tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post1395352288713194616..comments2024-03-28T12:46:20.637-04:00Comments on alien romances: Heinlein On LoveRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-40959980088771461732007-07-13T14:31:00.000-04:002007-07-13T14:31:00.000-04:00Margaret:Yes, "plain" style is also something Mari...Margaret:<BR/><BR/>Yes, "plain" style is also something Marion Zimmer Bradley used -- the writer is to be invisible to the reader, not to flaunt her erudite style and sparkling wit, but to tell the story. <BR/><BR/>Yeah, I recommend Spider Robinson, too! <BR/><BR/>No, actually the messed up STARSHIP TROOPERS film may spur someone to do it right.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, from the Ursula LeGuinn EARTHSEA TRILOGY on TV, we learned a very clear lesson.<BR/><BR/>The ONE THING that must be changed when converting a novel to a screenplay is the THEME -- i.e. what the book SAYS.<BR/><BR/>To eliminate that problem, the writer has to construct the book to conform to screenplay criteria. That is a creative straight-jacket most won't want to try on! <BR/><BR/>But I do think Heinlein's books can still make great films if converted by a trufan! <BR/><BR/>Vicky b -- yes, there is some kind of commercial problem marketing Heinlein today. I haven't got an exact handle on it myself yet, but will no doubt explain it in this blog when I figure it out.<BR/><BR/>But Heinlein wrote to compete for "beer money" -- he was selling entertainment tailored exactly to HIS readership. <BR/><BR/>To write "like Heinlein" you must research YOUR readership and tailor your work to compete for their beer money. Your readers aren't his readers! <BR/><BR/>But the process is the same. <BR/><BR/>At the Centennial it was said many times one characteristic of Heinlein was that he would research any subject into submission.<BR/><BR/>He did his research and hit the big time -- so do yours and you will too.<BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.simegen.com/jl/Jacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-1721868557370162732007-07-12T11:36:00.000-04:002007-07-12T11:36:00.000-04:00Oh, about RED PLANET: In its "bouncer" form, the h...Oh, about RED PLANET: In its "bouncer" form, the hero's cute Martian pet is actually a she, not a he. Anticipating the Martians of STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND (maybe they're actually meant to be the same), these beings change sex from female to male at maturity. The sad farewell must be in the movie only. The book, IIRC, ends with the Martian "pet" incubating a clutch of eggs. I'd love to see that animated film. Is it for sale anywhere?Margaret Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08293021955480708191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-62148540606413305332007-07-11T15:40:00.000-04:002007-07-11T15:40:00.000-04:00Because I didn't start reading Heinlein until adul...Because I didn't start reading Heinlein until adulthood, he didn't influence my formative years. Nor can I claim he had any direct influence on me as a writer. Nevertheless, he's one of my all-time favorites, whom I've read over and over. One aspect I wish I could emulate as a writer is his wonderfully lucid style, his ability to make any topic both understandable and entertaining. As Isaac Asimov probably said somewhere in connection with his own writing, a "plain" style is MUCH harder than it looks. While I disagree in many respects with Heinlein's politics and philosophy, he's always thought-provoking, and his essay on Patriotism (first delivered as a lecture at the U.S. Naval Academy) never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I was so disappointed in the STARSHIP TROOPERS movie that I've never watched it all the way through since first viewing. The director and writer used the plot elements of Heinlein's novel (with some neat visual effects, such as the delightfully horrific queen bug)to create a film that completely distorts and sometimes outright contradicts the principles and message of the book. This travesty has probably ruined any chance of the book's being done right on film, because the powers-with-money doubtless think "why bother, it's been done already." Any Heinlein fans out there who haven't read Spider Robinson must do so right away! Start with the "trunk novel" Jacqueline mentioned, which was completed by Spider Robinson. Then read his own work, esp. the Callahan's Bar stories.Margaret Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08293021955480708191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-54425697505020822642007-07-10T16:26:00.000-04:002007-07-10T16:26:00.000-04:00Awesome report, Jacqueline.I've been reading DREAM...Awesome report, Jacqueline.<BR/><BR/>I've been reading DREAMSPY, by you, and Robert A. Heinlein's STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND just arrived today. I'm planning on talking about them on my Enduring Romance blog this Thursday, July 12th. <BR/><BR/>The interesting thing is reading DREAMSPY and seeing the roots of GAMES OF COMMAND by Linnea Sinclair. Very cool. The legacy lives on.Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-61827821622044880462007-07-10T16:17:00.000-04:002007-07-10T16:17:00.000-04:00Thank you, Jl, for another fabulous essay, and for...Thank you, Jl, for another fabulous essay, and for the reminder that I really must pick up another Heinlein, and refresh my memory. <BR/><BR/>Until then, Asimov's The Gods Themselves remains my favorite.<BR/><BR/>Rowena CherryRowena Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-7782530856025823832007-07-10T15:36:00.000-04:002007-07-10T15:36:00.000-04:00Heinlein has always been and continues to be one o...Heinlein has always been and continues to be one of my favorite authors of all time. One of my favorite rejections I ever got was from an agent who said I wrote too much like Heinlein and other "old" science fiction writers and that my stuff would never sell in today's market. High praise indeed in my mind. <BR/><BR/>Thank you for your insights into the centennial and everything that happened. Wish I could have been there but you make it seem so real, it's okay to have missed it. <BR/><BR/>Sort of. :)<BR/>Vicky BVicky Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12553215002296818956noreply@blogger.com