Racefail 09

[leana106]

You know, I've been watching Racefail 09 on the sidelines for the last few days because people more eloquent than I had already stated what I could have ever wanted to say about it. And by the time I came in, it seemed to be winding down--the overarching discussion has been occurring for many years before, but this incarnation just blew up at the

Comments

[charlycrash]

but I'm really not a fan of seeing the MCs die because the author's trying to be edgy (not saying you are, but there's a couple of mainstream authors that apparently do this and it irritates me)

I have to admit that when other writers do it it does kind of bug me, for instance in Serenity when.. well, I won't spoil it just in case, but there's a couple of deaths that happen in that and they're so utterly pointless.

I think depending on how you do it though it's good for reinforcing the gravity of a situation, especially if it's not just one token character doing it. In my thing there's this terrible, apocalyptic battle at the end of the second act where large numbers of name-brand characters die, because I wanted anyone who might read it to feel shock and some kind of sense of loss, just as the characters are feeling - although as you say, it could just really irritate the reader.

You know, everything's being run by the govt, but with the illusion of choice and democracy [...] I wanted the greater community to be placid because there's an extensive social safety net available (everybody's guaranteed schooling, food, shelter, health care by virtue of being born) despite the fact that there are terrible (sometimes public) things done to people who don't agree with the govt.

Haha, libertarian, are ya? :D But yeah, I can totally buy that. I don't like depictions of authoritarianism where the populace aren't really getting anything out of it even if that something is just some sense of national purpose because.. well, you'd think there'd be at least one attempted coup, and if enough people were pissed off, it'd probably be successful.

I think I'll have to look into the Weimar Republic a bit more

I do find it frustrating how little the causes of the rise of Nazism are discussed, if just because you can't really be vigilant for something happening again that well without understanding the contributory factors.

There's quite a nice little overview of the history of the WM in the translator's introduction to the translation of Mein Kampf found here.

[leana106]

I think depending on how you do it though it's good for reinforcing the gravity of a situation, especially if it's not just one token character doing it. In my thing there's this terrible, apocalyptic battle at the end of the second act where large numbers of name-brand characters die, because I wanted anyone who might read it to feel shock and some kind of sense of loss, just as the characters are feeling - although as you say, it could just really irritate the reader.

Yeah, I hear ya. I know some people don't like their favorite characters dying (me included), but I (and I think most people fall into this category too) can take it if there's a good reason for him/her to die or at least we get to see how the other characters are affected. Because if you're gonna write character death, you may as well do it right.

Haha, libertarian, are ya? :D

I don't think I've ever been this insulted in all my life. ^_~

I don't like depictions of authoritarianism where the populace aren't really getting anything out of it even if that something is just some sense of national purpose because.. well, you'd think there'd be at least one attempted coup, and if enough people were pissed off, it'd probably be successful.

Exactly! I can see people being cowed by fear, especially if the regime seems omniscient, but people being stubborn, there'd be multiple tries, since while people may be scared of them, they don't like them and at some point you say fuck it all, I'm done, let's go. Now, if the people actually believe what the regime is selling, then you have to one convince people that the regime's wrong, and two that it's (the coup/opposition force) worth risking their life for, especially if the reason that the regime is wrong is based on abstract ideals. Seems like that's a better way to keep the population in line than raw terror

Thanks for the link, I'll read it when I'm a little less drunk, which if something doesn't make sense, that's why. :D

[charlycrash]

Because if you're gonna write character death, you may as well do it right.

Totally. I guess what pisses people off is when popular characters die in stupid ways in the sense that like.. well, as an example, Judge Giant (a reasonably popular supporting character) in Judge Dredd got randomly shot in the back in one panel and it was pretty much never mentioned again.

Quoth writer Alan Grant:

"When we wrote the death of Giant, I thought it was a great idea to kill him off in such a casual, natural (for a judge) way. But when the reader outcry came, I was startled and forced to see things from their point of view."

I don't think I've ever been this insulted in all my life. ^_~

Bwahahahahahaha! Aaaaaah <3 A woman after my own heart, clearly.

Seems like that's a better way to keep the population in line than raw terror

Absolutely. If you look at something like Nineteen Eighty-Four, even in such extreme totalitarianism the population are getting something out of it.

I love how Orwell went to great efforts to show how this terrible, terrible state of affairs was self-perpetuating by people's support of the regime because of getting some sense of purpose and meaning, group belonging, being good little apple-polishers for BB and hence getting a sense of superiority over those that weren't, and so on.

I'll read it when I'm a little less drunk, which if something doesn't make sense, that's why. :D

Wahey! :) Have a nice time, wherever you were?

[leana106]

See, in that case, I might bitch about the character being killed if I was reasonably attached to him, but to have it seem like there was no impact on the other characters is what would have really pissed me off. I mean really, now, unless there's a reason why his death wouldn't have affected anybody, that's just cheap death.

Bwahahahahahaha! Aaaaaah <3 A woman after my own heart, clearly.

:D Well, you know, LJ (and the entire internet, to hear some tell of it) is populated by the frothing liberal leaning horde.

I have to say, out of all the books I was forced to read for school, I loved '1984' the best, although surprisingly it wasn't actually required--we did 'Animal Farm' instead. And I totally agree with your commentary.

It surprises me that I don't come across that type of dystopian future more often (and while I won't say that my reading of SF/F is complete or even representative, if it were more widespread, I'd think I'd've come across it more than once or twice); I mean, I understand that it's easier to work with a clear-cut good/bad dichotomy for your world, but those aren't quite as interesting as when the greater community is complicit with the govt.

Heh, yeah, I had a good time. Now I feel funny ranting about drunk people on St. Paddy's Day. :S