The AI's play quite a large part in your stories, but they are never the main characters. Do you ever see yourself writing a story where they play the main characters ie. one where the story is all about the ships or the drones or the runcible AI's and the humans are just secondary to it all...?
Do you have a favourite among your Polity characters? Do they ever develop in unexpected directions after you start writing, or is the story too set in your mind from the start?
New Scientist would be a good start for science info (coming from a scientists point of view not an SF author!). It always has interesting and often forward looking info and covers all disciplines... I would recommend it...
OMG spoiler alert! I had to stop this one half way though as it sounded like you were about to go into details of a story I didn't read yet..
Here is a Question for your next video; I really enjoyed the short stores in "The Gabble" have you ever consider writing an entirely non-human book? for example set in the time when the creators of Jain (and it's consequences) or the Aether were knocking about?
I get my fixes now at Science Daily and Science News, Andy - plenty there. I started giving up on buying science magazines when they got into political advocacy.
Thanks for the Zoidberg link, Graeme - looks like a cartoon version of a Hilldiggers character.
Hey Neal, here's another famous crab, the money grabbing Eugene H Krabs from my kids(ahem) favourite TV show, Spongebob Squarepants. http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/7/7b/Mr.%2BKrabs.gif.png
I just don't watch a lot of TV Graeme - very rarely does anything grab my attention. I like a few police shows, most science programs are dumbed down and most of everything else is dumber still.
I write entertainment about an improbable future, Xanares, but I won't be nailed down on what I think the real future will be. The more I know the more I realize how much I don't know, as they say.
A prador with boxing gloves on, Larry. Now there's a thought.
T. J. Bass, thanks for the tip, never heard of him.
if you like Zelazny, wonder what your Silverberg stack looks like. R. Silverberg's Hawksbill Station brought back the same feelings i had reading Cowl for some reason.
i don't really see someone like you fawning over a pet unless it has bullet clips stuck in it, so if you have the time, describe what would be your best pet using fantastic collections of ammo and teeth. is it impossible to think of scratching a doe eyed railgun with endless tor beast teeth rows and gabble eyes?
Neal, if you want crypotnite for Cormac, use parts of the Worm that is in Hilldiggers, maybe a hooper mixed with worm, mixed with a bit of AI to hunt, fight, chase cormac a bit. I'm done with it yet, hopefully the worm survives, and I have found my second most favorite character, the hooper captain in Hilldiggers, brilliant portrayal of that caste. Well cheers and keep writing I just put a few pennies in your coffers, i got a few more of your books from amazon.
19 comments:
Hi Neal, Do you have any contact with your Brit sci-fi peers, say, like Peter F Hamilton or Alastair Reynolds?
Big fan,
Mark
The AI's play quite a large part in your stories, but they are never the main characters. Do you ever see yourself writing a story where they play the main characters ie. one where the story is all about the ships or the drones or the runcible AI's and the humans are just secondary to it all...?
Do you still enjoy writing as a job or douse it get boring like most 'normal jobs'?
Do you have a favourite among your Polity characters? Do they ever develop in unexpected directions after you start writing, or is the story too set in your mind from the start?
New Scientist would be a good start for science info (coming from a scientists point of view not an SF author!). It always has interesting and often forward looking info and covers all disciplines... I would recommend it...
OMG spoiler alert! I had to stop this one half way though as it sounded like you were about to go into details of a story I didn't read yet..
Here is a Question for your next video; I really enjoyed the short stores in "The Gabble" have you ever consider writing an entirely non-human book? for example set in the time when the creators of Jain (and it's consequences) or the Aether were knocking about?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zoidberg
:-)
What's your favourite sci fi film(s)?
I get my fixes now at Science Daily and Science News, Andy - plenty there. I started giving up on buying science magazines when they got into political advocacy.
Thanks for the Zoidberg link, Graeme - looks like a cartoon version of a Hilldiggers character.
I'm gobsmacked that you've not watched Futurama. Funnier than the Simpsons and by the same crew...
I think it got canned because the networks wanted something more Simpsons like.
Graeme: I've heard there is some new Futurama coming up. (24th June, 26 new episodes)
Thanks for answering my Q Neal. I sometimes have my doubt about that one. We just don't seem to want to grow up. :-)
Anyway another Q:
Which Fantasy character has entertained you the most?
Hey Neal, here's another famous crab, the money grabbing Eugene H Krabs from my kids(ahem) favourite TV show, Spongebob Squarepants.
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/7/7b/Mr.%2BKrabs.gif.png
I just don't watch a lot of TV Graeme - very rarely does anything grab my attention. I like a few police shows, most science programs are dumbed down and most of everything else is dumber still.
I write entertainment about an improbable future, Xanares, but I won't be nailed down on what I think the real future will be. The more I know the more I realize how much I don't know, as they say.
A prador with boxing gloves on, Larry. Now there's a thought.
T. J. Bass, thanks for the tip, never heard of him.
if you like Zelazny, wonder what your Silverberg stack looks like. R. Silverberg's Hawksbill Station brought back the same feelings i had reading Cowl for some reason.
i don't really see someone like you fawning over a pet unless it has bullet clips stuck in it, so if you have the time, describe what would be your best pet using fantastic collections of ammo and teeth. is it impossible to think of scratching a doe eyed railgun with endless tor beast teeth rows and gabble eyes?
What would happen if 'Dragon' landed on Spatterjay and decided to take up residence...????
What would happen if 'Dragon' landed on Spatterjay and decided to take up residence...????
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Neal, if you want crypotnite for Cormac, use parts of the Worm that is in Hilldiggers, maybe a hooper mixed with worm, mixed with a bit of AI to hunt, fight, chase cormac a bit. I'm done with it yet, hopefully the worm survives, and I have found my second most favorite character, the hooper captain in Hilldiggers, brilliant portrayal of that caste. Well cheers and keep writing I just put a few pennies in your coffers, i got a few more of your books from amazon.
2 questions:
1. Are the Collector and Owner the same person?
2. Is The Owner in the same universe as the Polity or separate?
You can skip my questions. I just re-read “The Gabble and Other Stories” and “Africa Zero” and found the answers.
I also enjoyed “Orbus” and “The Technician”.
Thanks again for all of it.
*You don’t have to post this, let them guess. ;-)
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