SF & F Mega-thread: I had to google 'spock pirate depilatory'

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90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

https://mobile.twitter.com/gregeganSF/status/1609364217538424837

A woman eight times his size, you say?

# ? Jan 1, 2023 02:58

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# ? May 31, 2024 22:31

Clark Nova: Jul 18, 2004

lmao Egan breaks into the fetish market, makes you do calculus to figure out how big the giantess's feet are before you can crank it

# ? Jan 1, 2023 03:09

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

Clark Nova posted:

lmao Egan breaks into the fetish market, makes you do calculus to figure out how big the giantess's feet are before you can crank it

actually the smaller people may end up evolving bigger feet, according to the scientific notes on the website.

wow that's a lot of equations

# ? Jan 1, 2023 03:13

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

not by his standards of course

# ? Jan 1, 2023 03:14

WarpDogs: May 1, 2009; I'm just a normal, functioning member of the human race, and there's no way anyone can prove otherwise.

quote:

�Twenty thousand years ago,� Sam continued, �you could find plants and animals of every size, all across the world, but people only came in one scale. No one knew why, but that was how it was, and everyone accepted it.

�Then one year, there was a village where some of the children were born half the size of the others. Their parents were confused, and worried, and afraid. They didn�t know how to care for children like that.

�But there were a few hunters in the village who�d kept their eyes on the small animals around them, even though their meat was inedible. They managed to capture some small wild goats, and they used their milk to feed the children. Later, they found where the right fruits and yams grew, which the children could eat without growing sick. It was hard, having to do things a new way, but everyone in the village loved the children and wanted them to be healthy.

�As the children grew older, they learned to walk and speak; their voices were faster and higher than other children, and their steps were quicker. And although they were small, they were strong and fast, and at half the age when most children could hunt, they could already chase down the kind of animals their parents could eat, as well as the ones they needed to feed themselves.

�Before long they had children of their own, the same size as they�d been at birth. The new scale of people grew in number, and it became easier for everyone to keep up the two ways of living, side by side.

�Then the day came when the first of the new children found himself growing weak with age. His parents started weeping; they still felt young, themselves. �Don�t leave us,� they begged him. �Your life has gone too quickly.�

�He replied, �Though my days were fewer in number, each one held twice as much joy.�

�But his parents were inconsolable. And when his children saw how hard it was for their grandparents, they decided to leave the village and live apart, with others of the same scale.�

Idris�s eyes had fallen shut, but he wasn�t asleep. �When did all the other scales come?�

�No one really knows,� Sam admitted. �But I think it took hundreds of generations for each of them.�

�Could my children be Scale Five?� Idris wondered.

�Probably not,� Sam replied. �But I guess it�s not impossible.�

i see

# ? Jan 1, 2023 03:42

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

WarpDogs posted:

i see

it did help put his kid to sleep

# ? Jan 1, 2023 04:15

Kesper North: Nov 3, 2011; EMERGENCY POWER TO PARTY

i feel like this concept doesn't scale

# ? Jan 1, 2023 04:47

Danhenge: Dec 16, 2005

Boo.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 06:05

FPyat: Jan 17, 2020

Egan's twitter is one of the more amusing author accounts I've found.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 06:32

Llamadeus: Dec 20, 2005

silvergoose posted:

Anyone read Dichronauts? Wondering how good and/or hard scifi it is...

I never finished it, but imo it has all the worst elements and tendencies of later Egan and I'd read any other Egan novel or collection before it.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:31

Lead out in cuffs: Sep 18, 2012; "That's right. We've evolved."

"I can see that. Cool mutations."

Chainclaw posted:

I finished Harrow the Ninth

Spoiler thoughts:
I'm really glad I read this after the third book was out. The lack of a meaningful epilogue and no third book would have been super frustrating if I would have read it earlier.
I really like the mix of enough hints to figure out some of what's going on, but enough other secrets to keep you guessing and trying to figure things out.

Non-spoiler thoughts:
Like the first book it took a bit to pick up momentum, but once it did, it was hard to put down.
Like the first book, the memes and jokes are frustrating because they feel so out of place and forced.

FWIW Nona ended up being an "extra" book, turning the trilogy into a tetralogy. The final book, Alecto, hasn't come out yet. And while Nona gives a lot more info about the setting, it kinda also raises more questions than it answers.

That said, the whole series greatly rewards re-reading. It really is written mystery-style, and is at least less ponderous and obscure than the worst of Gene Wolfe.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:32

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

Lead out in cuffs posted:

FWIW Nona ended up being an "extra" book, turning the trilogy into a tetralogy. The final book, Alecto, hasn't come out yet. And while Nona gives a lot more info about the setting, it kinda also raises more questions than it answers.

That said, the whole series greatly rewards re-reading. It really is written mystery-style, and is at least less ponderous and obscure than the worst of Gene Wolfe.

Yeah it's very satisfying unpicking the various locked tomb mysteries

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:38

mllaneza: Apr 28, 2007; Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1993-1952

Lead out in cuffs posted:

That said, the whole series greatly rewards re-reading. It really is written mystery-style, and is at least less ponderous and obscure than the worst of Gene Wolfe.

It may not rise to quite Gene Wolf's highest levels, it's still really properly well-written, memes and all. Plus, the fan art and cosplay communities supporting the series are adorable.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:38

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

Gideon the ninth is the clunkiest in some ways, but gets away with it because Gideon's so charming

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:49

Groke: Jul 27, 2007; New Adventures In Mom Strength

Chainclaw posted:

I finished Harrow the Ninth

Non-spoiler thoughts:
Like the first book it took a bit to pick up momentum, but once it did, it was hard to put down.
Like the first book, the memes and jokes are frustrating because they feel so out of place and forced.

On the other hand, those circa 2010 memes and jokes are all in there because God and his cronies literally originated as a bunch of terminally online millenials so they're kind of not out of place after all.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 07:53

silvergoose: Mar 18, 2006; IT IS SAID THE TEARS OF THE BWEENIX CAN HEAL ALL WOUNDS

Llamadeus posted:

I never finished it, but imo it has all the worst elements and tendencies of later Egan and I'd read any other Egan novel or collection before it.

Oof. Okay, thanks.

# ? Jan 1, 2023 12:04

pradmer: Mar 31, 2009; Follow me for more books on special!

The Traitor Baru Cormorant (Masquerade #1) by Seth Dickinson - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V351EOM/

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota #1) by Ada Palmer - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015MP6WPY/

The Hydrogen Sonata (Culture #9) by Iain M Banks - $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081BU42O/

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky - $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087GJ5WI/

Gardens of the Moon (Malazan #1) by Steven Erikson - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KYHZLQ/

A Perfect Vacuum by Stanislaw Lem - $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FC7TZ4/

Luna: New Moon (#1) by Ian McDonald - $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V34YJE0/

John Dies at the End (#1) by Jason Pargin - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Q7H7JC/

Italo Calvino books from the Our Ancestors series
The Cloven Viscount (#1) - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ALJH6JI/
The Nonexistent Knight (#3) - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ALJH6ZC/

# ? Jan 1, 2023 22:15

MartingaleJack: Aug 26, 2004; I'll split you open and I don't even like coconuts.

Locked Tomb wouldn't feel the same without the cringe humor. Like people said, there's a plausible reason for it, and I really think without it the book would be too morbid for me to enjoy.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 01:13

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

MartingaleJack posted:

Locked Tomb wouldn't feel the same without the cringe humor. Like people said, there's a plausible reason for it, and I really think without it the book would be too morbid for me to enjoy.

john is possibly one of the most horrific human beings ever committed to print, but lmao dude can nail a dad joke.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 01:28

Bucswabe: May 2, 2009

I've been gradually reading through the Culture series for the first time, based on how often it comes up positively on these forums. My order was completely messed up, by starting at Excession. But I just finished "Inversions" and loved that one A LOT.

One I've been intentionally avoiding is "The State of the Art" since I'm not as into short stories so much. Is it actually one I can look forward to?

# ? Jan 2, 2023 02:36

Kesper North: Nov 3, 2011; EMERGENCY POWER TO PARTY

Bucswabe posted:

I've been gradually reading through the Culture series for the first time, based on how often it comes up positively on these forums. My order was completely messed up, by starting at Excession. But I just finished "Inversions" and loved that one A LOT.

One I've been intentionally avoiding is "The State of the Art" since I'm not as into short stories so much. Is it actually one I can look forward to?

It's The Culture goes to Literally Earth in the 70s.

(That's a "yes").

# ? Jan 2, 2023 02:43

tiniestacorn: Oct 3, 2015

pradmer posted:

The Traitor Baru Cormorant (Masquerade #1) by Seth Dickinson - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V351EOM/

If you haven't read this yet you should rectify that immediately.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 03:50

Bucswabe: May 2, 2009

Kesper North posted:

It's The Culture goes to Literally Earth in the 70s.

(That's a "yes").

Haha, ok sold! Thank you!

# ? Jan 2, 2023 06:09

Lead out in cuffs: Sep 18, 2012; "That's right. We've evolved."

"I can see that. Cool mutations."

pradmer posted:

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota #1) by Ada Palmer - $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015MP6WPY/

The Hydrogen Sonata (Culture #9) by Iain M Banks - $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081BU42O/

Too Like the Lightning is very nerdy but well worth reading.

Also lol, I thought I'd read all the Culture books, but apparently not. Yoink.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 07:19

WarpDogs: May 1, 2009; I'm just a normal, functioning member of the human race, and there's no way anyone can prove otherwise.

I've stumbled my way through the rape in Thomas Covenant. It was as horrible as advertised

As far as rapes in fantasy books go, Donaldson at least attempts to provide an avenue of sympathy for our wretch of a protagonist. He thinks he's stuck in a dream, likely a dying one, and he's struggling to maintain his sanity. It's not that he's indulging in base impulses because he thinks he can get away with them, which is a really important distinction. He's operating under the assumption that his mind is conjuring up all these characters to torture him and force him to relive his many failings, and he's lashing out

But I need him to hate himself more, to seek penance, to at the very least condemn his actions as a human more than just fearing the consequences

I will say I appreciate that the rest of the world has reacted appropriately. People are horrified, want him dead, and his relationship with his guide and mother to the girl he raped is instantly fractured and terrible. The fact the consequences are bearing down on him the exact moment his leprosy has begun to heal is actually really interesting and I think I can see where this is eventually going to go

there are better ways to create an antihero though, and it's soured a lot of my goodwill

# ? Jan 2, 2023 07:47

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

WarpDogs posted:

I've stumbled my way through the rape in Thomas Covenant. It was as horrible as advertised

As far as rapes in fantasy books go, Donaldson at least attempts to provide an avenue of sympathy for our wretch of a protagonist. He thinks he's stuck in a dream, likely a dying one, and he's struggling to maintain his sanity. It's not that he's indulging in base impulses because he thinks he can get away with them, which is a really important distinction. He's operating under the assumption that his mind is conjuring up all these characters to torture him and force him to relive his many failings, and he's lashing out

But I need him to hate himself more, to seek penance, to at the very least condemn his actions as a human more than just fearing the consequences

I will say I appreciate that the rest of the world has reacted appropriately. People are horrified, want him dead, and his relationship with his guide and mother to the girl he raped is instantly fractured and terrible. The fact the consequences are bearing down on him the exact moment his leprosy has begun to heal is actually really interesting and I think I can see where this is eventually going to go

there are better ways to create an antihero though, and it's soured a lot of my goodwill

fwiw it's certainly not somethign that gets forgiven and forgotten by the series, and it's relevant all the way to the end.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 08:44

Ulio: Feb 17, 2011

Armauk posted:

The Faithful and the Fallen series

Ya I've seen that come up alot, seems interesting what's the closest series to that?

Selachian posted:

If you liked Malazan, Erikson has started a new series in the same world; the first one, The God Is Not Willing, came out a year ago.

Ya, I am still going through Malazan, got like 2 books left in the main series not counting the side Novellas but I'll check that as well.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 11:52

stramit: Dec 9, 2004; Ask me about making games instead of gains.

Just finished reading Children of Memory the new book in the Children of Time series. I think it was really great and I might like it even more than the first. It was a bit different than the others and I think that works in its favour.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 12:53

Jedit: Dec 10, 2011; Proudly supporting vanilla legends 1994-2014

WarpDogs posted:

I've stumbled my way through the rape in Thomas Covenant. It was as horrible as advertised

As far as rapes in fantasy books go, Donaldson at least attempts to provide an avenue of sympathy for our wretch of a protagonist. He thinks he's stuck in a dream, likely a dying one, and he's struggling to maintain his sanity. It's not that he's indulging in base impulses because he thinks he can get away with them, which is a really important distinction. He's operating under the assumption that his mind is conjuring up all these characters to torture him and force him to relive his many failings, and he's lashing out

But I need him to hate himself more, to seek penance, to at the very least condemn his actions as a human more than just fearing the consequences

I will say I appreciate that the rest of the world has reacted appropriately. People are horrified, want him dead, and his relationship with his guide and mother to the girl he raped is instantly fractured and terrible. The fact the consequences are bearing down on him the exact moment his leprosy has begun to heal is actually really interesting and I think I can see where this is eventually going to go

I don't think this is quite accurate. When Covenant commits his crime he is in fact losing his mind because his leprosy has been cured. It's a fantasy that he knows he cannot afford to have and refuses to accept because his real life depends on it. And the more he feels normal again the worse it gets. The aftermath of what he does to Lena is what snaps him back to reality: he immediately throws up when he realises what he did, and the rest of the plot is driven by both the act and his guilt and self-loathing over it.

You shouldn't worry about Covenant not hating himself more, though. It's kind of a theme.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 12:55

Poldarn: Feb 18, 2011

WarpDogs posted:

I've stumbled my way through the rape in Thomas Covenant. It was as horrible as advertised

As far as rapes in fantasy books go, Donaldson at least attempts to provide an avenue of sympathy for our wretch of a protagonist. He thinks he's stuck in a dream, likely a dying one, and he's struggling to maintain his sanity. It's not that he's indulging in base impulses because he thinks he can get away with them, which is a really important distinction. He's operating under the assumption that his mind is conjuring up all these characters to torture him and force him to relive his many failings, and he's lashing out

But I need him to hate himself more, to seek penance, to at the very least condemn his actions as a human more than just fearing the consequences

I will say I appreciate that the rest of the world has reacted appropriately. People are horrified, want him dead, and his relationship with his guide and mother to the girl he raped is instantly fractured and terrible. The fact the consequences are bearing down on him the exact moment his leprosy has begun to heal is actually really interesting and I think I can see where this is eventually going to go

there are better ways to create an antihero though, and it's soured a lot of my goodwill

I've read most of the Donaldson's, and imo you shouldn't feel you need to read any Donaldson's.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 13:34

Strategic Tea: Sep 1, 2012

I'm starting to think that rape should not be used as a hmmyes intellectual exercise in coming up with increasingly absurd motivations to try and find the precise temperature at which sympathy for the devil becomes chemically stable

# ? Jan 2, 2023 14:19

Yaoi Gagarin: Feb 20, 2014

Strategic Tea posted:

I'm starting to think that rape should not be used as a hmmyes intellectual exercise in coming up with increasingly absurd motivations to try and find the precise temperature at which sympathy for the devil becomes chemically stable

I don't understand why it's always gotta be rape and not homicide or something. If you want a character to do something bad but make me question whether or not they deserve forgiveness and all that then killing is perfect! You can explore self-defense, crimes of passion, accidental death, revenge killing, the list goes on.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 17:02

NinjaDebugger: Apr 22, 2008

sebmojo posted:

The paladin by cj cherryh. Protag is a seen it all grumpy swordsman who gets pulled in for One Last Empire Toppling by a revenge obsessed peasant girl

I bought this because sure, and I know Cherryh has a thing for older men and young women, but this dude is like 45 or something and she is 16 and extremely not interested and he will not loving stop.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 17:28

pradmer: Mar 31, 2009; Follow me for more books on special!

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) by Robert Jordan - $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U3CCYM/

The Pariah (Covenant of Steel #1) by Anthony Ryan - $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PV49R1G/

Some Craig Schaefer books
The Long Way Down (Daniel Faust #1) - $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JYIUH8O/
The White Gold Score (Daniel Faust) - $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C86LWS2/
Harmony Black (#1) - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZX99WCA/
Sworn to the Night (Wisdom's Grave #1) by - $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078S7SK9T/
The Complete Revanche Cycle - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VZRD8D/

# ? Jan 2, 2023 18:26

RDM: Apr 6, 2009; I LOVE FINLAND AND ESPECIALLY FINLAND'S MILITARY ALLIANCES, GOOGLE FINLAND WORLD WAR 2 FOR MORE INFORMATION SLAVA UKRANI

Lead out in cuffs posted:

Too Like the Lightning is very nerdy but well worth reading.

I keep starting this and bailing after 5 pages I cannot get through this writing style.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 18:32

Cardiac: Aug 28, 2012

VostokProgram posted:

I don't understand why it's always gotta be rape and not homicide or something. If you want a character to do something bad but make me question whether or not they deserve forgiveness and all that then killing is perfect! You can explore self-defense, crimes of passion, accidental death, revenge killing, the list goes on.

Genocide as well?

# ? Jan 2, 2023 18:34

WarpDogs: May 1, 2009; I'm just a normal, functioning member of the human race, and there's no way anyone can prove otherwise.

VostokProgram posted:

I don't understand why it's always gotta be rape and not homicide or something. If you want a character to do something bad but make me question whether or not they deserve forgiveness and all that then killing is perfect! You can explore self-defense, crimes of passion, accidental death, revenge killing, the list goes on.

When it's the protagonist, I think there's a belief that rape is a compromise of sorts, something that is worse than theft, yet is not quite as irredeemable as murder. I don't think most authors are interested in exploring the consequences or realities of the crime, they just want a shorthand to indicate:

Strategic Tea posted:

the precise temperature at which sympathy for the devil becomes chemically stable

The thing of it is, you don't even need to use crimes as a basis for your antiheroes / sympathetic bad guys! Ironically it's sitcoms that have figured out the perfect formula, which is selfish + bad moral code + naive + self-destructive. This creates a character that is obviously a bad guy but one that you can forgive, laugh at, empathize with, or even root for

# ? Jan 2, 2023 20:15

Siivola: Dec 23, 2012

I'm not sure if one murder counts for anything these days, especially after A Game of Thrones got popular.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 20:26

neongrey: Feb 28, 2007; Plaguing your posts with incidental music.

the thing about the appeal of rape specifically is that, sexism aside*, it's a crime that is nearly as bad as murder to basically everyone's eyes but the victim is still alive at the end so a hack can play up the tension between the characters and go into the guilt and all that - I don't think it's the goal in Covenant, say, to do apologia for rape per se so much as look at the 'now what' afterwards

which is gross and tacky and its very good this isn't so much of a done thing anymore, at least with rape plotlines. I don't mind unpacking the "ok character did an awful thing and doesn't want to be awful so where do we go from here" thing in fiction but really, you have wizards, you can do wizard crime, you don't need rape for that

*sexism not aside it was also much easier in those days to just treat women as an adjunct or afterthought in your stories, and yeah sure it's horrible when bad things happen to them because the point is its bad but at least it's not happening to the men

# ? Jan 2, 2023 21:14

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# ? May 31, 2024 22:31

Patrick Spens: Jul 21, 2006; "Every quarterback says they've got guts, But how many have actually seen 'em?"; Pillbug

WarpDogs posted:

When it's the protagonist, I think there's a belief that rape is a compromise of sorts, something that is worse than theft, yet is not quite as irredeemable as murder. I don't think most authors are interested in exploring the consequences or realities of the crime, they just want a shorthand to indicate:

I think this is backwards. While murder is consequentially worse, rape is far worse as a moral action because when it comes to murder there's a bunch of mitigating or outright justifying circumstances such as

VostokProgram posted:

self-defense, crimes of passion, accidental death, revenge killing

whereas rape is pretty much always an act of selfish pleasure seeking. So when authors want to write about the limits of forgiveness/reconciliation they are tempted to reach for the least forgivable crime.

# ? Jan 2, 2023 21:47

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > SF & F Mega-thread: I had to google 'spock pirate depilatory'

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