Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) - Nerds protecting nonces

I suspect that "psionics" have entrenched themselves in Space Opera is that just like spaceships cruising the Galaxy relatively quickly or time travel, there was an idea in the 1940s-1960s that these things might just be possible. ESP was taken quasi-seriously at the time and it seemed like further technological development might allow it to become mainstream.

Asimov's Foundation, for example, has ESP develop as a consequence of scientific development, specifically the refinement of psychology. Telepathy is extremely refined psycho-analysis of tiny movements of the face and body, and mental control/hypnosis is just very refined brain fuckery. Both are almost certainly not possible as psychology is understood today, but as it was understood in the 40s it makes a lot more sense. At least until Foundation's Edge was written, then any veneer of scientific ESP fucks off and dies.
 
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ToroidalBoat said:
Speaking of animu, is there ESP in Space Battleship Yamato, and is that a space opera?
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My take is it's a bit ambiguous. My impression is the series has significant Shinto themes which were changed to powerful psychic aliens. Weirdly enough, one of the most explicit is from an American comic book series set between the second and third series. So supernatural power? Absolutely.
 
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Skeletonized Cow said:
I suspect that "psionics" have entrenched themselves in Space Opera is that just like spaceships cruising the Galaxy relatively quickly or time travel, there was an idea in the 1940s-1960s that these things might just be possible. ESP was taken quasi-seriously at the time and it seemed like further technological development might allow it to become mainstream.

Asimov's Foundation, for example, has ESP develop as a consequence of scientific development, specifically the refinement of psychology. Telepathy is extremely refined psycho-analysis of tiny movements of the face and body, and mental control/hypnosis is just very refined brain fuckery. Both are almost certainly not possible as psychology is understood today, but as it was understood in the 40s it makes a lot more sense. At least until Foundation's Edge was written, then any veneer of scientific ESP fucks off and dies.
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Also, Space Opera as a genre focusses more on the bigger picture, like the relations and politics between 2 intergalactic empires, even if you follow only a single or handful of minor diplomats. How exactly the tech works doesn't really matter, and most of the advanced science might as well be magic (even more easily blurred when you're talking about completely non-human aliens, like hive-mind bugs or something).
I can't remember any recent space opera stuff I've read where psionics were a thing, but there's usually stuff that could easily be magic in a fantasy novel, like implanted body enhancements, or memory recording tech.
 
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Does Red Rising series count as space opera?
Personally I have no problem with some little magic/esoteric nonsense in space opera novels. If you view space opera as sci-fi fairy tales, espers are just the wizards and elves of the space age.
 
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Damn. Is there any writer’s group that is NOT filled with the biggest scumbags you can find? Are the connections and networks really THAT necessary to have to survive in the world of publishing? I mean, all the self-publishing on Amazon, and folks still think groups like the SFWA is the key to fame, riches, and legitimacy?

Also, that Hogg excerpt in the OP sounds like Nick Bate if he had a final form like a JRPG boss.
 
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Random Internet Person said:
Damn. Is there any writer’s group that is NOT filled with the biggest scumbags you can find?
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If you can handle a bunch of Mormon nerds, there's always Larry Correia's Writer Dojo. Personally the fact that it is on Facebook bugs me more than anything else. Fortunately I have a bunch of socks from back before they demanded phone numbers to sign up, so that's what I use. Cuckerberg (hopefully) gets nothing of value from me. It is general discussion, though, and not the place to go if you're looking for reviews or beta readers.

(What is it with Mormons and their love of Facebook? Did ol' Joe Smith write about it in Reformed Egyptian or something? It isn't like the people running Facebook exactly embrace the religious.)
ToroidalBoat said:
Speaking of animu, is there ESP in Space Battleship Yamato, and is that a space opera?
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Didn't the chick on the planet they were traveling toward to save from the ebbull bad guys communicate with the crew via dreams or maybe even by direct telepathy? The messages were uniformly "Please hurry, there's not much time..." so as best I recall she didn't have much to say.
 
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I'm in the middle of reading Roadside Picnic and playing The Final Station. I wanted to read Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation, since it seems to have a similar vibe.

But then saw on its Wikipedo page that it won a Nebula award and that he's chummy with these SFWA scumbags. Cat Rambo was one of the pages linked for further reading.

If you've won a Nebula, then I can reasonably assume that you know about Sam Delany and Ed Kramer. Silence is approval.
 
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Mikoyan said:
It's simply that it provides a normie-friendly automation method to keep track of the doings of the kazillion cousins, nieces and nephews that Mormons must have facts at hand for.
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Yeah, was talking with a buddy and even he's like, "I'd get off Facebook but then I'd have no idea what was happening with most of my scattered family."
 
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Meat Target said:
I'm in the middle of reading Roadside Picnic and playing The Final Station. I wanted to read Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation, since it seems to have a similar vibe.

But then saw on its Wikipedo page that it won a Nebula award and that he's chummy with these SFWA scumbags. Cat Rambo was one of the pages linked for further reading.

If you've won a Nebula, then I can reasonably assume that you know about Sam Delany and Ed Kramer. Silence is approval.
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At least you get to enjoy Roadside Picnic. Great book.

I liked  Annihilation, both book and film version, but the other two books in the trilogy got increasingly esoteric and up their own ass and I kinda lost interest and only powered through because I hate to leave a series unfinished. Shame he's chummy with the SFWA cabal, though. He's a pretty good writer even when his books are tying themselves in knots.
 
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