Yep, that would come from having to write it as a newspaper serial. I like that aspect too. Life doesn't have structure. I try to do something like that in my novels. I don't like the standard intro-climax-resolution format.
the books are short, and the ideas are big, and the characters are simple
Yeah, I'm a bit of a fan of pure escapist stories too. Difficult, perhaps impossible to write nowadays.
Yep, same movie and TV influences I think. :) I spent my teens insatiably devouring science fiction books/magazines and science.
And I'm right there with you on the Lensman series. I've tried and failed to read the series a number of times. Never been sure why. Had always attributed it to lack of science and crappy science, but the John Carter of Mars books should fall afoul of that, yet don't. And Edwin Arnold's 1905 novel "Gulliver of Mars", which inspired Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, had the protagonist get to Mars on a magic carpet, yet I seem to recall enjoying that (must try reading it again someday to see if I still do).
Incidentally, "Gulliver of Mars" is available as a free ebook at Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/604) and free audiobook at LibriVox (https://librivox.org/gulliver-of-mars-by-edwin-l-arnold/). Audiobooks are good for driving, or walking, or gardening, or housework. Many of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books are available on LibriVox too. I listened to the "John Carter of Mars" series a few years ago. That was fun and quite a different experience than reading the books myself.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2018-05-18 02:45 pm (UTC)Yep, that would come from having to write it as a newspaper serial. I like that aspect too. Life doesn't have structure. I try to do something like that in my novels. I don't like the standard intro-climax-resolution format.
the books are short, and the ideas are big, and the characters are simple
Yeah, I'm a bit of a fan of pure escapist stories too. Difficult, perhaps impossible to write nowadays.
Yep, same movie and TV influences I think. :)
I spent my teens insatiably devouring science fiction books/magazines and science.
And I'm right there with you on the Lensman series. I've tried and failed to read the series a number of times. Never been sure why. Had always attributed it to lack of science and crappy science, but the John Carter of Mars books should fall afoul of that, yet don't. And Edwin Arnold's 1905 novel "Gulliver of Mars", which inspired Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, had the protagonist get to Mars on a magic carpet, yet I seem to recall enjoying that (must try reading it again someday to see if I still do).
Incidentally, "Gulliver of Mars" is available as a free ebook at Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/604) and free audiobook at LibriVox (https://librivox.org/gulliver-of-mars-by-edwin-l-arnold/). Audiobooks are good for driving, or walking, or gardening, or housework. Many of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books are available on LibriVox too. I listened to the "John Carter of Mars" series a few years ago. That was fun and quite a different experience than reading the books myself.