# whats do you want?



## astounding (Nov 25, 2004)

so many people are always complaining of something missing in the books or magazines that they read.  I, being an aspiring writer who hopes to make it big some day would like to know what you, as a reader or as general public opinion, would like to know what you would like to read about.  i.e.   is science a must in the books or short stories you read?   Do you want to see more exploring, alien cultures, politics?   what is it that we want as readers and writers??


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## AmonRa (Nov 25, 2004)

i'd like to see a movie, or a game or a book (well i dont read that many books, but deffinetly in games and film  )  which isnt full of cliches, where every story is exactly the same, with similar characters, similar enmies etc etc.   for example, have you ever noticed that most bad guys are either big bad firery demons, with big wings, long horns and hoofs for feet, or, an evil ruler who is evil, just for the sake of the plot, and has magic powers, for some reason Oo, and unfortunatly for the hero, this evil vilain happens to have a giant army following him in his back yard.


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## Kassad (Nov 25, 2004)

Imagination

I mean less anthropomorphism, chronomorphism (and all the -morphism you can think of). In so many SF stories you just replace "planet" by "country", "president of the galactic federation" by "president of the US of A", "jedi" by "FBI agents" etc and you get a contemporary story.
The good ones are allway western looking and thinking. Democracy as we know it is always the best system . I'd like to see more inovative political systems like the "Culture" described by Iain Banks and please also avoid barely masked simplified referencies to our time.

Good luck 

Oh and I also agree with all what Astounding said.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 25, 2004)

I demand to be challenged - predicatability is the worst. I feel like I can spot most plot devices and how they unfold, so if a writer does feel a need to employ one, I expect the writer to deliver it in a more imaginative way than I'd expect.

Also - I want to encounter intelligent and meaningful ideas if possible.


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## Princess Ivy (Nov 26, 2004)

and write well. so many great ideas are wasted because they are badly written! it puts me off no end.
and don't be boring. but not to much action. i don't want a dry narative of i went there, punched the man and went home (to dry) 
i'm not very demanding, don't even stick to one gendre. but all of the books that i read must reach those criteria


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## hodor (Nov 28, 2004)

I said:
			
		

> I demand to be challenged - predicatability is the worst. I feel like I can spot most plot devices and how they unfold, so if a writer does feel a need to employ one, I expect the writer to deliver it in a more imaginative way than I'd expect.
> 
> Also - I want to encounter intelligent and meaningful ideas if possible.


that pretty much sums it up. i can give a few decent example of books that were fairly unpredictable and well written: song of fire and ice series, hobbs liveship traders series, empire series by fiest and wurts.

an expample in my opinion of a poor series in melanie rawns dragon star series. it was soo obvious to me the basic things that would happen by the end by all the obvious hints rawn dropped earlier in the series and you know it had to turn out happily ever after for everyone :/

another big issue in fantasy at least for me is alot of books are written for younger crowd and as i read i find some of it cheesy. i appreciate an author's ability to make his book mature, use big words and small words together, and not to be afraid piss the reader off. at times i love to be pissed at what happens in a book.


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## The Master™ (Nov 28, 2004)

personally, i enjoy nice unexpected twists... i also like something that is easy to read and doesn't use over done description... i like to be entertained with imagery, and i'll skip paragraphs and pages of unnecessary description...


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## scalem X (Nov 28, 2004)

Look it's hard to say what one wants, we can only say what we don't want.
 We want something new, but if we can tell exactly how it have to be, it won't be new right?

 So you should try and write and listen to the reactions, that's all you can do.


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## astounding (Nov 28, 2004)

It is obvious to me that not everyone can be satisfied, it was not my implication that I nor anyone else could ultimatley do so either. It was purely my inquisitive nature to know or want to know what people who read and write the same material I do would like to see. I do appreciate all points of view and still find myself wanting for some reason. now, pick an author who wrote a book that you found to be in a class all by itself at the top of your list of favorite books and series, and tell me why you liked the book or series so, what caught your attention the most about it and what you would change, if anything, in the book, I'll start.

I find most all of Isaac Asimov's work quite in a literary class of itself. The Foundation series is my all time favorite series. Never have I read a more indulging series. The twists were all so brilliant! I loved how the books always ended in ways that would leave you closing the final page and staring at the cover of the book wondering "how in the hell did he come up with that?!" The most long lasting character in my mind was the MULE. Simply amazing how this mans minds work, for those of you who read this series you'll remember who I'm talking about, the main "bad guy" in the book, foundation and empire. It also makes me wonder if a story of a "bad guy" could be made into a good book.


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## Circus Cranium (Nov 30, 2004)

Characterization, characterization, characterization. Too many novel I read lately, while stylistically brilliant, lack character development. If I don't care about these people, I'm not going to follow the story. If you get me hooked on these characters, even make me love them (protagonist as well), then I'll follow you for a thousand pages.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 30, 2004)

The people have got to do plot though - this is a prime criticism I've thronw at George R R Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" - the characters are great, but often the events they are involved with are entirely peripheral to the actual plot of the book. I followed him for approx. 1,600 pages, and can't do so anymore.

Same with Peter F Hamilton - small plot heavily bulked up with peripheral character action.

Characterisation and plot should go together like loving partners - but too often recently I've seen focus on the former without the latter.


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## astounding (Dec 1, 2004)

like lovers?....damn I shoulda come up with that!!  ahahaha  thats the best thing I've heard all week.


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