If you want something done right... - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

majalak · 22nd November 2003, 10:03 PM

Movies: 28 Days Later was okay, but an awful lot went unexplained. The Core was entertaining, but the science went way beyond stupid. Terminator 3 was pretty good, and the ending was both surprising and sensible (given the time travel premise).

Books: I don't want to list titles, because I know how hard it is to write a novel. I read a lot, but good scifi literature is getting hard to find. Seems like most titles these days are 'taut psychological thrillers' (yechh), or aliens taking over human bodies to have their way with teenage females. Upshot is, I wrote a scifi novel myself. I wanted it to be plausible, fast paced and entertaining, and I wanted it to scare the bejeebers out of the reader. All in all, I think I did a pretty good job. More at http://www.geocities.com/jeanboyle2/Index.html

Read review at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

I, Brian · 23rd November 2003, 08:11 AM

I like the premise of the book - it's a very good idea. As to the virus element - I describe something similar in my own writing, so I consider it quite plausible. What your intro doesn't explain is the mechanism for such a biological vector - which is precisely what my own work in progress makes a very certain point to explain.

As for your point about science in science fiction - certainly there's a place for it. It contemporary world scenarios it could be dangerously short-sighted to ignore the presence of a contemporary understanding of physics, but with futuristic scenarios obviously some imagination as to the actual advances made must be postulated.

Anyway, welcome to the chronicles-network - it would be good if you could hang around and join the community, rather than seek to post a link in rather pointless isolation. After all, link spamming does not work. I should know - I did the same over 1500 times in the newsgroups, more than 2 years ago (before I knew what netiquette was).

Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · 24th November 2003, 10:34 AM

I don't think it's fair to dismiss contemporary sf quite so easily, though. I have, in the recent past, discovered authors like Adam Roberts, Ken Mac Leod, Kay Kenyon and Brian C Wright who have quite enough of hard science backing their plots.

However, your premise does seem interesting, if a little familiar. But that's no criticism - I'd really have to read the book to see how it plays out.

22nd November 2003, 10:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
majalak Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 0	If you want something done right... Movies: 28 Days Later was okay, but an awful lot went unexplained. The Core was entertaining, but the science went way beyond stupid. Terminator 3 was pretty good, and the ending was both surprising and sensible (given the time travel premise). Books: I don't want to list titles, because I know how hard it is to write a novel. I read a lot, but good scifi literature is getting hard to find. Seems like most titles these days are 'taut psychological thrillers' (yechh), or aliens taking over human bodies to have their way with teenage females. Upshot is, I wrote a scifi novel myself. I wanted it to be plausible, fast paced and entertaining, and I wanted it to scare the bejeebers out of the reader. All in all, I think I did a pretty good job. More at http://www.geocities.com/jeanboyle2/Index.html Read review at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

23rd November 2003, 08:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
I, Brian Brian G. Turner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK: SCOTLAND: Posts: 8,077 Blog Entries: 11	I like the premise of the book - it's a very good idea. As to the virus element - I describe something similar in my own writing, so I consider it quite plausible. What your intro doesn't explain is the mechanism for such a biological vector - which is precisely what my own work in progress makes a very certain point to explain. As for your point about science in science fiction - certainly there's a place for it. It contemporary world scenarios it could be dangerously short-sighted to ignore the presence of a contemporary understanding of physics, but with futuristic scenarios obviously some imagination as to the actual advances made must be postulated. Anyway, welcome to the chronicles-network - it would be good if you could hang around and join the community, rather than seek to post a link in rather pointless isolation. After all, link spamming does not work. I should know - I did the same over 1500 times in the newsgroups, more than 2 years ago (before I knew what netiquette was).

24th November 2003, 10:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jayaprakash Satyamurthy Knivesout no more Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: India Posts: 4,170 Blog Entries: 11	I don't think it's fair to dismiss contemporary sf quite so easily, though. I have, in the recent past, discovered authors like Adam Roberts, Ken Mac Leod, Kay Kenyon and Brian C Wright who have quite enough of hard science backing their plots. However, your premise does seem interesting, if a little familiar. But that's no criticism - I'd really have to read the book to see how it plays out.