History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

[Robot_Nixon]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

Reynolds' series really has recaptured the feel of space opera for me. So much so, I've gotten out of the series and started reading some of his books that aren't a part of that universe.

 

Yeah.

 

They.

 

Don't believe me? Try it. Go to any RPG forum on the web and make an oblique referrence to MT or TNE in a SF RPG discussion: it'll trigger an instant off-topic hate-fest/thread derail, guaranteed.

 

No thanks, you provided quite enough of an example for my tastes.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

In How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, Orson Scott Card* explained the MICE quotient: Milieu, Idea, Character, Event. In any given story, it's important for the author (and the reader!) to understand which one takes priority: IOW, what kind of story is it?

 

To make a gross generalization, space operas tend to be Character stories; Hard SF tends toward Idea stories. The idea that they're mutually exclusive, IMHO, came from the tendency of "Character" authors to neglect scientific accuracy, and "Idea" authors to do the same to characterization. I find both of these types lacking; the technical errors in most space opera make me twitch, but the lack of character development in a lot of hard SF leaves me unmoved, at the end of the story. It's always nice to find a SF author who can do both. (TV and movies? "Technical accuracy" is a lost cause, just try to enjoy the show....)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I realize not everyone's crazy about OSC, and I fully understand why. But How to Write SF&F has some good ideas.

[Scott Baker]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

I actually owned that. It was quite complicated' date=' but the system worked quite well for epic-level adventuring - as long as you got past the 3-5 hour charcter creation process.[/quote']

 

I enjoyed the game as well. I think that it was definitely intended to cover the definition used in the article.

[tancred]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

In How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy' date=' Orson Scott Card* explained the MICE quotient: [i']Milieu, Idea, Character, Event[/i]. In any given story, it's important for the author (and the reader!) to understand which one takes priority: IOW, what kind of story is it?

 

To make a gross generalization, space operas tend to be Character stories; Hard SF tends toward Idea stories. The idea that they're mutually exclusive, IMHO, came from the tendency of "Character" authors to neglect scientific accuracy, and "Idea" authors to do the same to characterization. I find both of these types lacking; the technical errors in most space opera make me twitch, but the lack of character development in a lot of hard SF leaves me unmoved, at the end of the story. It's always nice to find a SF author who can do both. (TV and movies? "Technical accuracy" is a lost cause, just try to enjoy the show....)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I realize not everyone's crazy about OSC, and I fully understand why. But How to Write SF&F has some good ideas.

 

 

I loved Ender's Game; still think it was one of the best SF books I've ever read.

The rest of the series left me completely flat, though; didn't enjoy the next 3 books at all and gave up after that.

 

But your quote of him is dead on; it's the mix of Character and Idea that makes the most appealing stories.

For me, at least.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

Put me down for the extremely rubber science Space Opera crowd. Hard Sci-fi being too realistic for my taste for the romantic. That being said, I never got much into literary Space Opera, even though the cinematic version is one of my favorite genres of film. I've been meaning for these many years to start with Lensman (start with one of the originals) but I'm still trying to catch up on my fantasy reading.

 

Maybe I'll finally get some Space Opera novels when I'm done with A Dance with Dragons

[Lucius]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

I'm fairly sure it was.

 

It wasn't.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palinromedary and I are both certain of that.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

So... am I going to have put up with this $h!+ for another 25 years?

[Guest dr. strangelove]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

Great link, thanks.

[Lucius]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

So... am I going to have put up with this $h!+ for another 25 years?

 

Only if you want to. You do have a choice.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I'd like to put up with palindromedaries for a few more centuries.

[Nolgroth]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

So... am I going to have put up with this $h!+ for another 25 years?

So, having missed the whole Traveller Edition Wars, was it sort of a "Tastes Great, Less Filling" sort of argument.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

So' date=' having missed the whole Traveller Edition Wars, was it sort of a "Tastes Great, Less Filling" sort of argument. [/quote']

 

It was more of a "Your favorite (version of my) game sucks!" thing, cranked up to 11... thousand.

[Nolgroth]

Re: History of Space Opera, aka Finally an io9 article that doesn't suck.

 

I always forget how humor falls flat over the internet. Sorry 'bout that.