Comments on: More than Magic & Gadgets–Taking Science Fiction and Fantasy to Another Level

By: Laura Ritchie

Laura Ritchie — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:50:20 +0000

What a wealth of important thoughts to keep in mind. Thank you for all the time and effort you put out for writers!

By: Writing Blog Treasures 8~25 | Gene Lempp ~ Writer

Writing Blog Treasures 8~25 | Gene Lempp ~ Writer — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:09:40 +0000

[...] Setting – Adding Dimension to your Fiction by Kristen Lamb. Also from Kristen: More than Magic & Gadgets: Taking Science Fiction & Fantasy to Another Level. [...]

By: pewterbreath

pewterbreath — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 21:47:27 +0000

Don’t put my name in the hat, but I just watched Torchwood, Children of Earth, and I think it exemplifies your thoughts exactly. My biggest gripe against bad science fiction is that it tends to not allow for significant loss or even a chance of losing anything. The stakes don’t count if you can cheat them. In Children of Earth the main characters suffer great personal losses in order to win, bringing about the fundamental questions, how much sacrifice is tolerable to save the world? To what degree is it ok to harm the few for the sake of the many? Is saving the world still a good thing if that means ruining it in the process? The characters suffer greatly in answering these questions, and nobody comes out unscathed.
Robert Jordan, a fantastic writer, is a very bad influence in this respect. Too many characters get resurrected, too many battles where the main characters emerge untouched, too many incidents where the protagonists return to pretty much the same state from where they started, too many lucky breaks that save the day. Resisting change in such a manner kills the story.

By: Friday Features #18 | Yesenia VargasYesenia Vargas

Friday Features #18 | Yesenia VargasYesenia Vargas — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:59:13 +0000

[...] More Than Magic & Gadgets – Taking Science Fiction and Fantasy to Another Level by Kristen Lamb at Kristen Lamb’s Blog [...]

By: Daphne Shadows

Daphne Shadows — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 06:16:19 +0000

I am so bookmarking this. I love stories with characters that have depth and plots that reflect some deeper meaning, needing for knowledge of some sort. Its the whole point to me.

By: coachdaddyblogger

coachdaddyblogger — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 19:04:33 +0000

You’re so right about heroes. This is why a guy like Curt Schilling can be such an instant hit with Boston Red Sox fans – you can admire his excellent traits, but still find something to relate within him. For Schilling, it was that he was a star player, but also a fan. So long as there’s that link back – for fans, or for someone reading a book – you want to know what the next move is at all times, don’t you?

By: Willa Blair

Willa Blair — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:11:14 +0000

Terrific post, Kristen. I started reading SciFi at a young age and still enjoy it, but my tastes have evolved over the years and are completely in line with what you’ve described. I’ve gone from a fascination with the science and gadget elements to a demand for a story with elements of humanity, growth and change in the protagonist(s). That might have started when I found McCaffrey’s Pern stories, but lately, my favorite book (SFR) is Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair. She deftly weaves the political, religious and technical elements of the story together with the central characters’ goals, motivations and conflicts. I recommend it.

By: Top Picks Thursday 08-16-2012 « The Author Chronicles

Top Picks Thursday 08-16-2012 « The Author Chronicles — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:05:51 +0000

[...] Lamb reminds writers that sci-fi and fantasy is more than magic and gadgets, so take it to the next level. Arthur Plotnik shares 12 ways to add force to your writing, while avoiding these 5 mistakes of new [...]

By: averyfrost93

averyfrost93 — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:52:55 +0000

Reblogged this on Avery Frost and commented:
I’m going on vacation this week, and I’m taking my blog in a (tiny bit) of a different direction. If you haven’t seen Kristen Lamb’s blog, you definitely should check it out. She has awesome lessons on there like these

By: Jami Gold

Jami Gold — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:38:49 +0000

Great post, Kristen! The thing that annoys me is when the gagdets BECOME the definition of the genre. Take steampunk. I wrote a novella that has steampunk elements. Some editors wanted me to change the entire premise to center around steampunk and make it more of the core of the story. *sigh*

The story is actually a post-apocalyptic dystopian, and I never claimed that it was a full-on steampunk story. But I think their reaction points out that too many people think of steampunk as being all about the gadgets and not about the unique stories, journeys, and stakes that can be explored in that setting. Thanks for making me feel better about not taking that route.