Sampling Some Scifi
Since the release of Star Wars Episode III and my recent indulging in Jeff LaSala's Escapee serial, I've been itching to write some scifi. I've tried it before, but failed utterly. I've had strokes of inspiration to try at it again since, but have been too afraid. I'm forcing myself into it now.
I think I've got the tone down very well. The title is "Family Means More Than the World." Here's the first paragraph:
When the sun was eclipsed by a bulk of metal and fire, Jonathan knew it was the end of the world. A shadow slipped across the city, dunking all into a darkness that even night would envy. A night that we will never see again, thought Jonathan bitterly, before running back into the living room to gather his family.
Eh? How's it sound? Good? Great? Grood? Mediocre?
I think I've got the tone down very well. The title is "Family Means More Than the World." Here's the first paragraph:
When the sun was eclipsed by a bulk of metal and fire, Jonathan knew it was the end of the world. A shadow slipped across the city, dunking all into a darkness that even night would envy. A night that we will never see again, thought Jonathan bitterly, before running back into the living room to gather his family.
Eh? How's it sound? Good? Great? Grood? Mediocre?
posted by Ian Kappos at 11:01 AM
6 Comments:
It's hard to judge by a single paragraph, but I suppose that beginning your story with the destruction of the earth is a pretty good place to start, with sci-fi.
well, mediocre.
It's shit. Show it to me when it's longer, and not shit.
You can do it, Ian. It's not that hard. I've *never* really done sci-fi before, and I only started Escapee because of that fact.
Just try it! Don't try for hardboiled, technical sci-fi. Stick to spacey and futuristic without being technical and overscientific.
Thanks, Jeff.
Yeah, I've always been daunted by "hardcore" science fiction (ie. Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, etc.) and, frankly, never really enjoyed it.
With this story, I'm more going for the "action/adventure" scifi, inspired by lots of Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Starship Troopers, and The Chronicles of Riddick (even though the movie sucked, the atmospheric feel was awesome, and I want to try to convey a bit of that through my writing).
See? And you just named the better sci-fi things out there. I'm sure Asimov and company are good, but they're not for me.
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