What are your favorite pair of pants?
I really like Indian Terrain.
But my favorites are my Ostermanns. No website, hmmm.
I need to get out more.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
SciFi isn't a genre
Science-fiction is not a genre. It is a setting, in time, place and fact. If you don't believe me then take any sci-fi book (for those who read) movie or TV show and change the time place or facts of reality to something else and does it not become a drama, mystery, thriller, comedy, etc?
There may be one kind of writing that would push this definition. That would be the stuff that is about the morals or ideals or implications of certain technology. But even that is more or less about humanity and its quest to understand its morals and ethics. I a thinking mostly of things like Asimov-ian writings that delve into the implications of AI and the concepts of three laws that guide robots and AI. But that is for another time.
What this is for is the more basic sci-fi. Nearly every star trek could happen on a boat in the ocean in our "discovery of new worlds" phase of global exploration. I can't think of any show or movie that does not have basic story play out in a different time or place and still be essentially the same. For that matter almost any story could be placed into a "sci-fi" context and end up with a different twist but the same sort of story. Shakespeare can be done in a future time. Uncle Tom's Cabin could be about robots in the near future. Atlas shrugged...well basically is placed a sci-fi context. I think the reason the new movie is not coming to production is a lack of vision for how to do it in the near future contextually.
What do you think? Is there something I am missing? Is sci-fi more than context?
There may be one kind of writing that would push this definition. That would be the stuff that is about the morals or ideals or implications of certain technology. But even that is more or less about humanity and its quest to understand its morals and ethics. I a thinking mostly of things like Asimov-ian writings that delve into the implications of AI and the concepts of three laws that guide robots and AI. But that is for another time.
What this is for is the more basic sci-fi. Nearly every star trek could happen on a boat in the ocean in our "discovery of new worlds" phase of global exploration. I can't think of any show or movie that does not have basic story play out in a different time or place and still be essentially the same. For that matter almost any story could be placed into a "sci-fi" context and end up with a different twist but the same sort of story. Shakespeare can be done in a future time. Uncle Tom's Cabin could be about robots in the near future. Atlas shrugged...well basically is placed a sci-fi context. I think the reason the new movie is not coming to production is a lack of vision for how to do it in the near future contextually.
What do you think? Is there something I am missing? Is sci-fi more than context?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Climax in the plot of the world
There are 2 things that signify the climax of the plot of most literary works. One is that the main character is alone or alone with just one other person. This is often an internal or dramatic climax.
The other signal is when all of the players are on the stage together. this is usually an external climax and is often action based although it can be dramatic.
Right now all of the players in your life are coming together on the stage. The stage is the internet and more and more people worldwide are coming to that stage. Because of constant updates and constant feedback we are all in the front of everyone else. This is the external climax.
Blogging provides for the other climax. Alone with ones thoughts you walk onto the stage and begin to monologue. The audience may throw out some feedback but ultimately you are alone making your internal climax.
When both of these are happening so much then the climax of the plot of the world is surely upon us. When the climax is reached only the dénouement is left. Dénouement, "the untying of the knot", seems like a wonderful thing given the knot the world is currently involved in.
The other signal is when all of the players are on the stage together. this is usually an external climax and is often action based although it can be dramatic.
Right now all of the players in your life are coming together on the stage. The stage is the internet and more and more people worldwide are coming to that stage. Because of constant updates and constant feedback we are all in the front of everyone else. This is the external climax.
Blogging provides for the other climax. Alone with ones thoughts you walk onto the stage and begin to monologue. The audience may throw out some feedback but ultimately you are alone making your internal climax.
When both of these are happening so much then the climax of the plot of the world is surely upon us. When the climax is reached only the dénouement is left. Dénouement, "the untying of the knot", seems like a wonderful thing given the knot the world is currently involved in.
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