Comments on: The Slow Death of Science Fiction http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/ A Blog by Mark Chadbourn about folklore, mythology, legend and his writing. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:02:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: MarkC http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-208 MarkC Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:38:59 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-208 It's an interesting topic. I do tend to believe that writers should have something to say in this day and age when the other media are so poor at holding to account (though more of a case in the US than in the UK, I suppose. Don't know about Aus...) And, Fergie, nothing wrong with being a hippy geek! It happens to the best of us... It’s an interesting topic. I do tend to believe that writers should have something to say in this day and age when the other media are so poor at holding to account (though more of a case in the US than in the UK, I suppose. Don’t know about Aus…)

And, Fergie, nothing wrong with being a hippy geek! It happens to the best of us…

]]> By: kalasien http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-206 kalasien Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:47:53 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-206 Hmm I enjoy scifi as I've said earlier, quite enjoy Stephen Baxters work. But I also really like cyber-punk writing. It seems to be more 'person' based and somehow is able to capture a lot of scope within itself than a lot of the grander more epic tries at writing scifi. Very true with what you said Mark, it is the delivery of the art, the communication of the story that is of the most importance. Hmm I enjoy scifi as I’ve said earlier, quite enjoy Stephen Baxters work. But I also really like cyber-punk writing. It seems to be more ‘person’ based and somehow is able to capture a lot of scope within itself than a lot of the grander more epic tries at writing scifi.

Very true with what you said Mark, it is the delivery of the art, the communication of the story that is of the most importance.

]]> By: Breakfast http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Breakfast Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:23:13 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-202 s/Sparro/Sparrow/ s/Sparro/Sparrow/

]]> By: Breakfast http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-201 Breakfast Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:17:53 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-201 Part of the problem with traditional Sci-fi is that we have such a broadening cone of knowledge that even compared with ten or twenty years ago it is increasingly hard to know enough science to project into the future and stay ahead of the pace of technological development. To a degree we're living in the future now. Much of the sci-fi that has stayed with me, has been the stuff that sort of kept away from technology and took a more philosophical approach- Mary Doria Russell's amazing The Sparro and Children Of God or the Doris Lessing Canopus sequence are good examples. Not to mention that a chunk of what would once have been sci-fi now gets relocated to the normal Fiction shelves for marketing purposes... Part of the problem with traditional Sci-fi is that we have such a broadening cone of knowledge that even compared with ten or twenty years ago it is increasingly hard to know enough science to project into the future and stay ahead of the pace of technological development. To a degree we’re living in the future now.

Much of the sci-fi that has stayed with me, has been the stuff that sort of kept away from technology and took a more philosophical approach- Mary Doria Russell’s amazing The Sparro and Children Of God or the Doris Lessing Canopus sequence are good examples.

Not to mention that a chunk of what would once have been sci-fi now gets relocated to the normal Fiction shelves for marketing purposes…

]]> By: Fergie http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-199 Fergie Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:08:59 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-199 Hello Mark, I thought you would be interested in a similar debate going on over at Charlie Stross' place: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/index.html I personally think that there is far too much Film and TV SF&F - I live in a small village north of Callander (so I really enjoyed that part of Darkest Hour!) and the nearest bookshop is in Stirling, Waterstones of course. The SF&F section is pathetic and a large section of it is taken up with Star Wars, Dr Who, Star Trek and various ephemeral film tie-ins. That doesn't leave much room for quality SF - rarefied or otherwise. My point is that unless you use the web to buy books then you will only ever see the lowest common denominator sort of SF&F - and it is this that is driving readers away, not scientists and scientific writing. By the way, I have been thoroughly enjoying your books so far (I've bought them all but have only read the Age of Misrule trilogy so far). I have just ordered the two graphic novels (from the USA!!) and the Dr Who novelette (because I am a bit of a hippy geek and it sounded fun :-) ). All the best, Fergie Hello Mark,
I thought you would be interested in a similar debate going on over at Charlie Stross’ place:
http://www.antipope.org/charli.....index.html
I personally think that there is far too much Film and TV SF&F – I live in a small village north of Callander (so I really enjoyed that part of Darkest Hour!) and the nearest bookshop is in Stirling, Waterstones of course. The SF&F section is pathetic and a large section of it is taken up with Star Wars, Dr Who, Star Trek and various ephemeral film tie-ins. That doesn’t leave much room for quality SF – rarefied or otherwise. My point is that unless you use the web to buy books then you will only ever see the lowest common denominator sort of SF&F – and it is this that is driving readers away, not scientists and scientific writing.

By the way, I have been thoroughly enjoying your books so far (I’ve bought them all but have only read the Age of Misrule trilogy so far). I have just ordered the two graphic novels (from the USA!!) and the Dr Who novelette (because I am a bit of a hippy geek and it sounded fun :-) ).
All the best,
Fergie

]]> By: Flynn http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Flynn Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:17:08 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-198 Very good point there, Mark. Regarding what you said about developing forms of communication, I certainly feel that since I started reading SF, it's been the books with real power behind them - a strong underlying message, or emotional weight, or realistic, human characters - which have stayed memorable to me; indeed, I sometimes can't bring myself to finish books lacking in those areas. I think another problem with SF these days is that people have too extreme a preconception about the content. Rather than taking each book as a separate work of art (which isn't always the case, I know, but just for argument's sake...) a lot of readers just presume that they won't like ANY SF. Very good point there, Mark. Regarding what you said about developing forms of communication, I certainly feel that since I started reading SF, it’s been the books with real power behind them – a strong underlying message, or emotional weight, or realistic, human characters – which have stayed memorable to me; indeed, I sometimes can’t bring myself to finish books lacking in those areas.

I think another problem with SF these days is that people have too extreme a preconception about the content. Rather than taking each book as a separate work of art (which isn’t always the case, I know, but just for argument’s sake…) a lot of readers just presume that they won’t like ANY SF.

]]> By: gj001 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-196 gj001 Sat, 21 Oct 2006 20:00:54 +0000 http://www.jackofravens.com/2006/10/21/the-slow-death-of-science-fiction/#comment-196 I tend to agree without a good story and characters that people care about whats the point. A good writer can deliver ideas without dumbing down but the story has to be good enough to carry them to me thats the problem. A well written story can challenge and make people think and question, in my opinion we need this even more given the current political climate. I tend to agree without a good story and characters that people care about whats the point.
A good writer can deliver ideas without dumbing down but the story has to be good enough to carry them to me thats the problem.
A well written story can challenge and make people think and question, in my opinion we need this even more given the current
political climate.

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