Reading Journal
Ok so I've decided to become a professional science fiction writer...my isn't this random. That was originally written "try to become a professional science fiction writer", but like the muppet said "Do or do not; there is no try.
Anywho I've come to the conclusion that this journal is best used to write about what I read, to get down my thoughts on the stories others have done, and perhaps to solicit advice from others on what to read in the future.
Right now I'm reading cyberpunk and books on AI because I've got a great idea for a cyberpunk story about AI. No, I'm not going to post it here, but I will let you know when and where it winds up in print when its done.
Thus far the reading list includes:
Frankenstein (The original story about a human created intelligence)
I,Robot (though I still need to find a copy)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (AKA Blade Runner)
Friday (The closest I could find to a Heinlein novel about AI)
Neuromancer (more for the cyberpunk aspects then anything else)
Thoughts on Frankenstein:
I just finished it yesterday. It's a good book, though I'm guessing I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read abridged versions as a kid or seen the last movie adaptation (worth watching after reading the book for the performances by Kenneth Brannagh (the Doctor) and Robert DiNiro (the Monster). A lot of suspense is lost once you know what the plot is and who will and will not die. Fortunately most of the other movie versions are only loosely based on the book, so they won't spoil it that much.
Frankenstein is definitely science fiction. Shelley makes it clear that Frankenstein (the Doctor) creates the monster using science, though the electricity thing is more the product of the movies. Taking a closer look at the creation of the monster and the education of Victor Frankenstein leading up to it, I have to say that the animation is accomplished through chemistry. On the other hand the book is supposed to be scary so it's horror as well. I would classify it in the same vein as Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or movies such as Alien or Event Horizon, stories that rely on an extension of scientific principles to scare.
In terms of style, I think the book was harder to read then Dracula, though shorter and less plodding. Dracula is a more modern novel though and a lot of the vocabulary is easier. A good book to read for the ideas presented but trying to cop style from it today would be a disaster.
Anywho I've come to the conclusion that this journal is best used to write about what I read, to get down my thoughts on the stories others have done, and perhaps to solicit advice from others on what to read in the future.
Right now I'm reading cyberpunk and books on AI because I've got a great idea for a cyberpunk story about AI. No, I'm not going to post it here, but I will let you know when and where it winds up in print when its done.
Thus far the reading list includes:
Frankenstein (The original story about a human created intelligence)
I,Robot (though I still need to find a copy)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (AKA Blade Runner)
Friday (The closest I could find to a Heinlein novel about AI)
Neuromancer (more for the cyberpunk aspects then anything else)
Thoughts on Frankenstein:
I just finished it yesterday. It's a good book, though I'm guessing I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read abridged versions as a kid or seen the last movie adaptation (worth watching after reading the book for the performances by Kenneth Brannagh (the Doctor) and Robert DiNiro (the Monster). A lot of suspense is lost once you know what the plot is and who will and will not die. Fortunately most of the other movie versions are only loosely based on the book, so they won't spoil it that much.
Frankenstein is definitely science fiction. Shelley makes it clear that Frankenstein (the Doctor) creates the monster using science, though the electricity thing is more the product of the movies. Taking a closer look at the creation of the monster and the education of Victor Frankenstein leading up to it, I have to say that the animation is accomplished through chemistry. On the other hand the book is supposed to be scary so it's horror as well. I would classify it in the same vein as Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or movies such as Alien or Event Horizon, stories that rely on an extension of scientific principles to scare.
In terms of style, I think the book was harder to read then Dracula, though shorter and less plodding. Dracula is a more modern novel though and a lot of the vocabulary is easier. A good book to read for the ideas presented but trying to cop style from it today would be a disaster.