Science Fiction versus Space Opera, Part 5/5: Conclusions

[jade_sabre]

So, just to remind everybody, this got started because Beth and Quark were both like I JUST DON’T LIKE SCI-FI AND I DON’T KNOW WHY, and so I decided to start theorizing as to why, because part of me loves sci-fi, but I’m also with them—I haven’t encountered much (outside of the Star Wars books, and many of those are not as readable when you’re 24 as they were when you were 10) that I actually enjoy.

So, uh, what conclusions have I reached again?
1. There’s a difference between science fiction and space opera.

2. Science fiction focuses on ideas, technology, human nature in general, concepts, and systems and their consequences. Space opera focuses on character-and-plot-driven stories IN SPACE without being caught up in feasible technical details. Space opera can be divided into sub-genres. Most of what’s labeled science fiction these days is really sci-fi/space opera. There’s some overlap between the two, but there’s also a fundamental difference in focus between them.

3. Science fiction, with its focus on ideas and systems, makes for great short fiction but can be difficult to sustain in its pure form over the course of a longer work, at least in a way that readers like Beth and Quark would find engaging.

4. Space opera, while focused on characters and plots and things that readers like Beth and Quark usually find engaging, suffers from its own historical issues—a tendency towards massive series; the preponderance of spin-off/franchised series; the domination of a few authors in several different franchises; a lack of focus on writing, or a focus on STORY IN SPACE over writing that leads to mediocre writing/does not encourage great writing; being a male-dominated genre that not only suffers from engineer-writing but also from an over-focus on male-preferred subgenres.

So, hopefully maybe, this kind of explains what I see as reasons for why Beth and Quark struggle with science fiction.

Things I Have Not Covered: An exact history of science fiction/where Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs, among others, fit into this (or rather, okay, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is probably science fiction [it’s been years since I’ve read it], but where do John Carter or Flash Gordon fit in?). Any of the major writers of classic science fiction because again I’ve only read a few short stories by Asimov and Bradbury (which I am aware means that my definition of science fiction might be massively skewed). Also, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I’m way far behind on reading, like, anything, so my knowledge of authors is a bit dated. Any sort of understanding about where the transition between science fiction and space opera really begins (what was happening before Star Wars came out—and obviously SW borrows from Flash Gordon and his friends so obviously this is still muddled; the evolution of the genres between the 70s and the 80s, since most of my reading comes from the 90s with the exception of a few Star Trek novels). From what I’ve seen I think many B-movies from the 1950s probably fit into science fiction, but that’s also probably a whole ‘nother post. And I didn't even touch YA sci-fi--I think everything I've encountered there has been dystopic post-apocalyptic blah blah nobody cares.


All right, this is now officially open for discussion. Where have I gone right? Where have I gone wrong? What am I missing? Suggestions for continued reading on my part? Authors who might fit into a category of MWT-esque writing within sci-fi and thus appeal to Beth and Quark? If I were to begin a self-guided reading tour of classic science fiction, where should I start? Who’re the big authors of the 1970s? 1980s? GUIDE ME.

Feel free to link to this too--I simply ask that, having admitted my ignorance up front, people not attack me for it. I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN.


In other news, life is going well, getting married in twelve days, need to find a way home between now and then, family drama has lessened if not gone away completely, did an Engaged Encounter weekend last weekend that was SO AWESOME and am now like 99% ready to be married (remaining 1% is BAAAAAAAAAAAW FAMILY, like Goose pulling a “noooooo older sister don’t get married and leaaaaaaave meeeeeeeeeee”). And I have officially probably spent way too long on this, so, time to hit post!

♥



back to gender!

back to the other problems!

back to the definitions!

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

Comments

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU THANK YOU i am glad you read it I posted the whole thing and immediately went I SPENT LIKE FOUR HOURS ON THIS I HOPE SOMEONE ACTUALLY READS IT thank you thank you thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

also i miss you in my life i see you on saturday yes? yes? :)?

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

Read it? LOVED it. I have so many thoughts!

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3333333333333333333333333333333333333

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

These are going tobe so disjointed because I'm on my phone, but the first thing that comes to mind is the distinction between science fiction and space opera. I feel like that's something I've vaguely understood in the past--at least, i could understand the difference between stories about space and stories set in space, but this really articulated the difference between the two for me. And i definitely agree that space operas are more my taste in long fiction format; as you said, a fascinating premise without strong characters can only be sustained for so long before i lose the patience to slog through another three chapters on exactly how a metals-based alien slug metabolizes the Hubble telescope.

(however, asimov's short story on exactly how the golden goose might lay its eggs was spectacular. But again, like you said, short.)

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

Plus, i thought you made some fascinating points on gender and single authors dominating the market. talk about people dominating while shelves--the last time i went into 2nd & Charles, the Terry Brooks filled one whole shelf, then wrapped around the end of the stack and continued up on the next one. And it's not even a question of whether it not the author is prolific, either, considering Patricia McKillip wrote over a dozen books and you hardly ever see her in bookstores. And people say you aren't supposed to let established authors discourage you from writing, but man, there are only so many shelves in a bookstore, and it is a little intimidating too know one author can take up three of then.

Plus, the gender thing. I know the gap is smaller in math and sciences than it's every been (the incoming opt class has 34 girls and 7 boys), but i still feel like there's this perception that...maybe not that men are BETTER at it, but that they're a better FIT. and forgive the caps, but it's so much easier than italics on this phone.

(on that note, did you know my mom was the only woman in her engineering class? Now the splits almost 50 50.)

(also, before i forget, i read The Scorpio Races last night and loved it. If you EVER went through a horse phase when you were younger, you should definitely check it out.)

ANYWAY. Now i want to talk about Mass Effect. I will tell you flat out i was not expecting to enjoy this game. You know I've always loved fantasy and dragon age was, well, DRAGON AGE, and i guess o always kind of looked down on science fiction a little bit? I mean, you hear about HIGH FANTASY all the time. Fantasy is epics and Tolkien and magic and prophesies and destiny and the one Sword/Book/Speaker of Truth always coming out to save everything pie and good at the last moment. Science fiction (and space operas) was Jim Kirk boning space ladies and shooting ray guns at people with rubber foreheads. Fantasy had Lothlorien and Narnia and Hed. Science fiction had rusty bulkheads and that one jungle planet that showed up EVERYWHERE. how could they possibly compare?

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

(Totally off-topic, but did The Scorpio Races remind you of Misty of Chincoteague?)

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

I DON'T REMEMBER. I mean really, I read Misty probably once or twice in elementary school and never touched it again. I don't even know if I owned it or borrowed it. My horse phase wasn't very long, though--I went through Misty and The Black Stallion and these horribly cheesy...oh, what were they called. AHA. THE GOLDEN FILLY series. And probably a few others here and there, not really enough to make an impression but enough that when I read Scorpio I instantly felt like that little girl again, haha. :)

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

The Scorpio Races really reminded me of Misty! And it's so funny - what I consider my massive horse phase consisted entirely of the Marguerite Henrys and Walter Farleys.

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

Plus, I'd never really had much fascination with space. I mean, i like the aesthetic of stars? And it works as some fantastic literary devices, but it always seemed like something really awesome for someone else to study.

But, MASS EFFECT. Shepard! Aliens with properly fleshed out planets! Stories set in space but with real science behind then, and real plot to drive the stories forward, and guns that were less about the minutiae of spacey technology and more about what really cool aliens could do with that technology.

Also, Garrus.

I just...idek. My phone's dying and I'm going to have to wrap this up, but basically i really sere the appeal of space operas now. I still have no idea where to start, but at least the door's open now.

There's a really clever line in here about a space video game opening up my horizons to a whole new literary universe, but i think you'll have to find it for yourself.

<3<3<3<3<3<3

[loquaciousquark.livejournal.com]

i like the metaphor of fantasy pirates becomings space pirates i guess

idk it seems

apropos