Monday, April 28, 2008

Richard Morgan

Interesting rant here from Richard Morgan, which I generally agree with. Of course I found it while doing an ego search with my name...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The world of the fanboi!

Lots of silly little arguments blown out of all proportion online because they can hide behind 'butch' usernames.

It's best avoided really. An occupational hazard for you though Neal.

Kirby Uber said...

The world of the fanboi!

Lots of silly little arguments blown out of all proportion online because they can hide behind 'butch' usernames.


why i resent that! i'll take you on right now! all of you! put 'em up, put 'em up!

signed,
Butchy McButchbutch

but seriously, mr. morgan's observations are quite valid, but i hope that this is the vocal minority providing the asinine rhetoric on 'proper' SF/F

his solution is quite right, which i summarize as "shut up and read/write."

vaudeviewgalor raandisisraisins said...

i get greived as much, as the next blabbing idiot, with the funny nose network of (non) science (?) fantasy "reverse the polarity" tv, and then try to cite a good show and end up saying a movie or two which is rough also. for into the tv mainstream it's hard to drop someone in "tis so much more laddy" ride that sf can be.

it's so much easier when someone starts raving (or struggling with) about Dune to hand them Stars My Destination or even Herbert's Whipping Star to open them up slightly more to whats out there. people are just ignorant. Dune gets pushed Alfred Bester ...who??

when i've had problems with the novice or ignorant i give them as much education, books, phone calls, whatever...copies of the Sheckley movie 10th Victim.. and try to tone down my red face over their excitement of Dune. they think that is the ultimate? just wait!

after a year i give them a copy of Dianetics so they can truly take care of their potential science fiction trouble source. they are ready now. (insert laff track here).

Neal Asher said...

Olaf, it's an occupational hazard for me because I'm outspoken. I guess I'm part of the problem in that I don't just ignore it. When wankers want to rebrand the brand I've been working in for years and desperately seek the literature label by toning down what to my mind is the good stuff, my reaction is to tell them to fuck off.

Hey Kirby McButch, could be Richard is bolstering his position, since his next book is a fantasy - that 'terrible thing' for the SF fanboy.

Kirby Uber said...

Hey Kirby McButch, could be Richard is bolstering his position, since his next book is a fantasy - that 'terrible thing' for the SF fanboy.

fantasy eh?

/me straps on harry potter glasses and picks up a wand.

works for me as well. ;p

DanyelLawson said...

I think a big part of the problem is that science fiction has become more parable and religion than hard science.

My opinion http://freegnu.blogspot.com/2008/04/briefer-history-of-time.html

Anonymous said...

Yes! Somebody finally stood up and said it! Morgan talks a lot of sense. Thanks for linking to that.

Jebel Krong said...

i must admit i am sad to see richard deserting sf for fantasy with his next - his stuff is brilliant in it's own right, but fantsy just doesn't appeal to me.

sadly human nature and one-upmanship is present in every field, and there are conformers and there are rebels. hell you should see the inner workings of the supposed "scientific academia" - a right bunch of political and backstabbing malcontents as you will ever find.

as usual it is all simply about money....