So pet hates for me? Dystopias. Once a branch of SF which mostly us Brits put out it is now the staple of nearly every SF setting in film and TV. Either set in a dystopia, in a world becoming a dystopia or referencing a future that needs to be avoided which is of course a dystopia. YAWN. This is reflected in todays SF novels but not the baulk of whats out there, well not yet. If I was a SF author and I wanted the best chance for my book to be made into a film of TV series I would have a dystopia and teens which brings us to teens.
The other one has to be teen SF, not a fault of this "sub genre" that it is all dystopias mind you, that just goes with SF these days. Now they can do this really well like Lost In Space or The Rain but usually it is more 3% or The 100. The fact teen SF can be done without too much needless teen drama and relationship drama shows you how too easy it is for writers to reach for that as padding. "We have to talk".
I am totally onboard with both of these!
My view of distopian futures is that they are just straw-man arguments made large. They tend to reflect whatever negative views of the world that are popular at the time, blown up to epic proportions to "prove" that whatever is happening now must be really bad. Occasionally, it gets done well and I certainly enjoying thinking about some of the issues, but more often than not it just feels kinda preachy.
Whilst I'm not a Star Trek fan, I do like the fact that it has a pretty positive view of the future of humanity.
On the teen sci-fi and fantasy....ugghh. I wouldn't mind so much if there was an equivalent amount of adult sci-fi and fantasy. Whilst the literary world usually does OK, when it comes to TV and film, there is too much for teens!
Again, I wouldn't mind too much if they still remained focused on the sci-fi or the fantasy, but I really hate all the coming of age bullshit that gets shoved into these stories! For example, Warrior Nun on netflix. Great premise and a lot of fun to be had with the christian mythology. but then they give us multiple episodes focused on a teenage love life. I mean, she's just died, been resurrected, is no longer disabled, and is destined to fight the forces of evil. Yet she still feels the need to waste time on a holiday romance....
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My contribution: the LotR movies were complete trash that never should have seen the light of day. I'll throw in the Hobbit movies as a "bonus" even though I haven't seen any of them and never will. Jackson should never, ever be allowed anywhere near Middle-earth ever again! Not ever!
Okay. I feel better now. A little, tiny bit better.
Loved the 1st three LotR movies, with the battle for Helms Deep being one of my all time favorite fights, after perhaps the Kingdom of Heaven.
I did see the Hobbit films and am in total agreement of your opinion on them though.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
So pet hates for me? Dystopias. Once a branch of SF which mostly us Brits put out it is now the staple of nearly every SF setting in film and TV. Either set in a dystopia, in a world becoming a dystopia or referencing a future that needs to be avoided which is of course a dystopia. YAWN. This is reflected in todays SF novels but not the baulk of whats out there, well not yet. If I was a SF author and I wanted the best chance for my book to be made into a film of TV series I would have a dystopia and teens which brings us to teens.
The other one has to be teen SF, not a fault of this "sub genre" that it is all dystopias mind you, that just goes with SF these days. Now they can do this really well like Lost In Space or The Rain but usually it is more 3% or The 100. The fact teen SF can be done without too much needless teen drama and relationship drama shows you how too easy it is for writers to reach for that as padding. "We have to talk".
I am totally onboard with both of these!
My view of distopian futures is that they are just straw-man arguments made large. They tend to reflect whatever negative views of the world that are popular at the time, blown up to epic proportions to "prove" that whatever is happening now must be really bad. Occasionally, it gets done well and I certainly enjoying thinking about some of the issues, but more often than not it just feels kinda preachy.
Whilst I'm not a Star Trek fan, I do like the fact that it has a pretty positive view of the future of humanity.
On the teen sci-fi and fantasy....ugghh. I wouldn't mind so much if there was an equivalent amount of adult sci-fi and fantasy. Whilst the literary world usually does OK, when it comes to TV and film, there is too much for teens!
Again, I wouldn't mind too much if they still remained focused on the sci-fi or the fantasy, but I really hate all the coming of age bullshit that gets shoved into these stories! For example, Warrior Nun on netflix. Great premise and a lot of fun to be had with the christian mythology. but then they give us multiple episodes focused on a teenage love life. I mean, she's just died, been resurrected, is no longer disabled, and is destined to fight the forces of evil. Yet she still feels the need to waste time on a holiday romance....
Star Trek is utopian fiction, Star Wars is distopian fiction.
Though I think you miss the point on distopian futures. There whole point is to say, 'Here's this problem, and this is what happens if it continues unabated.' Current issues blown up large.
As for Coming of Age and teen focus, the producers and marketeers are looking for an audience that they can convert to longterm consumers.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
My contribution: the LotR movies were complete trash that never should have seen the light of day. I'll throw in the Hobbit movies as a "bonus" even though I haven't seen any of them and never will. Jackson should never, ever be allowed anywhere near Middle-earth ever again! Not ever!
Okay. I feel better now. A little, tiny bit better.
Loved the 1st three LotR movies, with the battle for Helms Deep being one of my all time favorite fights, after perhaps the Kingdom of Heaven.
I did see the Hobbit films and am in total agreement of your opinion on them though.
Jackson never intended to do the Hobbit movies though. Was supposed to be del Toro, but he had to bow out. It was either make them himself or the deal would likely fall through. 'Course that doesn't exactly scupper your argument.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
A ton of popular fantasy/sf/game-related writers are at fanfic/fanservice levels of quality. Any mention of Drzzz&^*t is the kiss of death for me. Shannnara was copycat crap. The list of authors who really need a good editor is tremendously long. Often like their books. Stephen King, Piers Anthony come to mind. A lot of the IP fiction adaptions from game and film are done by hacks whose main ability is to churn out words on time.
Unfortunately most film/series producers of SF or Fantasy don't actually understand the genres. They are shoe salesmen writ large. It's only relatively recently that some producer/directors who get it, have managed to get productions out. I remember my shock at The Expanse: A science fiction series from the sciffy channel?? Unheard of!!
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
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I don't just mean in games, but in movie, TV, and books as well. William Gibson painted a picture that hasn't really been taken advantage of, despite the fact that it's still a fairly popular. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 kind of hurt, but the success (yes, with a limited scope) of Hairbrained Schemes Shadowrun give me hope that we could, and should see more.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
I thought mine about Horizon: Zero Dawn would be the hottest take but I think I just found it.
You might also be the first person I have seen who hates the LotR movies. I wife fell asleep watching Jurassic Park because it was boring but she loved the LotR movies. To each there own.
Do you mind if I ask why you don't like them?
You might not notice it, because Tuor is from the First Age of Middle-earth and doesn't appear at all in LotR, but my nom de plume is from a Middle-earth character.
To put it in a nutshell: I'm a purist.
A more lengthy explanation is that I didn't mind so much the things Jackson removed from the story, as the things he *added* to it. Also, he characterized several characters, IMO. Pretty much everyone, really, to various degrees.
Example #1: Arwen at the Ford.
Yes, Glofindel got replaced. I was... not happy, but okay with that. However, by putting Arwen there to placate certain groups, he ignored an important part of lore. Did you ever wonder what happened to Arwen's mother (and Galadriel's daughter)? Her party was attacked while crossing the Misty Mountains. She was captured and raped by Orcs until her sons showed up and freed her (which is why they have a particularly burning hatred for Orcs). After that, she no longer wanted to remain in Middle-earth and left. Do you really think that Elrond would ever allow his daughter to go gallivanting around by herself after something like that? Hell no.
Example #2: Elves at Helm's Deep
In the books, after Merry and Pippin got captured, the Three Hunters set off after them. They eventually got stopped by Eomer and his men. When Aragorn explained that they had come from the Golden Wood and had the Lady's favor, Eomer's men almost killed them on the spot. Why? The Rohirrim are terrified of the Golden Wood and never go anywhere near it, and are deeply suspicious of anyone or anything associated with it. Furthermore, Galadriel was preparing her forces to defend Lorien, which she knew would be attacked, and later she attacked Dol Guldor. They didn't have the time or the means to go help the Men of Rohan, nor would they have been welcomed. In the end, they weren't needed, as the Rohirrim took care of their Saruman problem with the unexpected aid of the Ents.
I won't get into the whole Dwarf-tossing thing, treating Merry like he's just as foolish as Pippin, having Frodo offer the Ring to a Nazgul, Frodo not trusting Sam and sending him away, and on and on and on.
Yes, books and movies are different mediums and changes have to be made. I understand that. But what Jackson did went way beyond that, and I resent him for it. I won't even get into the Hobbit, but IIRC, del Toro intended to do it in 2 movies, and IIRC Jackson did it in 3, even though the amount of material was 1/3rd what LotR had.
I would've thought the LotR movies were okay if they *were not* called LotR. But, they were.
As far as Sci-Fi goes, that Vader was in fact one of the most powerful Jedi ever to exist.
Palpatine could have killed Vader anytime just with force lightning destroying his suit electronics. The only reason he didn't in RotJ is because he was distracted by his hatred towards his son.
As far as Sci-Fi goes, that Vader was in fact one of the most powerful Jedi ever to exist.
Your giving George Lucas to much credit. She just died in child birth and your right it shouldn't have happened but did. George Lucas never answered that question before but he has said that people do over analyze his Star Wars movies. I think it makes sense for people to try justify plot holes in movies they like
As I said, it's an unpopular opnion, but I still stand by it.
Another Note: Notice that Vader said "Your Powers are Weak Old Man" he did not say "Your Powers have become Weak Old Man" as we all know that a Jedi does not become weak with age, Yoda being a prime example of this.
Vader was making it clear, that this time, he was not distracted, and would be able to win, and Obie Wan knew this as well, which is why he just gave up.
You can disagree with it, but it fits perfectly into the lore of the movies.
and thus I will stand by it.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Avatar vs Steam Punk.. I loved the aesthetic of the game.. it could have been great.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
My contribution: the LotR movies were complete trash that never should have seen the light of day. I'll throw in the Hobbit movies as a "bonus" even though I haven't seen any of them and never will. Jackson should never, ever be allowed anywhere near Middle-earth ever again! Not ever!
Okay. I feel better now. A little, tiny bit better.
Loved the 1st three LotR movies, with the battle for Helms Deep being one of my all time favorite fights, after perhaps the Kingdom of Heaven.
I did see the Hobbit films and am in total agreement of your opinion on them though.
Jackson never intended to do the Hobbit movies though. Was supposed to be del Toro, but he had to bow out. It was either make them himself or the deal would likely fall through. 'Course that doesn't exactly scupper your argument.
Indeed but it was not Jackson's deal that would have fallen through if the Hobbit films were not made to my knowledge, so not sure it would have fallen through? They asked Jackson to step in, he made so many mistakes I am not even going to try to list them here it would just bring back the horror of it all.
So pet hates for me? Dystopias. Once a branch of SF which mostly us Brits put out it is now the staple of nearly every SF setting in film and TV. Either set in a dystopia, in a world becoming a dystopia or referencing a future that needs to be avoided which is of course a dystopia. YAWN. This is reflected in todays SF novels but not the baulk of whats out there, well not yet. If I was a SF author and I wanted the best chance for my book to be made into a film of TV series I would have a dystopia and teens which brings us to teens.
The other one has to be teen SF, not a fault of this "sub genre" that it is all dystopias mind you, that just goes with SF these days. Now they can do this really well like Lost In Space or The Rain but usually it is more 3% or The 100. The fact teen SF can be done without too much needless teen drama and relationship drama shows you how too easy it is for writers to reach for that as padding. "We have to talk".
I am totally onboard with both of these!
My view of distopian futures is that they are just straw-man arguments made large. They tend to reflect whatever negative views of the world that are popular at the time, blown up to epic proportions to "prove" that whatever is happening now must be really bad. Occasionally, it gets done well and I certainly enjoying thinking about some of the issues, but more often than not it just feels kinda preachy.
Whilst I'm not a Star Trek fan, I do like the fact that it has a pretty positive view of the future of humanity.
On the teen sci-fi and fantasy....ugghh. I wouldn't mind so much if there was an equivalent amount of adult sci-fi and fantasy. Whilst the literary world usually does OK, when it comes to TV and film, there is too much for teens!
Again, I wouldn't mind too much if they still remained focused on the sci-fi or the fantasy, but I really hate all the coming of age bullshit that gets shoved into these stories! For example, Warrior Nun on netflix. Great premise and a lot of fun to be had with the christian mythology. but then they give us multiple episodes focused on a teenage love life. I mean, she's just died, been resurrected, is no longer disabled, and is destined to fight the forces of evil. Yet she still feels the need to waste time on a holiday romance....
Like Arglebargle mentioned ST is utopian SF, but older film and TV settings are hardly all utopian. That other great SF franchise SW is set in a dystopia but with a far greater feeling of hope than you get in most SF today, showing how you can mix it up. From the Outer Limits back to Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Silent Running etc dystopia was there in the old days. The problem is utopia or indeed a "mix it up" is rarely seen today.
We have reached the point where IMDb has a list of top 500 Dystopian movies but no such list for Utopian. Indeed there is a "Utopian" list at IMDB that has such movies as The Island, Aeon Flux and Bladerunner. I think they assume that if you type in 'utopian SF' you must have meant to search for 'dystopian SF'!
My biggest criticism of Pathfinder is that they added (hard) sci-fi elements, which I think simply have no place in this type of setting. If that wasn't the case, I would consider Pathfinder to be the better DnD.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
You know which one is the best though Call of Cthulhu. Been playing that for a few months after getting into the Arkham Horror LCG and hot damn that game is banging and judging by your profile pic you may agree
I did play it extensively. Love it especially with a good group. I loved also Nephilim and the beginning of VtM before it went in all crazy directions.
Comments
I did see the Hobbit films and am in total agreement of your opinion on them though.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Though I think you miss the point on distopian futures. There whole point is to say, 'Here's this problem, and this is what happens if it continues unabated.' Current issues blown up large.
As for Coming of Age and teen focus, the producers and marketeers are looking for an audience that they can convert to longterm consumers.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
'Course that doesn't exactly scupper your argument.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
Unfortunately most film/series producers of SF or Fantasy don't actually understand the genres. They are shoe salesmen writ large. It's only relatively recently that some producer/directors who get it, have managed to get productions out. I remember my shock at The Expanse: A science fiction series from the sciffy channel?? Unheard of!!
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
hmphh Books were light years better IMO .. i did enjoy the movies tho
Give me more Cyberpunk.
I don't just mean in games, but in movie, TV, and books as well. William Gibson painted a picture that hasn't really been taken advantage of, despite the fact that it's still a fairly popular. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 kind of hurt, but the success (yes, with a limited scope) of Hairbrained Schemes Shadowrun give me hope that we could, and should see more.
Another Note: Notice that Vader said "Your Powers are Weak Old Man" he did not say "Your Powers have become Weak Old Man" as we all know that a Jedi does not become weak with age, Yoda being a prime example of this.
Vader was making it clear, that this time, he was not distracted, and would be able to win, and Obie Wan knew this as well, which is why he just gave up.
You can disagree with it, but it fits perfectly into the lore of the movies.
and thus I will stand by it.
Avatar vs Steam Punk.. I loved the aesthetic of the game.. it could have been great.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
We have reached the point where IMDb has a list of top 500 Dystopian movies but no such list for Utopian. Indeed there is a "Utopian" list at IMDB that has such movies as The Island, Aeon Flux and Bladerunner. I think they assume that if you type in 'utopian SF' you must have meant to search for 'dystopian SF'!
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Agreed on AD&D and Pathfinder.
Back when I was full speed on tabletop RPGs, I preferred by far Stormbringer or Call of Cthulhu.
Respect, walk
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- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
I did play it extensively. Love it especially with a good group. I loved also Nephilim and the beginning of VtM before it went in all crazy directions.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.