SF Lit
See also:   [^^LITERATURE INDEX]
            [^^Literary Terms]
              [SF Mechanics]
            [Elements]  (props, creatures, etc)
                [Technologies] (treated in sf-elements)
              [SF Writing]
              [SF Effects]
              [SF Elements]
-^_6
         [terms] (index of indexes)
         [Art Films (film-terms)]
         [Art Concepts]
         [Philosophy Concepts]

SF Lit

NOTE:  [Technologies] (treated in sf-elements)

On this page: {Intro}
              {Stuff} 
              {Callings}
              {}
              {}
              {Empires} (see governments, below)
              {Employment}
              {}
              {Governments}
                 {Intro}
                 {Central Govt}
                 {Distributed Govt}
                 {Dictatorships}
                 {Royalities}
                 {Communes}
                 {Syndics}
                 {Empires}
                 {Loyalties}
                 {Paks}
              {I hate my job!}
              {Normalcy} (normality and sech)
              {}
              {}
              {Terms, Dfns, etc}
              {Refs}
              {Links}

              
  

Callings
  
NOTE: I take it as read that a person who has savy into
      the sf world (eg, in a play or film, etc) will be
judged in much the same way that a person who is "called out"
to testify in a religious sense. That is, the principle
of transformation via revelation is much the same as
"getting the big picture" - eg, when "J" finds out
about the alien sub-culture and MIB in the film "MIB".

One of the finest recent films to do this is Luc Besson's
superb "The Fifth Element" which balanences very nicely
between the purely spirtual, the Gaist, and the SciFi'ist
worlds. Note that when "Corbin" wakes from his nightmare
he *too* is now privy to the impending doom of the great
evil on its way to earth. Note too that as he learns (i
his traditional/military/materialistic world) of the problem
at hand, then when Father Cornelius confronts him, applogising
for hitting Corbin over the head, Corbin is in a *moment-of-knowing*
able to respond, "Yes, i understand completely you're on a 
mission to save the universe". 

From the POV of the classic hero's tale, this critical
knowledge about the world is not in all cases transforming.
After all, Corbin doesn't yet realise the critical role
that he is to play in all of this. He is only struck by
the synchronicities (that we as audience are presented
with quite clearly) - eg, "looking for the perfect woman",
"Her language isn't bizare, it's perfect", etc. This in
the "becoming aware of" (ie, the traditional film/text
technique of THE REVEAL) his growing centrality are of
course (from a lit POV) the *is-ness* of the whole plot
development. But, from the SciFi'ist (etc) POV, this 
growing understanding and "feeling out the terrain" of
the new experiences and knowledge are of course the entire
point of the transformation concept in SciFi, etc. 

Compare this with "Alex Rogan's" (in "The Last Star 
Fighter) learning that the StarShip that he's in 
charge of runs exactly like the "just a video game" 
that he managed to score 1 MEG-points on - and this 
is "small, local victory". And of course this is part
and parcel though-out most of "The Matrix" (film I)
as each person slowly comes to grips with who they
really are in this less-then-distopic future. The
levels of revelation are continuous up to the very
end of the film. 

Note too that in "The Last Star Fighter" the "return
of the hero" is made complete with the hero coming back
to "get the girl" and of course introduce his old family
to his new self - and of course "Grig"; btw, one of the
finest writings/portraials of an alien in all SciFi lit.
See also "the other" in Gordon R. Dickson's "The Alien Way"
and as well in James White's "Hostipital Station" series,
and in terms of sexual identy in Ursula K. Le Guin's 
superb, "The Left Hand of Darkness". The latter of which
i would hope would quash *any* suggestions that SciFi
can't be "real" literature.

              
 
 

Empires

See also:  {Governments}





  


Employment

See also:  {I hate my job!}
           {Governments}

This section deals with what we do to earn a living (ie, a
"job" as "just a job"), which i've termed "employment". The
whole idea of a job (task, something that we have to do, and
of course "working for the devil", the large heartless corporation,
etc) are treated under "job" via the above link).



 
 

Governments

Since in many ways SciFi (or even fantasy, etc) allows
the authors/players to experience alternate verisons of
our own "normal" reality, the same concerns, and such
that are part of sociology, history, anthropology, etc.
form the basis of SciFi B/G's as well.

Note "govt" is used as an abbreviation of "government".

In this section:  {Intro}
                  {Central Govt}
                  {Distributed Govt}
                  {Dictatorships}
                  {Royalities}
                  {Communes}
                  {Syndics}
                  {Empires}
                  {Loyalties}
                  {Paks}


  
 

Govt's - Intro
                  
 
  

Govt's - Central Govt
                  
 
  

Govt's - Distributed Govt
                  
 
  

Govt's - Dictatorships
                  

 
   

Govt's - Royalities
                  

 
  

Govt's - Communes
                  

 
  

Govt's - Syndics
                  

 
   

Govt's - Empires
                  

 
  

Govt's - Loyalties

                  
 
    

Govt's - Paks

Note the concept of "paks" is due to SciFi/Fantasy
author, Larry Niven. See esp, his "Protector" as
well as "hints" in "RingWorld" that it was originally
built by Paks and then long-abandonded, re-inhabited
by other civilisations. 

Oddly enough, the behaviour of the aliens in the film
"Alien IV - Alien Ressurection" most resembles a Pak
concept.  hmmmm. (more later)



 
  

I hate my job!

See also:  {Employment}

I have decided to separate out the purely "bread-winner",
"brining home the bacon", and other "means of making a living"
- ie, the job that we do to earn a living or to pay the bills.
I also deal with the EVIL (and otherwise) large, heart-less
corporations in this section.





See also:  {I hate my job!


              
Normalcy} 
(normality and sech)

This goes back to the whole problem of "plot exposition",
particularly to the "props" in SciFi (fantasy, etc) and
what they do and how they can be used, and MOST importantly
what their limitations are. As Gene Roddenberry said in
the making of Star Trek, "A detective doesn't pull out
his gun and explain to you how the bullets work and how
the thing is used." (not an exact quote) - but the idea
is clear: If a prop or element is introduced the reader/
player/viewer isn't supposed to just know what it can and
can not do. Also, the thing shouldn't violate the basic
idea of the thing itself; eg, when the heroes get in a
jam -- ALL OF A SUDDEN the empty gun can be used as a
helicopter!!! - weak writing at its worst. Or, the old
"Oh, yes, i just remembered: My ex-husband was a big
game hunter and in the hall closet is his double-barreld
elephant gun - and fully loaded at that!!! ;)

As with any "foreign intrigue" story, the elements that
we identify with are those that resonate with our own
day-to-day existance; eg, getting up, getting ready to
face the world, going about our "normal tasks", and then
of course: Something going wrong. We don't need to know
how the blender in Star Wars works, we only need to know
that Luke's Aunt is using it to make breakfast and that
supplies us with an "aside" to let Luke's Uncle to say,
"I only hope he has those new droids in the north field
by Noon, or there'll be Hell to pay" - not an exact quote.

Thus, the oridinarities of actions by the actors help us
to "get into their shoes". And of course we can use this
to build affinities or dis-affinities for the charactes.


But.

We have to establish the "norm" of the world that we
are creating and/or participating in. And we have to 
establish how the various persons and things in the
narrative relte to the flow of the normal and then how
they might (and then do) react to the disruption of the
norm. And of course, the more different the portrayed 
world IS, then the more "hints" we will have to supply
to get the viewer/player used to the norm and then its
deviation from that norm. When this is clearly (or not)
done, then we can build not only elements of story, 
suprise, but new levels to the story itself. 

This last is esseentially the problem of the "world within
the world" idea. In "Alice in Wonderland", as soon as she
gets used to one set of circumstances, then the others 
occur to confront her; eg, when she's a giant she cries,
and then later this "sea" almost drowns her. This of course
lends a great more to the story when other people see that
the "oridnary" person actually creted the extra-ordinary
situation (or part of it). Again, in "The Last Star Fighter"
when "Centauri" is able to announce that "Alex" is a natural
born star pilot, this allows the others to react to this
with their usual suspicion for his "normal nature". Thus,
these kinds of small elements can be used to subtly shape
the characters, and the flow of their actions. It's an
important point, since up to this point, we haven't seen
anything of the "shiester/fast-talker" in Centauri's 
character and it very quickly establishes a lot of the
other's character's POV's by how they react to him.

Another aspect of the normalcy of things is when they 
echo back and forth to our own world. Again to take a page
from "The Last Star Fighter", when Grig and Alex compare
home photo's this ties back to the "in the trenches, 
waiting for the big push" scene in war movies in general.
And of course into THAT *known* pocket we can drop many new
aspects of plot, character and of course even to advnace
the plot v. quickly (as is the case in "Last StarFighter").
I would say that the ending almost comes too quickly, but
the nice touch of the alien commander (with the eye-patch
3-D viewer thingie) is a superb touch to the ending and
helps bring all of the CGI/Blue-Screen reality "home". 

Note also, the way that various charactes (once they have
been set up) can play off of TYPE. A good example of this
is in "National Treasure", when "Ian" finds that "Ben"
has bested him - we *know* he will get angry, but it gives
the character the chanse to recognise the "touche'!" move
by his adversary, and thus,  "Well, done Ben. ... DAMN IT!".

But, of course in SciFi, we build the type only to destroy
it - or so it seems for the most part. This is what detracts
(eg) from the strength of the character "Mitch" in "National
Treasure II - Book of Secrets" at the end when he "takes the
higher calling" after being shown to be bullet-firing, blood
thirsty, so and so. Weak writing is weak writing. And to think
that they're spending all these $$$'s Altaian on CGI, FX,
stunts, etc...   Again, the plot and the characters have to
be true to themselves, and the plot has to be the one to give.
Oddly enough, main-stream film has (apparently) not gotten that
question straightened out. Compare this with the almost metaphysical
ending of "" by.. 

            
 
  

Terms, Dfns, etc

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