Science fiction concepts done well
Sep. 15th, 2006 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackI'm reading a book which:
1. Represents a race with below-human intellegence plausibly and sympathetically
2. Represents a race which is portrayed as neither good nor evil, just *different*, though often they might as well be bad, and sometimes good (you know, the elf/old one cliche that gets messed up all the time, but done well)
3. A constructed language used skillfully, introduced naturally and non-jarringly, introducing words for concepts which don't exist exactly in english, and using english "translations" where one is appropriate
4. A mythology which seems internally consistent and emotionally appealing
5. Occasional supernatural effects as a daily part of life, which seem natural
6. Engaging characters
7. Mostly male characters, with some females introduced near the end, and romance portraryed pragmatically and as necessary but not definingly
8. Occasionally moving bits managed to move me
9. Race #1 is the viewpoint. Humanity is race #2.
A. If you haven't guessed, I'm talking about Watership Down. It certainly has flaws -- being able to communicated between species stretches credibility, and he does exagarate the langauge ability of rabbits, and some people hate the plot -- but it's definitely one of my 'must read' list.
1. Represents a race with below-human intellegence plausibly and sympathetically
2. Represents a race which is portrayed as neither good nor evil, just *different*, though often they might as well be bad, and sometimes good (you know, the elf/old one cliche that gets messed up all the time, but done well)
3. A constructed language used skillfully, introduced naturally and non-jarringly, introducing words for concepts which don't exist exactly in english, and using english "translations" where one is appropriate
4. A mythology which seems internally consistent and emotionally appealing
5. Occasional supernatural effects as a daily part of life, which seem natural
6. Engaging characters
7. Mostly male characters, with some females introduced near the end, and romance portraryed pragmatically and as necessary but not definingly
8. Occasionally moving bits managed to move me
9. Race #1 is the viewpoint. Humanity is race #2.
A. If you haven't guessed, I'm talking about Watership Down. It certainly has flaws -- being able to communicated between species stretches credibility, and he does exagarate the langauge ability of rabbits, and some people hate the plot -- but it's definitely one of my 'must read' list.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-18 11:50 am (UTC)And, which "The Sparrow"?