The Quest for Fun Sci Fi

I took a look at  this a while back:

https://sfgenics.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/geoff-ryman-et-al-the-mundane-manifesto/

So that's part of the equation why the Hugos and other recent award winners have been boring as hell. The most important part of this manifesto:

This bonfire of the stupidities includes, but not exclusively:

• Aliens: especially those aliens who act like feudal Japanese/American Indians/Tibetan Buddhists/Nazis or who look or behave like human beings except for latex.
• Alien invasions
• Alien Jesus/enlightened beings
• Flying Saucers
• Area 51
• Any alien who is a vehicle for a human failing or humor
• Aliens who speak English
• Devices that can translate any language
• Radio communication between star systems
• Traveling between galaxies without relativity effects on a consistent scale
• Slipping sideways into worlds other than this one where just one thing or all of history is different, only the clothes look a bit better, the hero is more powerful, the drinks are more delicious, and Hitler…
• Continue at will

That's what I love about Sci Fi, what this movement finds dull or irrelevant, I find to be the bread and butter of what I look for in the genre. Based on those points, these workshop individuals probably found B5 to be out of date or very basic droll entertainment. The fact that people paid money to attend this workshop astounds me.

Hard Sci fi isn't supposed to be infected with the Mundane Manifesto but some of it is. Luckily I have found quite a few series that have ignored this roadmap and went all out on excitement and character arcs. Akin to Interstellar or the Martian.

We also recognize
The harmless fun that these and all the other Stupidities have brought to millions of people.
The harmless fun that burning the Stupidities will bring to millions of people.
The imaginative challenge that awaits any sf author who accepts that this is it: Earth is all we have. What will we do with it?
The chastening but hopefully enlivening effect on imagining a world without fantasy bolt holes: no portals to medieval kingdoms, no spaceships to arrive to save us or whisk us off to Metaluna.
A new focus on human beings: their science, technology, culture, politics, religions, individual characters, needs, dreams, hopes and failings.

What's funny is that most real Hard Sci fi will have a very human focus but also showcase whats great about humanity too. Not just focus on the frack ups like most "modern" sci fi. When I say modern I mean most stuff after 2005 or so. The Boring Rate didn't get really bad until after 2010. Based on how my own reading and recommendations tapered off from Trad Publishing. Besides Baen.

If they are going to call my flavor of science fiction fun Stupidities, then Ill return the favor, the Hive of Lackluster Entertainment.


To produce a collection of mundane science fiction consisting of stories that follow these rules:

• No interstellar travel – travel is limited to within the solar system and is difficult, time consuming, and expensive
• No aliens unless the connection is distant, difficult, tenuous, and expensive – and they have no interstellar travel either
• No Martians, Venusians, etc.
• No alternative universes or parallel worlds
• No magic or supernatural elements
• No time travel or teleportation

These guys really hate the Pulps don't they. To me, that's what will save sci fi. To make future scientists and engineers. To make something like Babylon 5 a reality. You have to engage the children in order to create the future. Forcing kids to read mundane books will kill that passion of reading. I almost lost it to a "Tale of Two Cities" in High School. Thank goodness dad gave me John Carter of Mars.Then he gave me Dune. Goodbye to the mundane. Say hello to the Fantastic and Entertaining.

Hmm, should I put more recommendations in? Why not! Almost done reading more Galaxy Ascendant goodness. Will probably have the review up in the next day or so. Keeping to my promise!

https://twitter.com/Fiannawolf2/status/1210787307172663301?s=20https://twitter.com/Fiannawolf2/status/1210787307172663301?s=20

 Read More Space Operas 2020!

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