So, I've always been a bit bemused by the fascination that SF writers have with Galactic Empires. But just now, something new grabbed my attention. We all know that in history, there's been a number of empires -- some of the more famous and powerful ones in fact -- have been headed by women: Elizabeth, Victoria, Catherine the Great, and so on. But here's the question: in SF literature, story, can one name an interstellar empire run by an Empress?

(note: planetary empires, of the sort headed by the beautiful queen just waiting to be impressed by a strapping Earthman don't count)

Hmm...I honestly can't think of any. And what does this say about Science Fiction and gender?

edit: My beautiful wife did point out a female GE empress: the Ahb empire in the anime/novels Banner of the Stars.

So, Mark Charan Newton has posted the latest iteration of the game SF fans like to play: doing a pre-death post mortum as to why Science Fiction (particularly hard SF literature) isn't as insanely popular as it was in the past. Since I've been hearing this sort of stuff for over fifteen years, I have little patience for this whinging, but I'll try.

In his article, Newton hits on all the Usual Suspects:

1. More women than men read books. And evidently, women's brains are unable to understand the complex concepts of Science Fiction.

2. Culture has caught up with our imagination: in other words, we're living in the future, and why bother reading Asimov or Analog, when you can read New Scientist...which is actually a SF magazine under false pretenses.

3. Literary fiction is eating up SF: Those villainous authors who get themselves placed in the general lit section of the bookstore are killing SF.

4. Modern Fantasy readers have seen Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and have thus lost the capacity for a literature of ideas.

From my perspective the big, Number one major mistake that Newton makes (Besides considering Warhammer 40K SF instead of Fantasy) is that he insists on blaming external factors for the decline in SF. He refuses to consider the point that the traditional SF genre itself has a number of problematic elements. For one thing, much of the corpus of the subgenre it is extremely badly written; it has terrible characterization, simplistic plotting, atrocious use of conventions and voice...in short, it's bad literature. In fact the whole "Literature of ideas" nomenclature is basically sleight of hand, where we're supposed to be so enraptured by the concepts that we don't pay attention to the obvious flaws in the writing.

If there's any aspect that the greater presence of women readers has had an effect, it's the problem that SF has pretty much been a "boys club" for fifty years, reflecting the interests and views of a select group of elitist white males. It can be argued that relatively few women are going to be interested in how the bronze-thewed heroic spaceman triumphs in trampling the alien culture through dint of his superior intellect, and wins the beautiful woman to be his bride (or at least gets to boink her). When you have allegedly modern writers like SM Stirling talking about how once you take electricity away women will happily go back to being domestic slaves, when you have writers like Niven and Zelazney and Heinlein and Card regarding women as alien objects that can only be schtupped, not understood...well, that's not going to go over well in a somewhat more egalitarian society. And that's not even taking into account the generally reactionary, ethnocentric, and in many cases downright archaic views that a lot of SF writers have.

In other words, as writer Alastair Reynolds succinctly puts it: "Much of it is rightwing, reactionary crap."Fantasy seems to have a bit of an easier time meeting modern literary standards oddly enough, or rather it doesn't fall back on the "literature of ideas" excuse, and that's why it's been increasing in relative popularity.

Here's an interesting tidbit: James Nicoll on his blog pointed out that Fun fact: Andre Norton's first novel is equidistant between us and the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species. On mentioning that, a friend pointed out that the interesting thing is her novels are still readable, in a way that many writers from the 1950s and 60s aren't. There's a nuge number of SF novels that have aged very badly; either the novels are built on a scientific fact that's later proven wrong (Niven's "The Coldest Place") or posits a short-term future that hasn't worked out (Harrison's "Make Room!"), and a few, like Norton, Schmitz and the like that survive. So what are some of the characteristics of novels that last the ages?

Here's a couple thoughts:

1. Don't sweat the science: sad to say for a genre with "science" in its name, but if you build your novel around some neat new cutting edge scientific theory or technology, you have a really good chance of it being completely wrong. Norton's science is at the level of "and then they pushed a button; likewise is the space opera science of authors such as Schmitz and Farmer.

2. Make your background concepts universal, not contemporary: Norton deals a lot with backgrounds and character problems that have resonated throughout history: war refugees making a place for themselves, the fall of empires, exploration of new lands. Those writers who wrote about the Soviet-U.S. war continuing into the 21st century, or the massive overpopulation of the 1990s, turned out to not be such universal concepts.

I'm kind of developing a couple other rules, but this is what I have so far. Any thoughts?

We got a new used microwave this weekend, one that fits into our kitchen better. In discussing how to dispose of this piece of e-waste (the creek-bed next door was ruled out, even though it is traditional for the neighborhood), I got to thinking.

Thinking about those traditional SF societies ALA Heinlein and company, where they have such a casual attitude toward atomic power that nearly everything is atomic powered. It occurred to me that even in those civilizations they couldn't have a completely blase attitude toward atomic waste- hence the notion of R-waste. As in: "Ah man, I gotta take the kitchen's atomic power cells down to the dump today." "Well, could you take the cells for the household computer with you?"

Of course people being people, gullies and creek-beds in neighborhoods like mine in those worlds must glow with a quite pretty blue color at night.

So, after the cake and popcorn was eaten, and the game was finished, I was left with a generally good feeling about the convention game.  People had fun, and they seemed to like the setting.  II also got quite a bit of good feedback that indicated the areas where I need to do some work.  For example:

1) Change of the names of Daemons.  It's too easy for players to mangle in an annoying way.   The same probably goes for Devas as well.  Hmm...maybe Ashuras?

2) I'll need to do more complete character backgrounds, complete with description, attitudes and a choice of virtues and vices.   Attitudes toward the other characters would be a good idea as well.

3) I tend to ramble when describing places so I'll have to do write-ups of the major locations.  Likewise for the major equipment and vehicles such as skyfish.

4) I need to do up a cheat sheet for skill use and combat, and especially for what the feats and powers do.

5) Lastly, I tend to be easily distracted in games, so I'll need to be careful of my sugar intake as well as manage my time.

And so, i need to get to work.

OK, everyone who is attending, this is just a reminder that the game will be tomorrow at 1:00.  I'll be doing some character building and finalizing, as well as giving some setting background and details at that time.  Please bear in mind that this is definitely a shakedown game, so I'll be seeing what things can go wrong.

Sandy will be providing cake and possibly lemonade, and I will make some popcorn.  If anyone wants to bring chips or drinks, please be my guest.


I'm looking forward to it!

OK, based on the poll results, the best time seems to be Saturday, August 29, 1:00.   So that will be when I'll start handing out character descriptions and materials, and answer any questions.

We have three people, and we have space for one or two more, so if anyone else may be interested, please let me know.

And yes, there will be cake.

This is just a daytime reminder to anyone who is interested in the pre-convention UTGM game, and who hasn't voted in the scheduling poll, to go ahead and do so now.  I'll be making a final decision this evening.

Thanks!

As you've probably heard, I rescheduled the pre-convention game to next weekend; a good thing, considering that I was barely able to walk the day after helping with a wedding.  I had originally scheduled the game to be on Sunday, but schedule conflicts have been popping up like crazy.

So, to try to make some sense, I'm tossing out a poll in the post after this.  If you're interested in the game, please let me know what time would be convenient for you, OK?

Thanks!

Haru-Sari: One who lives for only a day.
The Korean name for the insect ephemerid.


By all rights I should absolutely despise Haru-Sari. After all, the main character is a catgirl, and the other lead is an elf. And well, I've seen enough cheesy renditions of both in webcomics to despise the concept sight unseen.

Except, except, EXCEPT this comic is a universe away from the legions of badly drawn and written cheerful anthropomorphics comics, and this is not your normal elf and catgirl. For a start, the catgirl is slowly dying from a progressive mutating disease. Secondly, our elf, is one of ga breed of genetically engineered humans, designed to harness incredible psychic abilities, at the cost of childlike bodies, a reduced lifespan, and a terrifying tendency to go psychotic. And when somebody with the ability to cure incurable diseases or power a city goes berserk, people die. Which is why the elves are almost universally feared and shunned, and there's a powerful agency designed to both exploit them, and hunt them down if they go wrong. But there is a conspiracy inside the agency, and the elf- a doctor and scientist- has made discoveries that have put him in the sights of the wrong people.

( After the big fight scene )

It's a highly dystopic world that has been created in this webcomic, one that far more resembles cyberpunk than fantasy. And I won't deny that this comic is grim. But on the other hand, the personalities of the main characters are incredibly well drawn; engaging and likable, without being cloying. The quirky doctor and patient friendship developing between two people facing their possible deaths without giving up is the thing that stands out above the conspiracies, violence and alienation.

It helps that the artwork in Haru-Sari is incredible. This is the sort of fine linework and carefully applied inks that people aspiring to manga-style artwork dream of producing. She isn't merely aping what she see's on TV to be cute, she has her own style that depicts both the energy of the characters, and the clinical coldness of the world they live in.

( Doctor-patient consultation )

In short, this is a comic I haven't been able to stop reading, because I want to see how these characters grow. My rating? Highly recommended.


Haru-Sari
Writer and Artist: Keiiii
Black and white webcomic
Pages: 461
Updated: Mon/Ed/Fri
Last Update: August 21
PErsonal rating: Class A- Must Read!

There have been so many distractions alas, so many apologies for not posting more. In any case, I present for your entertainment a selection of plants and animals from the world of Under the Green Moon.

There is one special distinction for all these living organisms: they are actually created organisms, made aeons ago by some of the great civilizations. They are the primary reminders of the past glory of humankind.

( So read on, dear adventurer: )

Here is a bit of background: the characters will all be citizens of the Young Empire, novice members of the Chamber of Unseen Diplomacy of the Ministry of External Affairs...in other words, they're spies.  They are members of minor impoverished houses or commoner families, sent into the bureaucracy where merit may provide them with advancement.  Unfortunately they are in a department where their deeds may never be acknowledged...if they're successful.

The assignment is actually fairly simple: The Greenwater province has recently broken away from the Old Empire, and it's status is unsettled; major portions of it are strongly resisting being integrated into the Young Empire, and there's been a continuous drain of men and material into the area.  The ancient living enclave of Green Pyramid is ostensibly independent and neutral, but diplomatic relations have been severed with the Young Empire due to sympathy with the rebels.  A representative of an influential house has approached you with a simple mission: a minor historical artifact was left behind by one of the official diplomats in the rush to evacuate.  Now he wants you to go retrieve it from the old ambassador's quarters.  The name of a contact has been given to you, all you have to do is go pick it up.  And it will be an adventure to go see the fabulous coral and greenery enclave.

Permissible races:
Daemon: beautiful, graceful and equally adept in politics and magic, they dominate the Empire.
Feralin: strong, tough, and with animalistic features and sharp senses, they tend to be channeled into the military.
Veridian: green skinned and white haired, they are tough and very adaptable; one of the most common races.
Old Human: respected as much for their ancient past as their mental flexibility, they are a fading race.
Racca: Uplifted raccoons, are small, dexterous, and have a reputation as troublemakers.
Fliers: Short and highly distinctive with their arms turned into large wings, they can actually fly.
Orgrim: Large, very strong and tough, with calcinous plates in ther skin, they have a reputation for brutishness and stupidity that is not all that deserved.


Possible backgrounds:
Impoverished nobility
Ambitious merchant clan
Outsider's who's made it inside
Fostered into the bureaucracy
Civil service family
Spy for another faction


Jobs: can be combined as needed
Junior Diplomat (must have at least one of these)
intrusion expert
combat/bodyguard
magic specialist
Historian/cultural affairs specialist
Others: pilot/navigator, athlete, survival expert, etc.


System elements: mainly for academic interest at this point.

3rd or 4th level

The primary roles for True20 are:
Warrior: specialist in combat
Expert: specialist in skills
Adept: specialist in magic.

They can also be easily combined as needed.

True20 uses a damage save system instead of hit points: even the most expert warrior can be badly hurt if he's not wearing armor, and his opponent gets a good strike in.  More details on character sheetsw.

Congratulate me- I am on the schedule to run a game using the Under the Green Moon setting at Pacificon.

The game will be in the Sunday 11:30 slot, one I picked so that I'll have time to attend the evening LARPS I'm interested in.  It's listed as running 7 hours, but I doubt it will go that long.  Here is the proposal:

PR-400  Under the Green Moon: Box of Dreams, Box of Nightmares

by Eric Tolle, True20- minor variations, 7 hrs, 6 players, Game, Some gaming, Character and/or Armies Supplied

Under the Green Moon is a sword and sorcery setting set 30,000 years in Earth’s future. Over the eons, multiple waves of civilization have risen and vanished; leaving behind only ruins, and new breeds of humanity. Now, new empires are beginning their rise, and looking for any advantage over their rivals. In the independent enclave of Canyon Dust, an artifact of incalculable value has been found; a working Miracle Box from the ancient Great Builders. As multiple empires send agents to claim the Box and its unknown power for their own, tensions rise and old wrongs are brought to the fore. Will the Box be the spark that ignites a war? Or will it be the genesis of something even more horrific?

And that's it.  Hope to see people I know there!

Arcologies are constantly popping up in the literature of Science Fiction, and there's something about huge, "cities in a building that just seems to appeal to the fannish sensibility.  I've always wondered why.  Well, apart form they're being spectacular, if impractical applications of extreme architecture.




But there's always been something monolithic and extravagant about arcologies that seems to hint at a sort of utopian monomania. In fact, the notion of an entire city in a single, pre-planned building implies a sort of top-down authoritarianism, as opposed to the organic growth that a normal city has.

So oddly enough, it was no surprise to find out that Soleri grew up in fascist Italy.  And multiple critiques  of Arcosanti, Soleri's perpetually-in-construction seed arcology by a former resident, has detailed a structure that denies dissent and critical discussion.  Aside from Dr. Neutopia, sociologist Paul Ray has reported on the lack of workers rights and freedom in Arcosanti.  The needs of the individuals in the community are subjugated to the vision of Soleri, which is odd, considering that Arcologies are supposed to be a better way to live. 

Certainly there seems no element of human scale in Soleri's designs, no scope for individual contributions.  It is also too easy to imagine a place like Hexahedron (above), being divided into the elite in the top half, and the workers in the lower section; the design seems all to  useful for restricting flow of people and items.  Critics like Neutopia have compared the management structure at Arcosanti, to that of China: "based on the age old authoritarian, patriarchal model of command and control of the masses."  Perhaps that's a reason why China seems to be leading the race to build a functioning arcology, and not just their need for low-ecological impact housing.

The larger question here, is whether this is merely a problem with Soleri's particular vision, or whether authoritarian governmental structures go hand-in hand with the idea of arcologies.  And if so, what does it say about the science fiction culture's fascination with the idea?

This is a very rough draft about three of the most powerful political systems in the world of Under The Green Moon, one that's subject to massive revision Real Soon Now. For a start, I'm not happy with the names of the empires; for a second, I want to do some tinkering with the empires to make them resemble less historical kingdoms. For a start, having one of them select its leader through a contest of both learning and magic ability might be interesting.


THE EMPIRES

The three largest empires of the current world are dominated by Daemons, partially through an accident  of geography and history, partially because of their superior use of magic in warfare. There are other powers though, and any number of city-states, kingdoms, tribes, and other powers. The world is far from dominated by the big three empires.


( Common Cultural Traits: )



( The Old Empire )


( The Young Empire )


( The Charter Republics )

It's enough to warm a former drafter's heart.

So there's this guy out there who is doing engineering schematics of various Star Trek vessels. That is, not blueprints, but those computer diagrams you saw on the show that showed a side view, along with a list of major systems, done up as futuristic graphics.  Like for instance, The Enterprise:



But that's not enough for him.  he had to tackle NASA as well. And this is my favorite:



One really has to appreciate the amount of effort and skill someone put into this project.

Evidently some of the grognards in the SF field were grumbling, because YA books won the Nebula (Powers, by Ursula K. LeGuin), Tiptree (The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness), and have even been nominated for the Hugo. John Scalzi has a trenchant response that should send these grumblers back under their rocks, but don't stop there; the responses include a number of recommendations for new YA novels that adults may find interesting.

I find this particularly interesting, because YA books were what got me into reading Speculative Fiction, and some of the ones I read, I'll put up against any adult novel.  Books like have Spacesuit Will Travel, or The Star Beast, or The Homeward Bounders, or The Spirit Ring or The White Mountains are books I'll happily have on my shelf next to any "adult" novel.

I admit that I have a weakness for YA books, because they tend to have more of a straightforward concentration on character and plot, and they are one of the few groups of SF novels that actually adhere to the concept of putting everything in a reasonable length. And I admit my writing style is more in the line of YA writing.  But beyond that, YA books have been a gateway to a broader interest in SF for generations, and its nice to see them get recognition for that fact.

My apologies for posting this a little bit late, but I had a delay n getting to work. In any case, I hope you like this.

This piece is actually part of a larger story set in my Under the Green Moon world, which is a "hard fantasy" set 30,000 years in the future, after multiple civilizations have risen and fallen. I wanted to put more setting flavor in here, but I was unfortunately rushed for time and space. I also wanted to do this story in a YA style, in the manner of authors I liked in my youth, such As Andre Norton and Anne McCaffery. I also consider this story very unpolished, and would ideally put a few more edits in. Oh well.

Anyway, here it is.



( The Priestess and the Cat )

It's been only two years since the writer Jo Walton proposed a day to give away work for free online. This was in response to the resignation speech of Howard Hendrix, former V.P. of the SFWA, turning into a rant on giving away writing for free. The specific words that caused this holiday proposal were from his resignation speech:



Obvious reaction to technophobia from a science fiction editor aside, the first year met with huge success, resulting in a list of free online works from some fairly big names in the SF community. This year, the International Pixel-Stained Technopeasents community is proud to keep the traditon alive. In addition we have a some other writers giving their contributions

Ryk E. Spoor AKA Sea Wasp

Lawrence Watt-Evans

Jonathan Schattke

Please give them a read, and if you know of any other writers celebrating IPSTP day, please let me know and I'll put them on the list.  Come and celebrate one of the best aspects of the internet!