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Posts Tagged “

elizabeth bear

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debate

Science Versus Magic -- Is There a Difference in the World of Fiction?

One of the biggest debates among people who like scifi — aside from the Star Wars vs. Star Trek thing — is where to draw the line between science and magic. Some adhere to the idea that magic is simply science that we don't yet understand, others feel that magic represents an essential mystery that can't be understood rationally. Of course the other big dividing line between magic and science has to do with genre: magic appears mostly in fantasy stories, and science (of course) in science fiction. And yet there is currently a trend in the scifi world toward creating stories that blur the line between science and magic: A lot of steampunk novels blend technology and sorcery (one of my favorite examples is in Elizabeth Bear's New Amsterdam, where one of the characters is a "forensic sorceress"). And shows like Lost and X-Files have frequently mingled the mystical and the rational. We talked to five authors whose fiction blurs the line between magic and science to find out what they thought of the difference between the two. Here's what they said. More »

3:22 PM on Tue Jul 8 2008
By Annalee Newitz
3,230 views, 50 comments

Latest by DSTRYA: Of course what's really at stake here in terms of genre studies is how the two concepts signify-- that is, what their narrative functions imply to their respective traditions and as generic markers. Those parties interested in this debate may more »

must read

Environmental Fascists Fight Gun-Loving Lesbians for Alien Technology

Two spies, one trained in the art of lying and the other in the art of reading people for signs of subterfuge, have been sent to steal alien technology from Amazonia, a planet ruled by man-enslaving lesbians. Our spies are emissaries from a male-dominated, interplanetary government ruled by ruthless artificial intelligences who enforce carbon neutrality on all worlds by genociding any group that uses too much energy. Their hope is that the alien technology can end the eco-fascist reign of terror by providing an infinite source of renewable energy. This premise for Elizabeth Bear's novel Carnival, published a little over a year ago, is so intriguing that you'll keep reading just to watch the fine machinery of her thought experiment unfold. More »

4:07 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,413 views, 29 comments

Latest by corpore-metal: @designguybrown: Sure, stories the begin with "and they lived happily ever after" are dull. But I'm just saying that I've read both cliches of matriarchies, the granola gals and the leather gals, and I find both wanting in terms of realism. more »

shadow unit

With Online Collaborative Novel "Shadow Unit," Can Fanfic Cross Over?

Elizabeth Bear, author of awesome scifi novel Carnival along with many others, writes in to tell us about an interesting new online project she's involved with. It's called Shadow Unit, and it's basically an effort to turn the tradition of group-written fanfiction into something more literary than gushing over Harry Potter's pink cheeks. With fanfiction fast becoming an accepted way to break into the book biz, and somebody like Bear on board, we're definitely paying attention. Shadow Unit was created by Emma Bull, who has taught at prestigious scifi writers workshop Clarion West, with help from Will Shetterly, Sarah Monette, and Amanda Downum. Here's what Bear had to say about it. More »

2:00 PM on Thu Feb 21 2008
By Annalee Newitz
976 views, 11 comments

Latest by n/a: Wordsworth? That poor girl. Might as well move to Yeasts. I'm starting on Bear and find that she likes to do little research projects and share a lot of her knowledge with the reader. I think it works well for more »

elizabeth bear

War Machines and Their Children in New Elizabeth Bear Story, Free Online

Science fiction and urban fantasy author Elizabeth Bear always surprises you. She'll write hard military SF like the superlative Carnival, complete with spies and alien tech, and then she'll turn around and write a book like New Amsterdam, about a forensic sorceress in an alternate-ninteenth century New York City full of crime and magic. Her restless, weird imagination always brings contradictory ideas together in a pleasing mashup. You can sample some of Bear's talent in her recent short story "Tideline," now free online, about a derelict war bot who befriends a homeless kid. More »

7:30 AM on Thu Jan 24 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,808 views, 5 comments

Latest by n/a: I'm pleased you're keeping us informed about online offerings. more »