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Re: Why I Hate Glasslands
Posted By: Train Dodger <tmesisrevenge@gmail.com>	Date: 9/18/12 3:54 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Why I Hate Glasslands (scarab) : I liked E.E. Doc Smith when I was a kid but I wince a bit when I read him : now. (Or I wince a lot. It depends on the book.) True. With Lensman, I was actually rooting for Boskone every now and then, simply because the Galactic Patrol were so blemish-free that they verged on boring. But, I guess that was kind of the whole idea to begin with. In order to get the most out of the Lens and use it on its intended final target, you had to be as pure-minded and pure-hearted as possible, to the point of figurative self-flagellation. It was actually kind of freaky just how jingoistic that series was; it was certainly a product of its time period. Yet, just the same, E.E. "Doc" Smith laid down what would be the cornerstones of the Space Opera genre for years to come. The technobabble, the world-building, the tactics, all the little gizmos and gadgets where you'd keep turning the page just to read lengthy explanations on how they all worked. I ate that stuff right up. In fact, I could honestly say that I appreciate so-called "genre fiction" more than literary fiction to a certain degree because this is precisely what it excels at; putting the story and the background details first, and then layering characterization on top of it, instead of simply having us read about a bunch of people sitting around jabbering at each other ad infinitum. At the risk of sounding pretentious, my theory is that one of the main reasons why so many science fiction fans go for stuff like that is because our brains are, to a certain extent, hard-wired to do so. Or, maybe they aren't. Maybe we've simply adapted to put those attributes in a work of fiction ahead of others in terms of importance. I liken it to one's taste in music. If you listen to a band like Don Caballero, you might think they sound repetitive and ho-hum on the first few listens. If you keep your focus on the guitars like you'd typically do with an instrumental rock band, all you'd hear is what sounds like noodling and layered loops facilitated by effects pedals. But then, when you tune your ear in a bit closer, you realize that the drums are soloing while the guitars keep time. All of a sudden, you start seeing things from a new perspective. What once was in the background is now the foreground and vice versa. In a similar manner, what I consider to be "good" science fiction are those works that emphasize background elements - architecture, places, things, planets, technologies, weapons, ships, languages, cultures, et cetera - over establishing character drama. I like the drums to play solo while the guitars keep time, in other words.

Message Index

Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/17/12 10:22 p.m.
I agree with Williams, but I can see your points.	Rice	9/17/12 10:41 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Battuta	9/17/12 10:42 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Battuta	9/17/12 10:44 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/17/12 11:54 p.m.
On second thought...	Train Dodger	9/18/12 6:24 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	ZackDark	9/17/12 10:49 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	SonGoharotto	9/17/12 11:24 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Chewbaccawakka	9/17/12 11:29 p.m.
Correction.	Quirel	9/18/12 12:10 a.m.
Got it	ZackDark	9/18/12 12:26 a.m.
Re: Correction.	Chewbaccawakka	9/18/12 1:12 a.m.
Re: Correction.	Quirel	9/18/12 1:34 a.m.
Re: Correction.	Chewbaccawakka	9/18/12 1:48 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Battuta	9/17/12 11:32 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Beckx	9/18/12 9:40 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/18/12 7:26 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/18/12 12:28 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Quirel	9/18/12 12:32 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	ZackDark	9/18/12 12:49 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Quirel	9/18/12 12:55 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	bluerunner	9/18/12 9:05 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	ZackDark	9/18/12 9:41 p.m.
Total war	Flynn J Taggart	9/18/12 12:36 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	SonGoharotto	9/17/12 11:19 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Jaydee	9/18/12 12:12 a.m.
On Halsey being demonized.	Rice	9/18/12 12:32 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	TDSpiral	9/18/12 12:33 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Hawki	9/18/12 1:49 a.m.
Projecting guilt	scarab	9/18/12 2:44 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Jaydee	9/18/12 3:01 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Hawki	9/18/12 3:12 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	scarab	9/18/12 3:52 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Train Dodger	9/18/12 4:25 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Quirel	9/18/12 9:41 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Harmanimus	9/18/12 3:39 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	scarab	9/18/12 4:07 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Hawki	9/18/12 4:46 a.m.
Re: Projecting guilt	Harmanimus	9/18/12 3:00 p.m.
More like projecting Quilt	bryan newman	9/18/12 4:52 a.m.
Re: More like projecting Quilt	Hawki	9/18/12 5:23 a.m.
Re: More like projecting Quilt	bryan newman	9/18/12 5:28 a.m.
Re: More like projecting Quilt	Hawki	9/18/12 5:34 a.m.
Re: More like projecting Quilt	scarab	9/18/12 1:20 p.m.
Re: More like projecting Quilt	Hawki	9/18/12 4:36 p.m.
Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 2:09 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hawki	9/18/12 2:12 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Quirel	9/18/12 2:16 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 2:22 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Train Dodger	9/18/12 2:25 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 3:01 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	bluerunner	9/18/12 8:59 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hawki	9/18/12 2:28 a.m.
Agree with all but the last sentence! *NM*	Lurono	9/18/12 2:43 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 2:48 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Lurono	9/18/12 3:12 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 3:29 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Lurono	9/18/12 9:35 p.m.
This: *NM*	thebruce0	9/18/12 9:01 a.m.
D'oh, attempt 2 :) This:	thebruce0	9/18/12 9:06 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Hoovaloov	9/18/12 2:18 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Train Dodger	9/18/12 2:40 a.m.
Re: Best Line of the Whole Debate	Lurono	9/18/12 2:55 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	scarab	9/18/12 3:22 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/18/12 3:54 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Archilen	9/18/12 3:38 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/18/12 11:45 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Archilen	9/19/12 9:14 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/19/12 11:36 a.m.
Corollary	Train Dodger	9/19/12 11:52 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Archilen	9/19/12 2:36 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/19/12 4:07 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	SonGoharotto	9/19/12 5:01 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/19/12 5:04 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/19/12 7:15 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	ZackDark	9/19/12 7:19 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/19/12 7:56 p.m.
This is why Gameplay/Canon Segregation exists. *NM*	Rice	9/19/12 11:56 p.m.
Nope.	uberfoop	9/20/12 12:05 a.m.
To be fair to the UNSC...	SonGoharotto	9/20/12 12:19 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Quirel	9/20/12 1:02 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Gravemind	9/20/12 2:17 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/20/12 6:11 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/20/12 9:32 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/20/12 11:13 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/20/12 8:36 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/20/12 9:09 p.m.
Parangosky in GoO.	Rice	9/25/12 4:19 a.m.
Also	Rice	9/25/12 5:26 a.m.
On matters of execution	davidfuchs	9/25/12 7:07 a.m.
Re: On matters of execution	General Battuta	9/25/12 2:46 p.m.
The Halsey Jaw Punch	Rice	9/26/12 2:26 a.m.
Re: The Halsey Jaw Punch	Subtank	9/26/12 5:06 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/19/12 7:41 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	SonGoharotto	9/19/12 7:48 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Train Dodger	9/19/12 8:08 p.m.
Update To Original Thread	Train Dodger	9/18/12 9:04 p.m.
Re: Update To Original Thread	SonGoharotto	9/19/12 3:54 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	vlad3163	9/23/12 2:27 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	bryan newman	9/24/12 1:17 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Archilen	9/24/12 9:04 a.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/24/12 3:20 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	General Vagueness	9/24/12 3:04 p.m.
Re: Why I Hate Glasslands	Tsudico	10/30/12 2:22 p.m.