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Red Blizzard -> RE: Book of Sci-Fi! discussion thread (10/7/2010 23:10:38)
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Alright, I'll start from the bottom up this time with critiques.
First off, I simply LOVED Khimera's Death. It was short, sweet, and to the point, but the concept and the way everything just happened really forced out a powerful image. The way that no names were ever mentioned, and how the Man in Grey finally gave in to human fears in the end was great...but kind of left me hanging in an odd way. One thing I'm a bit unsure about is how this all fits into the Sci-Fi genre. The man's unique ability borders on the edge between sci-fi and fantasy magic, an interesting definition that has been questioned in another story mentioned here.
Olằsa is an interesting continuation of previous stories, with an interesting twist. I liked the wordplay on 'Carcinigen', since a carcinogen pretty much a cancer-causing chemical, the passing comparison of Orvis to the Emperor, and many other small details as part of a continuation from the past. At the same time, you left me hanging (Is this going to become a fashion with Sci-Fi stories!?!?!?) as you left your characters stuck in a trap...(Where was Admiral Akbar!?!?!?) All in all, a beautiful continuation.
The Right Way was a good poem comparing nature and technology, contrasting our two futures as humankind. The dialogue in italics at the beginning of different stanzas helped along the flow, and the constant use of questions added a distinct style to the piece. But at the same time, it got slightly monotonic after seeing one or two questions rephrased here or there. I also was a bit confused over how the androids were brought into the poem, and how they correlated to the rest of the dialogue. But all in all, a good poem on morality!
Tales of Strangeness was a nice, whimsical, cautionary tale in poem form...almost something I'd expect if Aesop had been transported several thousand years into the future. I liked how the whole thing unfolded in a very old-fashioned style - old fashioned for a sci-fi tale - and how it began and ended on a different tone from the tale itself. All in all a great concept.
Pie's pieces always make me laugh, and Why Technology is Cleary Superior to Magic is no exception. To begin with, the title is superbly grandiose, oversized, and filled with superfluous words that only a half-brainy self-promoting pompous, and therefore highly amusing, professor on technology vs magic would utilize in naming their research papers. The very basis for its plot: the disparity between the definitions of magic and technology, and which one is superior, pretty much highlights many of the problems writers used to writing fantasy stories faced when tackling Sci-Fi. I loved how much of what went unsaid contributed to the humor of the piece, and how in the end, a new definition was decided. I will certainly support your new definition!
And finally...Through the woods we go... The Prologue left me wondering as to what you guys were up to, but the moment I saw the Battle Room from Ender's Game, I got the whole concept. After going through that, in addition to Stargate and Star Trek, I can only wonder at what comes next. Dropping characters in on the stories as they occur, only after or during or before the main plot occured, made the references more believable without adding any awkwardness to the scenes. I loved the way things were written, though there was a lot to read, and some of the transitions were rather long. I will most certainly do my best to demand that Star Wars gets a nice, passing reference, and I hope to see A Wrinkle in Time as well, though I'm not too hopeful, seeing how obscure it is compared to other stories... But what about video games? Will we see Samus Aran or Master Chief? Just my thoughts now that the possibilities have opened up.
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