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Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People
Our Latest Award-Winners Have A Murder Mystery Theme
How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?

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Plague
06/20/09

In reply to Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People
Ah, yes. Another comment from an old guard that can be easily misinterpreted for some cheap yucks.

I dig Banks and Co.- but he does have a point.
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Nealjs
06/19/09

In reply to Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People
"This was always my argument about sf - that generally, by abstracting it, putting it in some 'other place', you lost some of the relevance."

"The moment a spaceship turns up, you've lost me."

But put an evil sentient sword in an albino's hand on a completely made up continent, I can completely relate!
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/19/09

@Nealjs: I know! That's realism! There's no such things as spaceships!
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SnehalMarten
06/19/09

In reply to Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce ASS-HAT Extraordinaire MICHAEL MORE-OR-LESS-COCK!

And to think I've actually wasted time reading some of his CRAP.
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Plague
06/20/09

@SnehalMarten: I see you have your asshat firmly in place. Probably cocked at a jaunty, douchebaggian angle. Just right.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
06/19/09

In reply to Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People
"I am essentially suffering from verbal diarrhea right now. Please excuse me."
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dirge93
06/19/09

@crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: Aw, give the guy a break. His career is based off of drugs he took and book he wrote decades ago. He's the Ozzy Osbourne of science-fantasy novels.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/19/09

@dirge93: Don't forget some wack-ass music, decades ago. Like Ozzy.
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Annalee Newitz
04/13/09

In reply to Our Latest Award-Winners Have A Murder Mystery Theme
Yay Ken MacLeod! The Night Sessions was amazing. You can read my review of it here: [io9.com] When the hell will this book be out in the US?

Also, Mike White, thanks for listing the other nominees.
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Annalee Newitz
04/13/09

@Annalee Newitz: Oh and duh, Charlie Jane linked to my review above. [Toddles off to have another espresso.]
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Chip Overclock
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
Just like most of us have a BS detector that we use routinely in real life (and for which Bernie Madoff's clients wished they had a more sensitive one), most of us SF readers have a "suspension of disbelief" detector that goes off when our personal comfort level of "distance from reality" is exceeded. My comfort level is fairly close to reality, which is why I generally don't read fantasy. Mrs. Overclock (a.k.a. Dr. Overclock, Medicine Woman) is more liberal in this respect. However, I do generally find the stuff of Iain Banks etc. acceptable.

Of course, there are (weird) exceptions: I loved JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL, but Mrs. Overclock (etc.) did not share my enthusiasm. But it also tickled the historical fiction receptors in my brain.
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Hamsfork
03/20/09

@Chip Overclock: For, me a story has to set up, for lack of better words, "realism parameters." If the author does not set some parameter for realism for something in the beginning, I assume it functions as it does in the real world. For example, if some story uses telepathy from the beginning as a plot device, I'm fine with it. If telepathy suddenly appears half-way through the story in an otherwise realistic universe, my BS detector goes off and I have a hard time enjoying the rest of story. Every author creates their own world when they write a story, but they need to stick to the rules of the world they created in order for me to suspend my disbelief.
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KhaiJB
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
I've actually found the need for realism actually gets in the way... for awhile I was a member of a SF club and there'd be endless arguments over power systems, hull alloys, no you can't do that, etc.

it got so damn annoying... the endless rules etc and you'd end up getting bogged down in the details instead of the story.

ok not saying 'the engine works by....' maybe 'handwavium' but when it comes down to it.. whats more important the story or the tech details?
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OW-Holmes:Bringer of Fear
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
I like my Sci-Fi like I like my women: fantastical and beyond my imagination.
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

@OW-Holmes: I was so going to make a joke about smart women who prefer long Hard SF trilogies but good taste prevailed.
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Dragon_Wire
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
It really just comes down to what you want to write about. You can't complain about Philip K. Dick's works Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, or the Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch because it's the year 2009 and we still don't have colonies on mars, human evolution clinics, food induced VR simulations, androids, or laser pistols. Though I prefer social critiques in my sci-fi the author should have free reign to write whatever he or she wants and if faster than light travel helps move the story along than so be it. All I know is, is that if I need a biology or physics degree to write science fiction than I'll most certainly have to give up the one thing I'm good at.
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Dragon_Wire
03/20/09

@JustChill: Damn it! It's the year 2009 and we still don't have edit buttons WHY!?
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

@JustChill: They took away our Preview Comment doohickey as well.

Damn this futuristic dystopia!
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
Hmmm. I think I really like this Banks fellow, must read some of his stuff one day.

If I ever write fiction (and cop to it, unlike my Kaylee/Buffy fanfic) I'm going to have oodles of alien races and FTL. My SF shall be soft and spongy.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/20/09

@Grey_Area: MY SF will have oodles of norks, and will be soft and spongy as well.
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

@crashedpc: Mind you, there's plenty of room for firm and perky.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/20/09

@Grey_Area: Ain't gonna be much room in MY books if ya know what I mean.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/20/09

In reply to How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?
How realistic should sci-fi be? Ask Ian Cormac. I'm sure he'll be happy to rip your head off with his sentient shuriken.
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

@crashedpc: Ooooh. Listen to Mister Big-Time Polity Fan here.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/20/09

@Grey_Area: Says the pusher that got me started on it in the first place.
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Grey_Area
03/20/09

@crashedpc: So, have you read much Ken MacLeod...?
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/20/09

@Grey_Area: I can't hear you, I'm waiting for abebooks to come through with Asher first.
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Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People

Our Latest Award-Winners Have A Murder Mystery Theme

How Realistic Should Sci-Fi Be?

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