Comments on: Everything I learned about SF stories I learned from Escape Pod http://www.litterarius.com/?p=72 Thoughts and ruminations on writing, reading, medicine, science, technical writing, et cetera Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:09:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: pgepps http://www.litterarius.com/?p=72#comment-82 pgepps Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:58:59 +0000 http://www.litterarius.com/?p=72#comment-82 Considering that what you're calling "SF" or what could be characterized as the "Weird Tales" genre (sometimes called "scientifiction" among the Brits like Dunsany and, later, Lewis and Tolkien) was almost entirely invented by American short story writers--to such an extent that the existence of the short story as a genre and the existence of "genre fiction" such as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror can be very nearly (but not, of course, exactly--there were the Edwardian adventure tales, detective fiction, and "Boys Tales" as well, though these are never far from the "Weird Tales" genre) treated as isomorphic until the 1960s or so, and perhaps beyond--well, all that to say, with your tastes in fiction *content* you'll not be able to long eschew the short story *form*. Consider that many an interesting mental image, situation, experience, epiphany, or other idea or emotion may be fascinating and possess verisimilitude *if and only if* we are *not* encouraged or allowed to compare it to, nor intersperse it with, our daily empirical and pragmatic thoughts. Poe articulates something very like this as the purpose of the short story (and the poem, too) by way of appeal to Aristotle's unities. Think of <i>The Matrix</i>: cut out the pretentious crap, leave in the shortest possible sketching of the premise and the world, toss in an action scene and a life-altering discovery, and you'd have a short story--or about a half-hour movie that would be cool, indeed. Then don't make any sequels, but come up with a different, new, twisty notion to make a completely different story out of. Repeat that a few hundred times, and you're Ellison, Dick, or Bradbury. Cheers, PGE Considering that what you’re calling “SF” or what could be characterized as the “Weird Tales” genre (sometimes called “scientifiction” among the Brits like Dunsany and, later, Lewis and Tolkien) was almost entirely invented by American short story writers–to such an extent that the existence of the short story as a genre and the existence of “genre fiction” such as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror can be very nearly (but not, of course, exactly–there were the Edwardian adventure tales, detective fiction, and “Boys Tales” as well, though these are never far from the “Weird Tales” genre) treated as isomorphic until the 1960s or so, and perhaps beyond–well, all that to say, with your tastes in fiction *content* you’ll not be able to long eschew the short story *form*.

Consider that many an interesting mental image, situation, experience, epiphany, or other idea or emotion may be fascinating and possess verisimilitude *if and only if* we are *not* encouraged or allowed to compare it to, nor intersperse it with, our daily empirical and pragmatic thoughts. Poe articulates something very like this as the purpose of the short story (and the poem, too) by way of appeal to Aristotle’s unities.

Think of The Matrix: cut out the pretentious crap, leave in the shortest possible sketching of the premise and the world, toss in an action scene and a life-altering discovery, and you’d have a short story–or about a half-hour movie that would be cool, indeed. Then don’t make any sequels, but come up with a different, new, twisty notion to make a completely different story out of.

Repeat that a few hundred times, and you’re Ellison, Dick, or Bradbury.

Cheers,
PGE

]]> By: Stephen Eley http://www.litterarius.com/?p=72#comment-80 Stephen Eley Sat, 23 Jun 2007 05:02:28 +0000 http://www.litterarius.com/?p=72#comment-80 Wow! Very glad you're digging it. And I agree on Rosenbaum's story -- it's one of the stronger ones we've done recently. Wow! Very glad you’re digging it. And I agree on Rosenbaum’s story — it’s one of the stronger ones we’ve done recently.

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