  Fantasy
This week: Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
-Arthur C. Clarke
In my house, any sufficiently advanced technology is broken, and no one knows how to fix it.
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Hi folks! I'm Robert Waltz and I'm a new full-time editor of this here Fantasy newsletter.
I'm a long-time reader of fantasy and science fiction, having spent much of my free time reading such authors as Robert A. Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Larry Niven, Alan Dean Foster, Orson Scott Card, Piers Anthony and many others. And yet, I haven't written much fantasy or science fiction, myself.
I'm hoping that my work here on this newsletter will not only help you put your own writing in perspective and introduce you to authors and items you might not otherwise see, but also to improve my own work in these different, yet related, genres. I expect that my personal focus here will be more on science fiction than fantasy, though most of the techniques of writing one can apply to the other.
Consider that both genres involve: world and society design; scenarios we don't encounter here in the real world; and, often, the depiction of nonhuman races and cultures. It can sometimes be very difficult to tell one from the other and, often, it just doesn't matter. For example, the Star Wars movies properly belong in the fantasy genre - the presence of standard science fiction props such as blasters, spaceships and aliens doesn't change that. But who cares? Millions of people love the story. And many authors have done crossovers; one of my favorites has a series that starts out as classic fantasy, but it becomes clear over the course of the series that it's set on another world, millions of years in our future - and implies that much of what they apply as magic is fueled by advanced technology. Orson Scott Card once said that you can tell the difference because fantasy covers have trees, while science fiction covers have rivets. And I once set a fantasy role-playing game on a version of Larry Niven's Ringworld.
But enough about me. In future issues, I'll be exploring some "strange new worlds," but for now let's take a look at the fruits of others' exploration. |
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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While this is my first shot at this newsletter as a regular editor, I had a guest spot here in December, where I wrote about incorporating comic elements into fantasy stories. This garnered one response:
mw1993 wrote: I use humour sparingly in my stories - generally, I use smartassed remarks. I'm a big fan of sarcasm and I like to have a character who is witty.
As anyone who follows the Comedy newsletter knows, I'm a big fan of funny. While it certainly doesn't belong everywhere - it can ruin a good dark tale about pathos and death, for example - it does help to hold readers' interest to throw in a few funnybones here and there, and that includes smartassed remarks. After all, it's better to be a smartass than a dumbass!
And now, a question for you: is there anything in specific you want to see in my Fantasy (and science fiction) newsletters? Write in, and at least let me know you're reading this! Until next time...
DREAM ON! |
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Fantasy: February 20, 2008 Issue [#2237]
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