked for V, afterall, and that is dystopian.

"


AND Urban. There you go.

V is Dystopian Urban Fantasy. *snerk*


message 1965: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat Ala wrote: "Was it me? Did I do it?


YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING"


Of course it's you. It's always you. Who else would it be?


message 1966: by colleen the convivial curmudgeon (last edited Apr 28, 2011 02:17PM) (new)

colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Leslie wrote: "AND Urban. There you go.

V is Dystopian Urban Fantasy. *snerk*"


So it is. Well, it takes places in a city, anyway. (Though I tend to use the looser definition of contemporary urban when I think UF.)

So, there ya go, Ala. (Though you could just watch the movie. The movie's better.) ;)

***

ETA: Scratch that. V is not UF because it's not fantasy.


message 1967: by [deleted user] (new)

I was wondering when someone was going to say that...


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Ala wrote: "I was wondering when someone was going to say that..."

Which that?


message 1969: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat That movie pissed me off to no end.


message 1970: by colleen the convivial curmudgeon (last edited Apr 28, 2011 03:51PM) (new)

colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Sucks for you. (In the sense that it always sucks to watch movies you end up hating.)


message 1971: by [deleted user] (new)

That V isn't fantasy.

Also, I rather enjoyed it.


message 1972: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat Colleen ~blackrose~ wrote: "Sucks for you. (In the sense that it always sucks to watch movies you end up hating.)"

I've hated others much more. I'm going to avoid being drawn further into this conversation though. It always goes poorly by the end.


message 1973: by Leland (new)

Leland (lelandhw) | 69 comments Denae wrote: "That movie pissed me off to no end."

Agreed. And I watched every single episode too. LOL
That season (series?) finale was AWFUL.

@Colleen. Drat! You're right. It's more of a sci-fi. So maybe it's a DUSF. This gets better and better. *big grin*


message 1974: by Leland (new)

Leland (lelandhw) | 69 comments *looks for Movies/Television Shows we hated* discussion thread. :D


message 1975: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat Wait...what? I just assumed V for Vendetta, but that wasn't a series. I'm confused.


message 1976: by [deleted user] (new)

I was talking about V for Vendetta, too.


message 1977: by colleen the convivial curmudgeon (last edited Apr 29, 2011 09:35AM) (new)

colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Ala wrote: "That V isn't fantasy.

Also, I rather enjoyed it."


I wasn't sure if it was that or the 'the movie's better' comment.

I stand by both statements, though. ;)

And, yes, I was also talking V for Vendetta and not that other V. I never watched V, the old one or the new one.


message 1978: by Leland (new)

Leland (lelandhw) | 69 comments Oh oops well that makes more sense in a book forum. LOL silly me. :D


message 1979: by [deleted user] (new)

It's ok. I, too, hated the new V series.

I fondly remember the original one, though. But I'll never watch it again so as not to ruin it.


message 1980: by Michelle (new)

Michelle Griep (michellegriep) | 2 comments I've been a sci fi freak since junior high. Cut my teeth on Bradbury and Asimov. My latest favorite author is Lisa Mangum with her Hourglass Door trilogy. I'm happy to have found this group and look forward to finding out about some new sci fi/fantasy authors.


message 1981: by [deleted user] (new)

Welcome Michelle :)


message 1982: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 346 comments Denae wrote: "I wish to fucking god text conveyed intonation."

I wish by all that's holy that people could learn to express themselves without resorting to being crude. Swearing is usually an indication that someone has either run out of useful expressions or has too low an IQ to command a decent command of the language.

My late partner could swear for an hour straight without repeating himself nor using a "bad" word. Now THAT's a man who could express himself.


message 1983: by Chris (new)

Chris  Haught (haughtc) | 889 comments I agree, Al. Resorting to foul language is pretty fucked up.


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments Chris wrote: "I agree, Al. Resorting to foul language is pretty fucked up."

*snerk*


message 1985: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 346 comments Chris wrote: "I agree, Al. Resorting to foul language is pretty fucked up."

Careful, Chris, you just labeled yourself. (ROFL-CGU)


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments *facepalm*


message 1987: by [deleted user] (new)

I...

nevermind.


message 1988: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat You know, Al, "that offends me" or "I don't like that" would be a sufficient way of stating that, unless of course being offensive yourself was your aim.

(For the record, I have no desire to get into an argument about the superiority of some words over others or a contest over the extent of my vocabulary and ability to express myself.)


message 1989: by Chris (new)

Chris  Haught (haughtc) | 889 comments Hey Denae...I guess you and I can be Roflcgus together.


message 1990: by Becky (new)

Becky (beckyofthe19and9) | 1895 comments Do multiple personalities count? O_o


message 1991: by Becky (new)

Becky (beckyofthe19and9) | 1895 comments No? *shrug*


message 1992: by [deleted user] (new)

So how about that local sports franchise, eh?


message 1993: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat all my co-workers are pissed off that they drafted some guy named Cam...just made me want cookies


message 1994: by [deleted user] (new)

Yeah, I don't follow sports that closely.

I enjoy watching a game now and then, but barely know the names of the players.


message 1995: by Leland (new)

Leland (lelandhw) | 69 comments LOL


message 1996: by Richard (new)

Richard (thinkingbluecountingtwo) | 447 comments Al wrote: "Denae wrote: "I wish to fucking god text conveyed intonation."

I wish by all that's holy that people could learn to express themselves without resorting to being crude..."


Not a big fan of foul language myself, but here I reckon Denae is just having a damn good crack at making text convey intonation. But I like the spirited debate and lovely snidey asides, please keep them coming, I've snickered my way through this thread enjoying it all.
Oh and by the way WTF is ROFL-CGU, I'm starting to feel very old and computer illiterate.


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2721 comments ROFL-CGU appears to translate as: Rolling On Floor Laughing - Can't Get Up...

Which made me think of that commercial with the old lady, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"


message 1998: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat Oh my god, what was that product called? I can't believe I can't remember.


message 1999: by Richard (new)

Richard (thinkingbluecountingtwo) | 447 comments Colleen ~blackrose~ wrote: "ROFL-CGU appears to translate as: Rolling On Floor Laughing - Can't Get Up...

Which made me think of that commercial with the old lady, "I've fallen and I can't get up!""


Damn it, that must be an American advert, I'm all curious as hell now.
Hope you all like my restrained British cussing.


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