preservation would want this Argent and the Changing of the Profile Pic (Poll)

[The Invested Beard]

17 minutes ago, Kaymyth said:

You know, there aren't actually many Sharders who are older than I am. So many young whippersnappers around here. And then there's me, growing out my henna so I can have wildly colored midlife crisis hair.

This is...hilarious on so many levels.

17th Shard - the place that decided just because I'm not gonna gestate any kids doesn't mean they can't just decide that I'm the Mom anyway.

That reminds me. Can I have the keys to the stationwagon? I have band practice tonight.

[Mulk he/him]

23 minutes ago, Kaymyth said:

You know, there aren't actually many Sharders who are older than I am. So many young whippersnappers around here. And then there's me, growing out my henna so I can have wildly colored midlife crisis hair.

This is...hilarious on so many levels.

17th Shard - the place that decided just because I'm not gonna gestate any kids doesn't mean they can't just decide that I'm the Mom anyway.

Lol. Fair enough. I've three of my own so I don't need any more!  Not surprised at all we're a couple of the oldest.  People my age aren't supposed to like fantasy or gaming and stuff right? 

I'll never forget the night I had a group of middle school boys over, church sleepover/lockin thing, right?  One of them got on this World of Warcraft kick and he kept talking like he knew more than I did until I pulled up my raiding druid and showed him I had all the gear from all the bosses he was talking about...his eyes got so big...

[A Budgie she/her]

2 hours ago, Mulk said:

Lol. Fair enough. I've three of my own so I don't need any more!  Not surprised at all we're a couple of the oldest.  People my age aren't supposed to like fantasy or gaming and stuff right? 

I'll never forget the night I had a group of middle school boys over, church sleepover/lockin thing, right?  One of them got on this World of Warcraft kick and he kept talking like he knew more than I did until I pulled up my raiding druid and showed him I had all the gear from all the bosses he was talking about...his eyes got so big...

I never understand that kind of behaviour. Me? I'm pretty young, but even from a young age I've talked to adults normally (once really surprised my Scout leader). 
And as for 'adults are serious and don't read fantasy...' I think that's kinda silly. It's a real shame when people don't read scifi/fantasy, because they believe it isn't serious enough or they're too old for it.

[Orlion Blight he/him]

I mean... have you SEEN older science fiction and fantasy? A good majority of it is vapid kid's stuff. 

Even a lot of the classics are pretty bad by today's standards. Especially with science fiction. The quality of genre literature is much better these days. 

[Mulk he/him]

old scifi should probably be called space fantasy for the most part. Bad space fantasy. And old fantasy movies...good grief.

I read the Hobbit when I was...I guess six or so.  Ate it up, maps and all.  When I got older I read LOTR and the then Silmarillion.  Good lord, what those did for my mind and imagination.

[Argent he/him]

There is a reason Tolkien is known as the father of fantasy.

[Orlion Blight he/him]

39 minutes ago, Argent said:

There is a reason Tolkien is known as the father of fantasy.

Because people don't know better 

[Mulk he/him]

Nah. I'm fully aware he didn't invent it. He made it timely and relevant and cool though. His work was the first time I ever read a book and believed (and WISHED) it could be true.  I've never forgotten that.  And I still get chills when the horns of Rohan blow at sunrise, more than 30 years after I first read it.

[Anarkitty she/her]

22 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

I mean... have you SEEN older science fiction and fantasy? A good majority of it is vapid kid's stuff. 

Even a lot of the classics are pretty bad by today's standards. Especially with science fiction. The quality of genre literature is much better these days. 

*hyperventilating*

HEINLEIN, y'all. Heinlein. 

And I'm still pretty darned fond of the Riftwar Saga, though I'm not so fond of Feist's later works.

[Kobold King he/him]

22 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

I mean... have you SEEN older science fiction and fantasy? A good majority of it is vapid kid's stuff. 

 

First of all HOW DARE YOU.

A good deal--not all, but a good deal--of pulp fiction of the time was made up of low quality stories sold a dime a dozen for magazines appealing to young readers. However, these were not the people who defined the genre. The people who defined the genre back then were Isaac Asimov, from whom we get Asimov's Laws of Robotics. Arthur C. Clarke, who gave us Clarke's Third Law (the inspiration for at least one of Sanderson's Laws of Magic.) And Robert Heinlein explored countless social, religious, and scientific ideas in his books, even those meant for young adults. Even the great H. P. Lovecraft was published primarily in pulp magazines at first.

There's a ton of depth in old sci fi, provided you're looking at the plentiful, plentiful authors who have stood the test of time and not scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

...what was this thread about, again? I just smelled disrespect to classic sci-fi and had my protective instincts triggered.

Edited October 14, 2017 by Kobold King
Typo

[Modal Seoul he/him]

1 minute ago, Kobold King said:

...what was this thread about, again?

Don't worry. I forgot too.

[Anarkitty she/her]

2 minutes ago, Kobold King said:

 

First of all HOW DARE YOU.

A good deal--not all, but a good deal--of pulp fiction of the time was made up of low quality stories sold a dime a dozen for magazines appealing to young readers. However, these were not the people who defined the genre. The people who defined the genre back then were Isaac Asimov, from whom we get Asimov's Laws of Robotics. Arthur C. Clarke, who gave us Clarke's Third Law (the inspiration for at least one of Sanderson's Laws of Magic.) And Robert Heinlein explored countless social, religious, and scientific ideas in his books, even those meant for young adults. Even the great H. P. Lovecraft was published primarily in pulp magazines at first.

There's a ton of depth in old sci fi, provided you're looking at the plentiful, plentiful authors who have stood the test of time and not scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

...what was this thread about, again? I just heard smelled disrespect to classic sci-fi and had my protective instincts triggered.

What he said. Smart boy. Bet he has good parents. Well, at least a good mom.

Also, while I do read vapid kid's stuff on occasion, I am always aware that it's vapid kid's stuff while I'm reading it. Heinlein's juvenile books are most certainly NOT in that category. And while I haven't read much Asimov, I do think I, Robot was brilliant.

Edited October 14, 2017 by The Queen Mother

[Orlion Blight he/him]

Honestly, @Kobold King and @Anarkitty? Except for Feist, I was thinking of all those authors when I made that statement. 

Especially Lovecraft. 

I feel that they are significant genre writers. I also believe that the genre needs to move beyond them. 

Vapid may have been too strong a word, but so would, I think, calling the classics canon. 

But, as Kobold pointed out, there may be a better place to continue the discussion if a continuation is desired.