Links Salad

[eldritchhobbit]

* Here are some Calls for Papers that may be of interest:
1. Ambivalent Ambiguities: Depictions of Race in Young Adult Dystopian and Science Fiction
2. The Once and Future Antiquity: Classical Traditions in Science Fiction and Fantasy
3. Alchemy in Harry Potter

In other news...

* From Tor.com: "This is Why Obi-Wan Lied to Luke Skywalker About His Father."

* Also from Tor.com: "Death of Dystopia."

* From New York Review of Books: "On Edgar Allan Poe."

* And from io9: "How Did Edgar Allan Poe Manage To Describe The Big Bang In 1848?"

Comments

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think the only real difference between the Big Bang and, "Let there be light," is that the former avoids identifying a specific entity kicking it off.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

:)

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

That piece on dystopia seems to kind of broaden the definition. I ran an rpg series years ago set in a fantasy later Roman Empire, right around anno urbis conditae 1000. When I read Gibbon's account of economic difficulties, civil disorder, and widespread violence, I said, "Ah, perfect for an exciting campaign!" But I never called it dystopian. It was more a case of "interesting times," much like Middle-Earth during Sauron's final resurgence.

When I think of dystopia, I think of something more specific: A society systematically organized to pursue and embody an ethical concept—but a false and harmful ethical concept. That is, dystopia, like utopia, is not a venture in realism, but a form of ethical discourse through the imaginative concretization of an abstract principle. It's a way of saying, "Let's see how this would work if we could do it."

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Some interesting comments there, on an interesting link - thanks, both.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

A society systematically organized to pursue and embody an ethical concept—but a false and harmful ethical concept.

Oh, well said!

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

If Shakespeare counts as classical tradition (and I certainly don't see why not), that could fill several papers. In particular, I'm thinking of an anime series from last year that I followed called Akame ga Kill. While not specifically imitating any one play, it does feature pretty much every element from his major tragedies. The most important of these being the use of comic relief to amplify the tragic bits while at the same time keeping them from becoming too oppressive.

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

And speaking of Shakespeare, have a gander at this.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1632157316/fakespeare

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

LOL! How fun! And clever. That would be a blast to play. Thanks for the link!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I think the CFP was referring to classical antiquity, as in Rome or Greece, as opposed to classics of any era, but your point is well taken anyway!

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

In that case, one of the most obvious titles would be Cross the Stars by David Drake, a retelling of the Odyssey in his Hammer's Slammers setting. A bit less obvious is Dune. While the setting trappings may be overtly Arabic, Paul's story plays out like a classic Greek tragedy.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Sweet! Well spotted.