Comments on: The Big Idea: Steven R. Boyett http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:57:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Doug http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-175919 Doug Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:55:55 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-175919 Jay Maynard@33: Sometimes it's more fun to invent a compound word than to write a phrase; German allows this rather nicely. I'm learning Georgian these days, which is as sticky as German, and prone to having three to five consonants in a row (and counts things like ch, kh, zh and ts as single consonants for these purposes). The old capital, for example, is Mtskheta, and that's not even a proper tongue twister of a word. Jay Maynard@33: Sometimes it’s more fun to invent a compound word than to write a phrase; German allows this rather nicely. I’m learning Georgian these days, which is as sticky as German, and prone to having three to five consonants in a row (and counts things like ch, kh, zh and ts as single consonants for these purposes). The old capital, for example, is Mtskheta, and that’s not even a proper tongue twister of a word.

]]> By: Jay Maynard http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-174412 Jay Maynard Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:12:10 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-174412 Vincent@18: Yep, that's it. Doug@29: What's wrong with the long German word, anyway? German is the only language I know where words have Velcro on the ends. Vincent@18: Yep, that’s it.

Doug@29: What’s wrong with the long German word, anyway? German is the only language I know where words have Velcro on the ends.

]]> By: Geoffrey Kidd http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-174096 Geoffrey Kidd Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:00:21 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-174096 The issue of "who invented spellware" is irrelevant. FTL, AI, and other common science fiction backgrounds are there for whoever chooses to use them. FWIW, Rick Cook's magnificent "Wizard's Bane" came out in 1989, and I've never forgotten the lines: "Now let's see how much trouble we can raise with the league!" (dark wizards) "Backslash!" And then it *really* hits the fan... I got the ebook of Elegy Beach, and I'm looking forward to another take on the idea. Thank you, Steve. The issue of “who invented spellware” is irrelevant. FTL, AI, and other common science fiction backgrounds are there for whoever chooses to use them.

FWIW, Rick Cook’s magnificent “Wizard’s Bane” came out in 1989, and I’ve never forgotten the lines:

“Now let’s see how much trouble we can raise with the league!” (dark wizards)

“Backslash!”

And then it *really* hits the fan…

I got the ebook of Elegy Beach, and I’m looking forward to another take on the idea.

Thank you, Steve.

]]> By: Fraser http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173889 Fraser Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:26:08 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173889 I got about halfway through the online sample of Ariel before I had to run, not walk, run to Amazon to order it. Wow. The "customers who bought this also bought" section shows Boneshaker and The Magicians. The Force is strong with you, Mr Scalzi. I got about halfway through the online sample of Ariel before I had to run, not walk, run to Amazon to order it. Wow.

The “customers who bought this also bought” section shows Boneshaker and The Magicians. The Force is strong with you, Mr Scalzi.

]]> By: steve boyett http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173887 steve boyett Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:06:54 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173887 Doug-- You should forevermore get credit for "Mittlebenskriseroman"! Doug– You should forevermore get credit for “Mittlebenskriseroman”!

]]> By: Doug http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173876 Doug Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:01:19 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173876 Dang. Typo in the final sentence. Revised comment: "Mid-life crisis novel" in German. Hm. <i>Lebenskriseroman</i> would be just any life crisis. <i>Krisedermittedeslebensroman</i> isn't really grammatical, though certainly long enough (not that size matters). <i>Lebensmittelkriseroman</i> gets the word parts right, but would mean something else (something funny, too). Google finds 97,000 uses of "midlife crisis" in pages in German, so you could be trendy and go with <i>Midlifecrisisroman</i>. The Infallible Wikipedia(tm) suggests <i>Mittlebenskrise</i> as the Teutonic crisis equivalent, making <i>Mittlebenskriseroman</i> at least plausible. Dang. Typo in the final sentence. Revised comment:

“Mid-life crisis novel” in German. Hm.

Lebenskriseroman would be just any life crisis. Krisedermittedeslebensroman isn’t really grammatical, though certainly long enough (not that size matters). Lebensmittelkriseroman gets the word parts right, but would mean something else (something funny, too). Google finds 97,000 uses of “midlife crisis” in pages in German, so you could be trendy and go with Midlifecrisisroman. The Infallible Wikipedia(tm) suggests Mittlebenskrise as the Teutonic crisis equivalent, making Mittlebenskriseroman at least plausible.

]]> By: Doug http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173875 Doug Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:59:37 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173875 "Mid-life crisis novel" in German. Hm. <i>Lebenskriseroman</i> would be just any life crisis. <i>Krisedermittedeslebensroman</i> isn't really grammatical, though certainly long enough (not that size matters). <i>Lebensmittelkriseroman</i> gets the word parts right, but would mean something else (something funny, too). Google finds 97,000 uses of "midlife crisis" in pages in German, so you could be trendy and go with <i>Midlifecrisisroman</i>. The Infallible Wikipedia(tm) suggests <i>Mittlebenskrise</i> as the Teutonic crisis equivalent, making <i>Mittlebenskrise</i> at least plausible. “Mid-life crisis novel” in German. Hm.

Lebenskriseroman would be just any life crisis. Krisedermittedeslebensroman isn’t really grammatical, though certainly long enough (not that size matters). Lebensmittelkriseroman gets the word parts right, but would mean something else (something funny, too). Google finds 97,000 uses of “midlife crisis” in pages in German, so you could be trendy and go with Midlifecrisisroman. The Infallible Wikipedia(tm) suggests Mittlebenskrise as the Teutonic crisis equivalent, making Mittlebenskrise at least plausible.

]]> By: KateH http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173856 KateH Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:38:47 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173856 This is cool. I was lead to Ariel just a while back when you brought up Diana Peterfreund's Rampant. I started reading Ariel on Sat., but life interfered, so I hadn't gotten far. Now I'll just have to get back to it and then go on to Elegy Beach. I need more hours in the day! This is cool. I was lead to Ariel just a while back when you brought up Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant. I started reading Ariel on Sat., but life interfered, so I hadn’t gotten far. Now I’ll just have to get back to it and then go on to Elegy Beach. I need more hours in the day!

]]> By: mensley http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173842 mensley Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:44:35 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173842 How in the world did I miss <i>Ariel</i> when it first came out? Am looking forward to reading it so I can move on to <i>Elegy</i>, which looks to address many questions I've been pondering for a while. These have been added to The List, thanks! Also, I believe Jack Chalker also might have brought up magic-as-programming in his <i>Well World</i> series. On the Well World itself, some species could use what was called "magic" but was in fact an innate ability to alter certain features in the programming of the well computer which maintained reality. This, however, wasn't on the level of conscious programming but in every case I can recall was wrapped in magical-mysticism. The two characters who could actually access the computer itself knew they were programming reality and there was no talk of magic, so I'm not sure if this qualifies. How in the world did I miss Ariel when it first came out? Am looking forward to reading it so I can move on to Elegy, which looks to address many questions I’ve been pondering for a while. These have been added to The List, thanks!

Also, I believe Jack Chalker also might have brought up magic-as-programming in his Well World series. On the Well World itself, some species could use what was called “magic” but was in fact an innate ability to alter certain features in the programming of the well computer which maintained reality. This, however, wasn’t on the level of conscious programming but in every case I can recall was wrapped in magical-mysticism. The two characters who could actually access the computer itself knew they were programming reality and there was no talk of magic, so I’m not sure if this qualifies.

]]> By: shane http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/11/03/the-big-idea-steven-r-boyett/#comment-173839 shane Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:25:59 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=8971#comment-173839 Count me as one of those unfortunates who did not read <i>Ariel</i> as a teen. On the plus side only just picked up <i>Ariel</i> a few weeks ago and I won't have to wait 20 years for the sequel. Or maybe I could put <i>Elegy Beach</i> aside for 20 years. ;-) Count me as one of those unfortunates who did not read Ariel as a teen. On the plus side only just picked up Ariel a few weeks ago and I won’t have to wait 20 years for the sequel. Or maybe I could put Elegy Beach aside for 20 years. ;-)

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