This is for the same thing Robyn Hood is looking into: a collection of stories based on SF cliches. I have these ideas. Are they cliched?
* A cell phone that gets ticked off at its owner and kills her **because she keeps calling it "this stupid phone"** [reason added because of Survivor's comment] * A writer who discovers that everything he writes instantly becomes true
[This message has been edited by wbriggs (edited August 03, 2005).]
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
The first idea - I think it's been used with other items of technologiocal equipment, but a cell=phone would be a new one. I'm wondering how it would kill its user. Brain-frying microwave overload is possible, but dull; what would be more fun is if it kept making phone calls that put her into potentially fatal situations...
The second idea - that of writerly control of the universe - is definitely a cliche (as well as a wish-fulfilment dream for some writers... ).
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
I agree...I've written the second one. (And despite the clicheness. I got it published. ) The first one, though...while plenty of tech goes wacko and kills its owner I've never seen it done with a cell phone. I've been thinking of writing something for that contest and I'm not sure exactly what angle they might want...the cell phone could actually be a fresh new idea, especially with the spin tchernabyelo suggested (nice idea).
Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :
The first idea, not so cliche.
The second one, so very cliche. I can think of several movies (though not all the titles) with that theme, including a John Candy flick. I know there are many many books with that idea.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
The omnipotent writer is just a varient of stories involving wishes being granted. Whether or not it ends up being cliche depends on the wishes, not the mechanism by which they are granted.
As noted above, the cell phone murdering the owner is a subset of slave/creature/machine turns on it's master. Whether it is cliche doesn't depend on the particular form of the slave/creature/machine, but on it's reasons for turning against the master.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
And I'm aware that I almost never spell "its" correctly. I'll work on that, I promise.
Posted by pixydust (Member # 2311) on :
I like #1 the best--but mostly because it made me laugh at your reasoning (or the phone's reasoning--or whatever).
#2 seems to be exceedingly cliche. So perhaps that should win on that point. Just a bit droll.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
You could do version 1 as a Frankenstein Monster take-off. The main character is a design engineer and wants to field test his new phone.
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
He is looking for Science Fiction cliches, right? So I think number 2 is right out.
Posted by RagDoll (Member # 2757) on :
Hmm...I think the first idea is like a watered down 1984, but not a bad idea, if you plan to take it less seriously and in a more ironic direction. The second idea - been done to death. Give it a shot, but its bound to mirror someone else's work.
Posted by RagDoll (Member # 2757) on :
Damn, I totally missed the point. Yes, cliche! Use them!
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
I'm sorry, the 1984 connection totally lost me.
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
I recently reread 1984 and I have to say...I think it is the single most misrepresented book of this century. Even having read it once before, I had gotten swept away by what everyone *thinks* it is about rather than what it actually is about. I got my head screwed back on straight a couple of months ago. The story REALLY is not at all about the fear that advanced tech will cause humans to be some kind of watched, slave race. According to the book, we readily do it to ourselves. It's a commentary on politics, psychology, and human nature...the tech is incidental.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
YES. In 1984, Asimov wrote an article showing how 1984 "got it wrong" because it assumed technology inevitably leads to tyranny. Grumble. You could take out every techno gizmo in the story except bombs and cameras, and it wouldn't make any difference.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Wait, 1984 had tech gizmos?
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
I had no idea that people thought 1984 was about technology, not politics. Weird.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
It had the 2-way TV, and listening devices hidden here and there. That's about it.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
You know, the "Big Brother is watching you" stuff that you hear people say has come true every so often.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
Newspeak is everywhere -- and those who buy ink by the barrel aren't even ashamed to use it.
).
) The first one, though...while plenty of tech goes wacko and kills its owner I've never seen it done with a cell phone. I've been thinking of writing something for that contest and I'm not sure exactly what angle they might want...the cell phone could actually be a fresh new idea, especially with the spin tchernabyelo