Due to unforeseen circumstances, including spending several days in the hospital (it’s a long story), I haven’t had time to post in a while. But I have to spend a few more days resting, which means I’ve got plenty of time to type stuff nobody reads very important things. In no particular order:
So, I was taking a look at sci-fi book recs in Amazon, and I noticed how derivative, predictable and one-note most summaries are. I started to write down the clichés (plot devices, characters) that showed up more often, and ended up with a nifty list. If you liked “Talentless Writer’s Handbook: A Lexicon”, then you might like the upcoming “Talentless Writer’s Handbook – SF Edition”. In addition to listing shitty tropes, it also explains why they are shitty.
I was thinking about generic fantasy set in pseudo-medieval Europe (how incredibly inaccurate and anachronistic that version of medieval Europe is will be the subject of another rant post sometime), and how dull it is. I then started typing “How To Write Fantasy: A Guide”.
Back in May 12th, I went to the global protest thing. I GoogleFu-ed info about the protests in other cities. Tell you what, I’m tired of this movement being used as intellectual titillation for privileged people in general and white American hipsters in particular. So, I’m going to tell you about the revolution in my country, and in the comments you tell me about the revolution in yours if you want: information from insiders, for insiders.
Have I mentioned that I am a writer? Well, I am. I write mostly speculative fiction (sci-fi and horror). I’ll post about my works in progress in the near future. They have real characters, real plots, well-researched science (you see, I don’t think it’s necessary to insult the readers’ intelligence) and they are also inclusive (all of them have predominantly female casts, and several characters of color).
And recommendations. For folks interested in debunking the socio-biology field and biological / genetic determinism in general, I rec Biology as ideology by Richard Lewontin. It debunks a the status-quo-worshipping, “survival of the fittest” or “social Darwinism” rubbish that creeped into evolutionary biology a long time ago. Particularly interesting is the part in which the author explains how the environment (nutrition, hygiene, support) affects health / intelligence / life expectancy / survival a lot more than genes do.
I’m almost done reading Joanna Russ’ The Female Man. I rec it for anyone who hasn’t already read it.
Until the next time!
