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/lit/ - Literature

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5761443 No.5761443 [Reply] [Original]

Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion
>"Movie SF is, by definition, dumbed down -- there have only been three or four SF movies in the history of film that aspire to the complexity of literary SF. But with books, readers have access to a full-range of sophistication and quality in their reading. If they read dumbed down SF or fantasy, it's their choice to dumb themselves down."

>Q: How do written science fiction and filmed science fiction differ?

>Without specifying which is which, I can say that one of these two things is written by tempered, well-educated adults and -- at its best -- is among the best-written and most provocative literature America produces; the other is usually "written and directed" by arrogant 26-year-olds who've read almost nothing in their short, video-sheltered lives, and who think they "know sci-fi" because they grew up watching Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars on video when they weren't reading comic books.

>One of these things requires the reader to enter into a collaborative state to ferret out important themes among the nuance, texture, science, and subtleties of its art; the other of these things has people screaming a lot and things and people blowing up. One of these things produces quality; the other of these things has become a giant crap-dispenser with children pulling the levers, the resulting merde-storm leavened only by the quality of modern digital special effects which are wasted on the pre-literate stories.

>> No.5761482

>>5761443
>trying to polish a turd

>> No.5761489
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5761489

>the complexity of literary SF.

>> No.5761539

>>5761443
>because they grew up watching Battlestar Galactica
is this supposed to be bad? BSG is literally the greatest sci fi television show and one of the best TV shows. and don't give me shit about the ending.

>> No.5761706

>>5761489
>>5761482
Le patrician :^)

>> No.5761726

I agree.
>>5761539
>BSG is literally the greatest sci fi television show and one of the best TV shows
>greatest sci fi television show and one of the best TV shows
>one of the best TV shows
>best TV shows
>TV shows
>TV show
>TV
>>5761482

>> No.5761769

>>5761539
>>5761726

He's most likely referring to the original series especially given he uses the term "on video".

>> No.5761801

honestly i've read a lot of sci-fi including dan simmons, and watched a lot of sci-fi on tv and in movies, and there's NO FUCKING DIFFERENCE in terms of intellectual merit. although i guess the books err more on the side of interesting ideas and terrible execution and the films err more on the side of great production and boring ideas. but there's a lot of crossover and one isn't better than the other at all and he's a pretentious shit

>> No.5761828

what does /lit/ think of Interstellar? I think that's how commercial sf movie should be

>> No.5761829

>>5761801
>i read and watch shit

>> No.5761845

>>5761828
>commercial sf movie
Sure but wouldn't you rather watch something better?

Primer was good. I can't think of any others.

>> No.5761860

>>5761845
Primer is just a gimmick done well. Interstellar is much better than Primer in terms of character and story.

>> No.5761867

>>5761860
I want to disagree with the sentiment that Primer lacked character or character development, but don't really disagree otherwise.

>> No.5761872

>>5761443

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDNrnpefGio

Harlan Ellison on 'sci fi'.

>> No.5761883

>>5761828
Really liked the visuals and soundtrack, thought the dialogue was kinda shitty. I thought it was good but I know at least two people that said it was the greatest movie they've ever seen which bothers me.

matthew mcconaughey was jesus

>> No.5761927

>>5761443
Most of this is true but then he actually tries to imply the vast majority of written SF isn't Michael Bay on paper except 40 years ago.

>> No.5761932

>>5761845
>I can't think of any others.
2001

>> No.5761939

>>5761927
It isn't though.

>> No.5761969
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5761969

>All these "patricians" getting anal angered at the mention of sci-fi
>tfw

>> No.5761973

>>5761939
Fine, they don't have a lot of stuff blowing up, cheap jokes and hot strumpets going for the shia lebeouf. The medium is still mostly cheap thrills and shitty twilight zone twists.

>> No.5761978
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5761978

>>5761845

Upstream Color?

How do you watch Primer and not know what Upstream Color is? Literally the best Sci-Fi movie made in decades....

>> No.5761994

>>5761872
What a windbag

>> No.5762031

>>5761978
UC is great but it hardly counts as SF. I suppose it might do technically if you want to get all autistic about it.
>cartoon reaction face image
...ah. You do want to get all autistic. I see.

>> No.5762041

>>5762031

How about you pull the soy-latte out of your ass and do your best to explain in what way UC is hardly science fiction.

or see:
>>5761994

>> No.5762048

>>5762041
>>5761994

If only I knew I could win every argument by dismissing whoever disagrees with me as a 'windbag'.

Think of all the money I'd save.

>> No.5762060

>>5761872
Ellison was always an obnoxious cunt.
Can't stay mad at those suspenders, though.

>> No.5762084

>>5762041
uc falls more into the art house genre than sci fi. the mystery (shittiness) of it and its parasite sci-fi elements remains uninviting and opaque, a means to an end, whereas primer invokes the viewer (autists) to work it out like a math or science puzzle.

>> No.5762122

>>5761883
It's OK. I once knew someone who swore, even after extensive questioning by several people, that "Old School" was the finest thing that had ever been committed to film.

>> No.5762125

>>5762048
Harlan Ellison being an obnoxious windbag is pretty much an objective fact.

>> No.5762140
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5762140

>>5762041
>How about you pull the soy-latte out of your ass and do your best to explain in what way UC is hardly science fiction.
You're so mad! How does an appeal to authority strike you?