[Writingworkshop] Specs

[Adam Holland]

Actually, I think you've done well with respect to "near-future" SF.
I think it's precisely the point that the tech is not far off.
What was actually more SF to me were the social mores and conventions
surrounding the tech's use.  It's easy to imagine surveillance specs, but
much harder to plausibly imagine what social practices would spring up
around them.
I liked the idea that ( just like copyright DRM)  attempts to control the
technology only made the problem worse.
In fact, that's what I was flashing on throughout the story, was that this
was all an allegory for current  (ineffective) technological attempts to
control information
I also really liked the color coding, the little interior puzzle, with the
resolution at the end.

On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 9:28 PM, Neale Morison <nealemorison at gmail.com>wrote:

> Thanks for looking at it. One thing I wasn't sure about - do you think
> it's sufficiently in the science fiction genre? It's awfully close to
> current technology and politics, but just a little ahead. I explicitly
> set a date, I think 2013 or so. When I get up the nerve I'm going to
> submit one of these stories to a science fiction mag, and if necessary
> I might have to tweak it to make it sf enough. I suppose I can just
> add incidental flying cars, talking robots and nanodrugs.
>
> On Sat, May 30, 2009 at 1:02 PM, Adam Holland <adam.holland at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Interesting is right!
> > Just quirky enough style-wise to be intriguing without being jarring or
> > disconcerting.
> > Like a puzzle tough enough to be challenging, but not so hard as to make
> you
> > give up.
> > It works.
> >
> > a lot to chew on, and some nice allegories with current technology.
> > Well done!
> > On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 8:56 AM, Neale Morison <neale at nealemorison.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> This is a short story, around 6700 words.
> >> http://www.nealemorison.com/writing/shortstories/Specs.pdf
> >>
> >> At first I was trying to avoid writing in first person present tense,
> then
> >> I thought I'd write in first person but it wouldn't be and past tense as
> if
> >> it's present. I find the result ... interesting.
> >>
> >> I managed to average 520 words a day from the day I started until I
> >> finished, but there were two days I did nothing and one day I went
> negative
> >> because I did a big edit. It's not all about the number of words per
> day,
> >> but I find it really helps to try to hit at target. If you don't the
> little
> >> doubts and annoying distractions such as family, job and
> responsibilities
> >> (read cats, Antony) will get you for sure.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Neale Morison
> >> neale at nealemorison.com
> >> http://www.nealemorison.com
> >> 35 Frazer St, Leichhardt NSW 2040
> >> +61 417 661 427
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
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> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Neale Morison
> neale at nealemorison.com
> http://www.nealemorison.com
>
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