Sci-Fi/Fantasy Assignment 3

Assignment Lesson 3


Short Answer: This week I'd like you to again take a little research stroll, either through WDC (in which case, do please provide the item links for the stories) or in your own outside reading (for which I will ask the title and author,please). I want you to find a story, or novel chapter, that qualifies as "Hard" SF, and one that qualifies as "Soft" SF.

Then I want you to write a paragraph for each of the stories you've discovered, explaining WHY you think it qualifies in the category. That's one for Hard SF, one for Soft SF, AND:

If you choose to do a little further research, and can find me a story that qualifies for "Science Fantasy" (see Rod Serling's comments above, also the link I gave you above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy for assistance in identifying the nature of this category) I will give EXTRA CREDIT of 50% added to your grade for Lesson 3. You must provide the item link if it is found on WDC, OR the title and author if it's offsite (it does not have to be found on the Internet though) AND you must add a paragraph explaining your decision to count this as "Science Fantasy" according to Mr. Serling's criteria.


Hard Science Fiction:

ID: 1177713   (Rated: E) What Love Began - Part I  A navy frigate out around Jupitor finds an alien starship and chaos begins by SigmaWind

This is a straight hard science-fiction space opera. This chapter of the book deals with a space battle between spaceships using standard advanced space-aged technology. Advanced weaponry and futuristic spaceship construction support the merging of a human's brain with her ship. It becomes part of her mind and identity. This last component of the merged human-ship intelligence could possibly be considered fantasy but I feel like it fits much better under the label of science fiction.


Soft Science Fiction:

ID: 1393767 Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. by Not Available.

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The science in this 3-chapter beginning to a book was very easy to understand. One of the things that qualified it for science fiction was the advanced state of the technology two hundred years in the future for mapping a hologram of a human brain. The other part it had was it had a robot-like creature which reminded me of either Spock in the original Star Trek or Data in the succeeding one. But none of the story had that hard reliance on advanced technology, wild scientific theories and extrapolated facts that are present in hard science fiction. The plot had more to do with the actions and growth of the characters than being dictated by the technology. Honestly, after reading it all I found a lot lacking in that department too.



This week I would like to learn a little more about you. We are in process of an initial study of "Speculative Fiction." Please write an entry addressing the following questions:

As a writer, do you (or do you expect to) write Science Fiction? Fantasy? Both? A combination? As a reader, what do you just love to read, what impels you to buy or checkout or borrow a book or e-book? One of these genres? Something different which we are not presently covering in this course?

Finally, please give me a paragraph on your reasons for enrolling in this course, and if you think your objectives are being met by this point, ¾ through the term.


As a writer, do you (or do you expect to) write Science Fiction? Fantasy? Both? A combination?

have been writing mainly fantasy although I did start one Science fiction story that I never finished. I expect to stay with fantasy as much as I can although a combination is probably equally likely.


As a reader, what do you just love to read, what impels you to buy or checkout or borrow a book or e-book? One of these genres? Something different which we are not presently covering in this course?

I like fantasy. I also tend to enjoy horror and very soft science-fiction. I loved the speculative fiction of Harlan Ellison's short stories but I am still a little unsure of what would fit under that banner and what wouldn't. I can see myself writing speculative fiction some day because I come up with such bizarre ideas for stories or novels that that might be a good medium to express them through.



Finally, please give me a paragraph on your reasons for enrolling in this course, and if you think your objectives are being met by this point, ¾ through the term.

Are we already three quarters of the way through the term? I thought it went on a lot longer than that.

Yes my objectives are being met even if I am way behind. I wanted a class to help me come up with an idea for a fantasy book, help me learn how to go about organizing and structuring the rough draft of that book, and in general help me learn what I need to know to write multiple novels over time without getting too stuck on one at a time. I know that if I ever do get published, the agent or publisher will expect me to be working on another one as soon as the first one gets the go-ahead. So I want to be able to have something else in the pot at all times.

As far as am I getting what I need out of this course my answer is mixed. I think the course material is brilliant and I'm definitely being fed what I feel I need to get set up for writing a new novel. My disappointment is in myself in that I have still not gotten the discipline I expect from myself.

I know life happens and in my life I am constantly being turned every which way but loose, but I know there is enough time in the day to finish these classes with the 40K word rough draft I am signed up to write. I just have to keep trying.


Final Story: It's time to consider seriously the original writing you're to produce for the Final Assignment. Yes, folks, I said Original Writing. I want to see either a short story or a novel chapter (though you may include more if you like) using what we have learned in this course. More than likely, you'll be writing in Fantasy or Science Fiction, but I contend it is possible to write Speculative Fiction beyond those two categories. So let's see what you can produce; I want original thinking and original writing. I don't want "been there-done that-wore out the T-shirt" style or content.

It MUST be a product of original thinking and original writing, though; no clichés, no plagiarism, no omission of actual thinking through the plotting, character(s), and setting. I want to see evidence of:

1) Proofreading
2) Editing
3) Revision

Unless you can write a short story or novel chapter perfect from the first try, then I need to see the above. Please do not turn in a Term Paper story which has not been spell-checked or proofread for errors, as I will mark off 5% for each spelling or grammatical error. That's EACH. As an Advanced Writing course, we need to be aware of the type of work that produces good product, and in addition, publishable product.


Here is the bitem to the Prologue of my novel. Hopefully it is in finished form and I won't have to rewrite it again.

ID: 1416884   (Rated: ------) Prologue  Prologue for novel Life Stream by David Gere

Dave