Pokemon Park Dilemma

[AnyaKimlin]

My book is set in 2016. I have written several park scenes but I wrote them before Pokemon Go came out... I tend to steer clear of recent pop culture references but... can I legitimately write a park scene this year without it?

 

[Zebra Wizard]

just say "theres a group of people hanging around with their phones as usual" without mentioning pokemon go?

Alternatively wait a few months and the whole thing might just die off (i read that it is a shallow game at this current stage)

 

[AnyaKimlin]

just say "theres a group of people hanging around with their phones as usual" without mentioning pokemon go?

Alternatively wait a few months and the whole thing might just die off (i read that it is a shallow game at this current stage)

I haven't really got the months. If my children are anything to go by I suspect its got a good bit more to run. A lot of them have grown up with Pokemon.

Book is set specifically in the summer of 2016 as it is 55 years after the previous sacrifice.

 

[VinceK]

You don't say which age group your book is aimed at, if it's teenagers then a reference to social trends may be appropriate. The problem is that if you follow social trends too closely your book will date very quickly. This could affect your readership because your target audience will have moved on to the next trend. As @Zebra Wizard has mentioned it is probably better to stick with generic references.

 

[Zebra Wizard]

But now that i think more on it. If i read a book about the 2000s, and I saw mention of people with their tamagotchis (though not needing to mention the actual name of it) then it would bring a certain authenticity about it.

But as i said before, I unnecessary to actually name the thing, but just a wink and a nod would be enough since those who remember it would know, and those who don't, won't get confused.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

You don't say which age group your book is aimed at, if it's teenagers then a reference to social trends may be appropriate. The problem is that if you follow social trends too closely your book will date very quickly. This could affect your readership because your target audience will have moved on to the next trend. As @Zebra Wizard has mentioned it is probably better to stick with generic references.

The book will date anyway. There's not much I can do about it as it has to be set 55 years after 1961.

But my MC is 68 - other VP characters are 44-49. There are teens and children in the book and my teen readers are enjoying have a gay MC in his 60s. Apparently that is great to see. Although I'm not marketing my MCs orientation.

But now that i think more on it. If i read a book about the 2000s, and I saw mention of people with their tamagotchis (though not needing to mention the actual name of it) then it would bring a certain authenticity about it.

But as i said before, I unnecessary to actually name the thing, but just a wink and a nod would be enough since those who remember it would know, and those who don't, won't get confused.

I'm wondering how many years in the future we'd have to go to have a confused average fantasy reader?

I'm umming and ahhing because one of my characters would be the sort to join in so I could use him to explain it. My MC wouldn't have a clue he has to hand his smartphone to other people to use it.

 

[Dave Barsby]

I'd have mention of it. The summer of 2016 is pretty much over now so you know what's happened, and detail will only make it more grounded

 

[Overread]

I would think quad-copters more something to consider than Pokemon Go - the copters being louder and more invasive - however you could easily leave them out and no one would miss them.

. Pokemon Go to those not involved is just people with their phones out; which is likely something you've got already. At most you might consider a token scene of a few kids running around playing with their phones (see not mentioned Pokemon Go - but anyone in-tune with that will think its GO whilst others might assume its something else).

 

[Zebra Wizard]

Pokemon Go to those not involved is just people with their phones out; which is likely something you've got already. At most you might consider a token scene of a few kids running around playing with their phones (see not mentioned Pokemon Go - but anyone in-tune with that will think its GO whilst others might assume its something else).

Yea, I don't think it would be interesting to a reader who doesn't know what it is, to have to listen to a character explain it. I don't expect any younger readers to care what a tamagotchi is because it has no relevance in this day and age. It's like listening to another generation talking about a child's cartoon that you never watched.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I'd avoid it like the plague. Imagine reading a book set in 1985 with Sinclair C5s zipping around, or Beanie Babies in 1995, or other irrelevant pop culture things. I'm a very forgiving reader but things like this make me cringe. I think the only thing in this way that works is classics such as Star Wars (references to Darth Vader abound in horror for some reason ) or Marilyn Monroe/Silver Screen stuff.

Even referencing the Twin Towers' destruction on Sep 11 makes me feel a bit like a cop out, or... I don't know. Probably one of my foibles (along with always insisting on a room with a view, instead of which I am invariably given two rooms, without a view, and very far apart)

pH

 

[Dave Barsby]

I'd avoid it like the plague. Imagine reading a book set in 1985 with Sinclair C5s zipping around, or Beanie Babies in 1995, or other irrelevant pop culture things. I'm a very forgiving reader but things like this make me cringe. I think the only thing in this way that works is classics such as Star Wars (references to Darth Vader abound in horror for some reason ) or Marilyn Monroe/Silver Screen stuff.

Even referencing the Twin Towers' destruction on Sep 11 makes me feel a bit like a cop out, or... I don't know. Probably one of my foibles (along with always insisting on a room with a view, instead of which I am invariably given two rooms, without a view, and very far apart)

pH

In sci-fi and fantasy stories technologies, events and popular occurences are mentioned - it's part of world-building. The only difference here is we have hindsight so we know this stuff is real, not made up.

And saying classics are acceptable surely depends on your definition of a classic - I'm fairly convinced that when my niece grows up she'll see Minecraft as more of a classic thing than Darth Vader.

 

[Phyrebrat]

In sci-fi and fantasy stories technologies, events and popular occurences are mentioned - it's part of world-building. The only difference here is we have hindsight so we know this stuff is real, not made up.

And saying classics are acceptable surely depends on your definition of a classic - I'm fairly convinced that when my niece grows up she'll see Minecraft as more of a classic thing than Darth Vader.

And I'm sure it will be very popular, yes...in 30 years. My point is it's a risk and dates a book even if the book is set at a certain period - if that makes any sense(!).

Author-created tech or made-up iconic pop stuff in SFF does not have a cultural capital for anyone outside of the author's characters. Therefore it's immune to criticism other than readers who just don't like it.

I say this as someone who avoids using brand names - and that's difficult in this day and age when writing urban horror - but in 50 years' time I don't want to have to explain why my joke about Betamax is so funny!

If I included a character talking of Beau Brummel's fabulous style in my wip, it would be contrived, incongruous and, I daresay, pretentious of me.

And one final point... Does Nintendo need any free advertising from Anya?

pH

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I'd avoid it like the plague. Imagine reading a book set in 1985 with Sinclair C5s zipping around, or Beanie Babies in 1995, or other irrelevant pop culture things. I'm a very forgiving reader but things like this make me cringe. I think the only thing in this way that works is classics such as Star Wars (references to Darth Vader abound in horror for some reason ) or Marilyn Monroe/Silver Screen stuff.

I quite like that kind of thing in stories - something that grounds them when they are set. Although I don't really remember ever seeing a C5 in real life... I have realised it's not a dilemma until the next book as the first one is May-June - second one is June-July.

I don't think you can avoid dating a book with technology. A book of the same period as the C5 might have a carphone, a word processor, a typewriter or a cassette player. Pokemon have been around a good part of my life.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I know. It's one of those preference things when you boil it down. I'd just recommend the equivalent of saying 'smartphone' instead of 'IPhone'.

pH

 

[Steven Sorrels]

I know. It's one of those preference things when you boil it down. I'd just recommend the equivalent of saying 'smartphone' instead of 'IPhone'.

pH

This. You could explain the Pokémon gaming experience by using something along the lines of, "Augmented reality games had just become the latest craze," etc. Thus avoiding becoming too specific.

 

[Overread]

Thing is whilst most people would have an idea what Pokemon GO was and could easily look it up (if it were the future and they had no idea); the term "augmented reality" really means nothing on its own. It will spark all kinds of thoughts in different peoples minds and in todays world they'd start thinking "Wait am I reading a sci-fi alternate reality".

This deserves to be simple - even just "kids playing on their phones" is all you really need unless you actually want it to be an important part of the story and narrative or the setting.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

This deserves to be simple - even just "kids playing on their phones" is all you really need unless you actually want it to be an important part of the story and narrative or the setting.

It does fit rather neatly into the story. "Are demons real" and I have a character who I imagine would play it with his kids. I'll give it some thoughts later.

 

[Overread]

If its going to become more of a theme even if its just part of happy family life then by all means I would not only include it but describe it. Describing would be tricky as in todays world any in-depth description would be wasted as many would either not be interested in such or would already be aware. As such I'd describe it from the angle of the describing the event and interaction itself. This also means that you can show how it works; show what it does and interweave that into how the characters are interacting with it and each other.
That sets it up as a nice bit of family life and story coupled with letting you drop a few subtle hints or focusing on specific aspects or actions that might come to the fore for your "are demons real" angle.