Comments for Plutonian Times http://www.plutoniantimes.com the.furthest.point Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:40:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Comment on Talking About Science Fiction Talking About Itself by Plutonian Times » Plutonian Times, September 2010 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/2010/09/06/talking-about-science-fiction-talking-about-itself/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Plutonian Times » Plutonian Times, September 2010 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:40:19 +0000 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/?p=113#comment-47 [...] of things, instead of trying to define or redefine what SFF is, Jason Block asks why ask why in ‘Talking About Science Fiction Talking About Itself’. Tram Hillyard visits the Writer’s Apothecary and leaves us with ‘Good Characters Are [...] [...] of things, instead of trying to define or redefine what SFF is, Jason Block asks why ask why in ‘Talking About Science Fiction Talking About Itself’. Tram Hillyard visits the Writer’s Apothecary and leaves us with ‘Good Characters Are [...]

]]> Comment on How (Not) to Make An Alien by -ed. http://www.plutoniantimes.com/2010/02/24/how-not-to-make-an-alien/comment-page-1/#comment-45 -ed. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:49:36 +0000 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/?p=14#comment-45 Gregory Benford's novels have covered some of this ground, in presenting very inhuman aliens and exploring human reactions to them. Gregory Benford’s novels have covered some of this ground, in presenting very inhuman aliens and exploring human reactions to them.

]]> Comment on How (Not) to Make An Alien by Philip Tite http://www.plutoniantimes.com/2010/02/24/how-not-to-make-an-alien/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Philip Tite Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:36:58 +0000 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/?p=14#comment-44 An interesting essay on SF aliens, and generally dead on. Too often we see our own culture(s) reflected in the physical and cultural contours of the alien other. While this works for Star Trek, Doctor Who, and various other "space adventure" SF tales, I agree with Mary that the aliens become trope at best and insulting at worse (though, when taken for what the stories are, they can be fun nonetheless). I would challenge this article, however, on a few points. 1) There is the assumption that the goal of speculative fiction "when working right" is to present realistic worlds not simply reflect the "part" as if it were the "whole". This is a problem, as I take SF, in its great variety, to use the "whole" to reflect the "part" -- i.e., what do we learn about humankind through this or that story? While realism is an important part of SF, it is not the real point of storytelling. This focus raising a more complex challenge as to how we both construct and read alien cultures. 2) Moving slightly beyond this essay, I wonder about the role of "aliens" for our cultural identity construction. Edward Said made an important critique regarding the construction of the "other" (and knowledge of the other), namely that such construction is really a process of using our "exotic other" to define ourselves. He called this process orientalizing (i.e., how the West constructs the East in order to reaffirm and empower the West). I wonder if we are doing something similar in recent SF - are we fascinated with aliens that are "really" alien, that is really "other", because of a exotic fetish we have with the other? In Mary's article, she indicates that for Star Trek the "similarity" between humans and aliens (especially, I would add, with aliens serving as mirrors for human cultures) collapses the "them/us" distinction: we're all basically the same. For Star Trek, this tendency fits into the ideology of the show, the social issues that the stories speak to. I wonder what the "realistic" alien gives us? What narrative function does such characterization facilitate? What do we "speak to" or what are we trying *not* to speak to? My apologies for this long comment. The essay sparked several thoughts that I wanted to share, and extend my appreciation to the author for her wonderful essay. An interesting essay on SF aliens, and generally dead on. Too often we see our own culture(s) reflected in the physical and cultural contours of the alien other. While this works for Star Trek, Doctor Who, and various other “space adventure” SF tales, I agree with Mary that the aliens become trope at best and insulting at worse (though, when taken for what the stories are, they can be fun nonetheless). I would challenge this article, however, on a few points. 1) There is the assumption that the goal of speculative fiction “when working right” is to present realistic worlds not simply reflect the “part” as if it were the “whole”. This is a problem, as I take SF, in its great variety, to use the “whole” to reflect the “part” — i.e., what do we learn about humankind through this or that story? While realism is an important part of SF, it is not the real point of storytelling. This focus raising a more complex challenge as to how we both construct and read alien cultures. 2) Moving slightly beyond this essay, I wonder about the role of “aliens” for our cultural identity construction. Edward Said made an important critique regarding the construction of the “other” (and knowledge of the other), namely that such construction is really a process of using our “exotic other” to define ourselves. He called this process orientalizing (i.e., how the West constructs the East in order to reaffirm and empower the West). I wonder if we are doing something similar in recent SF – are we fascinated with aliens that are “really” alien, that is really “other”, because of a exotic fetish we have with the other? In Mary’s article, she indicates that for Star Trek the “similarity” between humans and aliens (especially, I would add, with aliens serving as mirrors for human cultures) collapses the “them/us” distinction: we’re all basically the same. For Star Trek, this tendency fits into the ideology of the show, the social issues that the stories speak to. I wonder what the “realistic” alien gives us? What narrative function does such characterization facilitate? What do we “speak to” or what are we trying *not* to speak to? My apologies for this long comment. The essay sparked several thoughts that I wanted to share, and extend my appreciation to the author for her wonderful essay.

]]> Comment on Ken Oshiro’s Rebellion by -ed. http://www.plutoniantimes.com/2010/04/09/ken-oshiros-rebellion/comment-page-1/#comment-40 -ed. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:43:03 +0000 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/?p=219#comment-40 317 was considered a mistake and transfered to an algae farm on New Pluto. By night he edits a small press magazine on a computer he built from Monsanto(TM) Brand Bamboo. As a reward for service, he recieved a ticket to view a performance by the Thousand Sunburst Guitars, if only he could afford the flight back to earth. 317 was considered a mistake and transfered to an algae farm on New Pluto. By night he edits a small press magazine on a computer he built from Monsanto(TM) Brand Bamboo.

As a reward for service, he recieved a ticket to view a performance by the Thousand Sunburst Guitars, if only he could afford the flight back to earth.

]]> Comment on Ken Oshiro’s Rebellion by Sheila http://www.plutoniantimes.com/2010/04/09/ken-oshiros-rebellion/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Sheila Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:47:51 +0000 http://www.plutoniantimes.com/?p=219#comment-39 So what happened to the innocent number 317? So what happened to the innocent number 317?

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