# Pressing Issues (Not Maurice Chavez)



## NSMike (Jun 29, 2005)

What concerns the Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan the most today in regards to the genres?

What does the intelligent Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan have to say about the culture of creative stagnation we live in now?  (i.e. Wheel of Time ad nauseum, any new movies made are all trilogies/remakes, unmitigated reality show rip-offs, and the reality show rut that TV is in, cookie cutter rap/pop/country music artists, etc.)


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jun 29, 2005)

Well, I think there needs to be a moratorium on series for a while! Let the writers prove they can finish a single story in a single book before dragging people into something more extensive. Then again, that would automatically disqualify Steven Erikson, whom I happen to enjoy immensely, so....

I used to worry about the state of fantasy a lot, but since then I've discovered a whole new 'wave' of very talented and original writers (I won't repeat names at this point - suffice it to say that both Ainulindale and I keep mentioning these people) and I've realised that the genre is a lot like rock music, another great enthusiasm of mine. The stuff on the charts, and that dominate most mainstreal attention may be pabulum - for the most part - but if you're willing to look and experiment, you'll find works that appeal to you. 

While the Fantasy Masterworks series has brought a lot of key texts back in print, I'd like to see authentic, affordable editions of older fantasy authors like Robert E Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Tanith Lee, Lin Carter, AA Merritt and the likes back in print. Many of their work is basically pulp, but these are great stories that helped shape the genre, and are for the most part still immense fun to read. 

Coming to SF - personally I think it's in a pretty healthy shape as a genre. I don't see any lessening in the variety of future visions being explored, and with a good combination of established writers continuing to deliver and new talents rapidly establishing themselves as here to stay, I think there's enough to keep me happy. 

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## Stalker (Jun 29, 2005)

Agreed! Lat's ban the series! 
In fact certain kind of stagnation exists but the diversity of the authors and genres every day suggests quite interesting and original authors with fresh ideas basing on 5 or 6 plots, as old as world.
Subjectively, SF has preserved in its purity, probably only in UK. US and Russian SF authors in general socialise the above genre. But even one of the most talented SF authors Peter Hamilton in his _Night's Dawn_ trilogy uses the trick with _Deus Ex Machina_ to accomplish his series ... How many times the editors reject probably talented works because not being marketable?


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## Winters_Sorrow (Jun 29, 2005)

What? This isn't a GTA thread?? 

My main problem (and it appears more in fantasy than sci-fi in my experience - not sure why? Maybe the cross-pollination that Stalker mentioned is more prevalent in Fantasy circles) is that authors get 'stuck' writing novels and stories based on their previous work and don't tell "new" stories. 
I can see _why_. I just don't like it. Additional stories can flesh out a universe and create new loved characters, but once this stretches on, I find myself unhappy at an author I like only telling 1 story with different characters but the same places.
You lose the appeal of the 'new'.
A positive aspect of this is that it forces me to go out and seek new authors, but often they then fall into this trap. 
As I say, I can see why - publishers want a "sure-fire" hit with an existing fanbase rather than risk it on finding a new one and this pressurises the author to write the stories the publishers want as opposed to just writing a story they want to.

As for sci-fi, I don't read as much of it as I would like to, mainly because I can't find new books with as compelling a story as some of the older works. Possibly the scarcity of new ideas NSMike mentioned. It seems all sci-fi stories have robots or clones or warp drive. The only recent sci-fi novels I've enjoyed have been the Praxis series by Walter Jon Williams as I felt he injected some much needed 'realism' back into the genre. 
I'll have to pay more attention to some of the recommendations people have posted on here, because I get suckered into buying the displayed books and end up reading sub-standard rehashed stories that are 'flavour of the month'

Anyway, that's my 2c


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## NSMike (Jun 29, 2005)

Somebody got my Maurice Chavez joke.


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