Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: Inbreeding | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 01:34 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Inbreeding - Ned3301 01:19 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
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| "It may be that posters are overthinking a tale meant as a parable: a man of a deeply spiritual nature that he scarcely comprehends himself stumbles upon something that both reveals that he has a problem and offers a solution to it. The specifics of the story are really neither here nor there, because instead of Brigadoon he might have found the church, or a cult of some kind, or bowling, or one of those obsessive hobbies like mountain climbing." I completely agree, but I do think it helps tremendously if a story remains logical based on the precepts of its own reality, and BRIGADOON strays very, very far from that. I think this is often a danger when stories veer into the supernatural; TUCK EVERLASTING is just one more example of many. |
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| Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 02:31 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Inbreeding - Michael_Portantiere 01:34 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
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| This is an issue that my husband (Harry Turtledove) and I deal with in writing speculative fiction (science fiction--including the subgenre of alternate history--and fantasy). We're already asking readers to suspend disbelief in accepting whatever incredible premise we've devised. It can be aliens invading in World War II, Shakespeare surviving in Spanish-occupied England, a global conflict fought with magic, or a guy stealing a time machine to cure George Gershwin's brain tumor. To maintain our narrative authority, we want to be as rigorous as possible in all the details. Because you can write exciting plots with engaging characters, but the more the reader goes "What? That can't happen." Or "That doesn't make sense in this world." the more likely that you've lost that reader. The goal is to immerse the reader with accurate world-building, even if that world is highly improbable and/or fantastical in nature. In many ways, modern musical librettists have to cope with the same issue, even if they're not writing BRIGADOON or FINIAN'S RAINBOW. They have to convey a story in which the characters often relate plot points and information about themselves in a nonrealistic fashion: by singing and dancing. The audience knows, expects, and accepts this: they're at a musical. Just as the reader of a fantasy knows the setting is a world with magic. But the more the librettist fails to maintain internal consistency in his/her premise, the harder for the audience to suspend disbelief. One can argue that all fiction (and that goes for plays as well as non-speculative novels and stories) should hold to such standards, and I'd say you were right. But by their very nature of the genre, I think writers of sf and fantasy have even higher standards to maintain. This explains why there's so much bad fantasy out there, folks. Laura |
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| re: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 04:09 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| In reply to: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief - showtunetrivia 02:31 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
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| "In many ways, modern musical librettists have to cope with the same issue, even if they're not writing BRIGADOON or FINIAN'S RAINBOW. They have to convey a story in which the characters often relate plot points and information about themselves in a nonrealistic fashion: by singing and dancing. The audience knows, expects, and accepts this: they're at a musical. Just as the reader of a fantasy knows the setting is a world with magic. But the more the librettist fails to maintain internal consistency in his/her premise, the harder for the audience to suspend disbelief." I agree completely, but I would make a big distinction between BRIGADOON and FINIAN'S RAINBOW in terms of the internal logic and credibility of the story. In the case of FINIAN'S, once you accept the fact that there are such things as leprechauns and magical pots of gold that grant three wishes, I don't believe there's anything in the plot that doesn't make sense within that world -- whereas BRIGADOON'S story really doesn't make much sense at all, as noted. |
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| re: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 04:40 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 04:39 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief - Michael_Portantiere 04:09 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
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| I would also make a distinction in the tone of the 2 shows. Even with the socio/political edge, Finian's mostly presents its fantasy element with a knowing wink (something certainly aided by Harburg's whimsical lyrics), but to me, Brigadoon attempts to take itself more seriously as a more dramatic form of "musical comedy." (Which perhaps makes the problems in Brigadoon even odder lol.) Even though, perhaps ironically, Brigadoon has the more tour-de-force comic song in "My Mother's Wedding Day" - as fun and charming and funny as "When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love" is, it, um, can't hold a candle to the razzle-dazzle of "Wedding Day." ;-) |
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| re: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 05:33 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Speculative fiction and suspension of disbelief - Chromolume 04:39 pm EST 03/09/19 | |
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| ***I would also make a distinction in the tone of the 2 shows. Even with the socio/political edge, Finian's mostly presents its fantasy element with a knowing wink (something certainly aided by Harburg's whimsical lyrics), but to me, Brigadoon attempts to take itself more seriously as a more dramatic form of "musical comedy." (Which perhaps makes the problems in Brigadoon even odder lol.)*** Excellent point. |
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