Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 17:43:52 +0200 From: Eivind Eklund <eivind@yes.no> To: drifter@stratos.net, Anatoly Vorobey <mellon@pobox.com>, Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: internationalization Message-ID: <19980614174352.11801@follo.net> In-Reply-To: <19980614020737.A4548@stratos.net>; from drifter@stratos.net on Sun, Jun 14, 1998 at 02:07:37AM -0400 References: <199806121443.HAA09471@mailgate.cadence.com> <199806121619.JAA08857@usr02.primenet.com> <19980613212837.A17939@doriath.org> <19980613211430.51924@follo.net> <19980614020737.A4548@stratos.net>
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On Sun, Jun 14, 1998 at 02:07:37AM -0400, drifter@stratos.net wrote:
> [ Sorry about the length.. some context quoting is necessary ]
Screw the length, this is -chat! :-)
>
> On Sat, Jun 13, 1998 at 09:14:30PM +0200, Eivind Eklund wrote:
> > I believe you're missing the point of SF[1]. The point isn't to see
> > how many layers of allegories and symbols one can create, or how
> > clever one can be with words. The point is to evoke a sense of wonder
> > ("sensawunda"), to show how people could react to changes, to make you
> > aware of the infinite potential of technology and people, to paint a
> > few brushstrokes at the edge of your imagination, showing what may yet
> > become your (or your descendants) normal day.
>
> Not all science fiction is trashy literature, but I think
> Anatoly has a point. It seems to me that much of SciFi (or SF, or
> whatever the hell you wanna call it) falls under one of several themes.
> 1) the "sensawunda" Eivind was talking about. Nothing wrong
> with that, but nothing I can get really passionate about either.
> 2) cliche "woe-is-mankind-with-all-this-technology" plotlines.
> 3) in the year 2345, when there are no wars, no greed, no
> disease, and everybody recycles.
Bah. Even if this categorization type is valid, you have far from
covered all. And I don't think this level of categorization is right,
either - it's somewhat like categorizing books as "over 50,000 words,
over 100,000 words, over 200,000 words" - yes, it is able to cut
through the bookspace, but it isn't a very interesting classification
unless you're attempting to categorize how many DLT-tapes you need to
buy.
> Science fiction -- if not just a technological flight-of-fancy --
> is often a tool for the author's social or political agenda.
> I was a columnist for my college newspaper a few years
> ago, and was no stranger to getting on political soapboxes :) But,
> something about having ficticious characters speaking on behalf of
> the author, rather than the author coming right out and saying what's
> on his mind just annoys the hell out of me.
The use of fiction to describe political ideas has a long history, and
it is often much more efficient than "coming right out and saying
what's on his mind". Fiction let people experience it emotionally,
not just read about it as an abstract concept. You don't get touched
by an article saying "100,000 are dead in Sudan" - you may be touched
by a fictional piece describing the last days of one of them.
> Admittedly, many of the best (usually) non-science fiction authors
> historically have done this too. George Orwell comes to mind.
> But somehow, non-science fiction writers pull it off better, possibly
> because the characters are often more believable -- more real. I can
> care about them and even identify with them.
George Orwell is normally categorized as an SF writer. Certainly
several of his most famous works are SF - "1984" and "Animal Farm"
springs to mind.
The same goes for Aldous Huxley.
> Often, science fiction characters chase each other around
> banks of blinking lights armed with phaser guns. That doesn't mean
> science fiction won't cut it. I just personally prefer that
> the technology should be the backdrop for good character development.
Don't we all?
Eivind.
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