Comments on: A Few Brief Notes on “Epic”

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:38:07 +0000

history is a cross between a celebrity gossip mag and a disaster movie.

Heh. I really like that. Plus, it would make for a great class.

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:37:29 +0000

asotir, I think you list all three levels right there: a global conflict (the war), Kinneson’s career (medium shot), and the love story. But I’m not a big believer in “rules” so I think if a writer can make something work, then they can make it work even if they do it differently than I would.

By: Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:56:54 +0000

If I go over to writing full-time, I’m seriously tempted to maintain a part-time job tutoring in subjects like history. My approach would be based on the quote — I can’t remember where it came from — that history is a cross between a celebrity gossip mag and a disaster movie.

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:04:45 +0000

Like a really boring high school history textbook? The kind that turn hordes of young people off history forever.

Thanks.

By: asotir

asotir — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:07:14 +0000

E E ‘Doc’ Smith didn’t use half the layers you suggest, but he did all right with the Lensman series. He had the galaxy-spanning war between the Arisians and the Eddorrians, and he had Kinnison’s career as a space warrior, and he had the love story between Kinnison and what’s-er-name, the redhead, which resulted in the kids who made up a new weapon between them.

I don’t know if the simple notion that ‘Boskone’ was running drugs as a cover for the destruction of ‘civilization’ would count as a plot with economic or cultural significance, but Smith gave that pretty short shrift.

By: Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:37:36 +0000

If it’s all long shots, I’m not sure quite what you would have.

A summary, like you’re trying to skate over the Hundred Years’ War in less than a hundred pages. It’ll get the broad facts across, but not much else.

Excellent take on it. I think this sums up the nature of the beast quite well.