The Mathematics of Tone - Downbeat SF Stories

[bluetyson]

I have read all of Year's Best SF type volumes so far for this year, and it seems like what people have been complaining about may well be right. Not that it has anything to do with whether the stories are good or not, but as rough counts from memory

Comments

[ccfinlay]

I think funny tends to get short shrift in general, in part because too many stories are funny and nothing more, but more generally because funny is, by definition, "not serious"; this is compounded by the fact that nearly every writer believes that they're funny, and so there's not as much regard for the writing of it.

[bluetyson]

Don't they say comedy is hard? Or is that only for acting?

Lots of work doesn't set out to be deliberately (or slyly) funny or satirical, in general though?

[ccfinlay]

Yes, but for comedy to work, it has to look easy. Comedy that obviously labors -- like Feghoots, for example -- tends to be pretty minor and/or not so good.

I'm not sure how to answer your final question. F&SF publishes humor in every issue, but much of it is fantasy and not SF. However, Analog publishes a humorous piece in almost every issue (their "Probability Zero" feature) and that is always SF. I think most magazines publish good humor when they can find it; it's just harder to find than we think.

[bluetyson]

Sure. Just from feel (I haven't tracked it), it is Asimov's that is the humourless cousin, of the three (or 4, counting JBU, which clearly likes some funny, too.)

I could go back and look at 2007 from however rough memory I suppose.

The latest Analog has 3 I would put in that class, some of the Probability Zero as you say.

[ecbatan]

Interesting. I can't argue with the notion that there are a lot of "downbeat" stories in all the books, though I think a great many of the stories you mark as "downbeat" are mized -- there's a bad situation, but the story resolves in a hopeful way, say. I did think I chose two "funny" stories, at least to some degree: Ian Watson's, though the humor there is quite satirical; and Ann Leckie's, though some of the humor there is due to the almost parodical setup.

In my forthcoming (real soon now!) SPACE OPERA collection, there should be lots of lots of adventure, and at least one downright no foolin' funny story.

I think Charlie's story that I picked for next year's SF Best of the Year is pretty funny too.

[bluetyson]

Sure, I think it is a reasonably broad 'downbeat', whereas if you were only going to choose 'very depressing to downright nasty' it would be a smaller number.

The Golden Apples Grow as compared to Dead Men Walking perhaps, there.

In your book, the Watson a tossup case, sure, and the Leckie is not in this category, certainly.

Stross can certainly do funny.

I am looking forward to your Space Opera book, I think I have it on multiple wishlists. :)

[ccfinlay]

I think Charlie's story that I picked for next year's SF Best of the Year is pretty funny too.

Hey, Rich, if that's me-Charlie and not Charlie Stross, then wow! I'm excited to be in one of your collections. You made my day.

If it's Charlie Stross and not me, then I'll look forward to reading it and let it make my day then.

[bluetyson]

Oops, sorry. There's a very proper Charlie gaffe by me assuming the Charlie if you are who he means. :)

Do people call you Charlie too?

[squirrel_monkey]

Um... if 'downbeat', 'adventure', and 'funny' are the only categories you're using, then everything that is not funny/adventure automatically counts as downbeat, right? I bet if you used a category for, say, 'hopeful' your stats would be somewhat different.

[bluetyson]

Ah, no, probably should have said.

That would be 'other' - neutral or optimistic but not a funny story or adventure story as such. So 8 from the Dozois book fall into this 'rest' for example, given the rest take up 20.

from Kathryn Cramer

[anonymous]

As the editor of what you seem to think is the least down-beat of the books, I think your accounting is probably correct. My explanation: fiction is wartime.

Re: from Kathryn Cramer

[bluetyson]

Ok. Thanks very much Kathryn.

Then non-wartime volumes would be different, you think?