David Brin AGAIN...

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-12-18 01:10am

Master of Ossus wrote:To be honest, guys, I don't see that this article is nearly as bad as his SW articles. In this one he presents a clear perspective, in a coherent and reasonably honest manner. The problem with his SW articles was that he was willing to twist the truth in order to advance his objectives. This one's not nearly so bad.

Except for his "fact" to be wrong. It is just bad in a different sort of way.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2002-12-18 01:22am

Gah, "facts" being wrong. My spelling sucks today.

ben · Post by **ben** » 2002-12-18 01:27am

[/quote]
I was going to keep this from you guys but I saw a "Foundation" book by Brin the other day Authorised by "The estate of" Asimov. I think Asimov himself would look on the guy with disdain.

Brin!? doing a "Foundation" book yeech, has anybody read his books?
they stink, Brin will do to Asimov's Foundation what B&B do for ST.

The_Nice_Guy · Post by **The_Nice_Guy** » 2002-12-18 05:20am

Brin does seem to be jealous of everything that's more popular than his own works.

I haven't read any Foundation books since Asimov stopped writing them. In my mind, there are no Foundation books by any other author.

The Nice Guy

Jadeite · Post by **Jadeite** » 2002-12-18 06:04pm

I was going to keep this from you guys but I saw a "Foundation" book by Brin the other day Authorised by "The estate of" Asimov. I think Asimov himself would look on the guy with disdain.

Was it Foundations Fear? or something like that? I read one of those once, its a piece of shit. The original books are so much better.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-12-18 07:13pm

Marcus wrote:The sad thing is, I actually do like Brin's Sci-Fi.

I do, too, but I think his behavior and intelligence outside of science fiction has been reprehensibly poor. I like the book The Postman (not enough to see the movie), and I like Startide Rising, but I am not willing to forgive him for his ridiculous and utterly unwarranted essays.

Skelron · Post by **Skelron** » 2002-12-19 01:28am

Were any orcs or "dark men" offered coalition positions in King Aragorn's cabinet, at the end of the War of the Ring? Was Mordor given a benign Marshall Plan?

I think not.

Okay I'm struggling to read this pile of Shit, but I have to say WHAT THE FUCK. Lets see the orcs are a brutal bunch of murduring bastards. People for whom a good time is killing and then eating an innocent... and he wonders why Aragormn dosn't have them in his Cabinet!! The guy is a Moron.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2002-12-19 04:17pm

David Brin is by default a dumb fucking piece of shit and anything he writes might as well be pissed on.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2002-12-20 09:10am

The problem with David Brin is that he seems to think that if a fiction writer who describe a feudalist society, then he glorifies the feudal structure.

gravity · Post by **gravity** » 2002-12-25 03:44am

Simon H.Johansen wrote:The problem with David Brin is that he seems to think that if a fiction writer who describe a feudalist society, then he glorifies the feudal structure.

Tolkein *does* kind of glorify a fedualist structure as far as I can tell. Or at least he glosses over any problems that are a result of the system rather than of the influence of Sauron. Then again I haven't read the books in years, so I'm just going by the movie here.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2002-12-25 05:10am

David Brin falls prey to a common misconception in his writings, temporal bias. He prefers his own time over any other, regardless of how things actually were during thoes times. He applies modern concepts of tolerance, multi-culturalism, and diverse societies and attempts to make a feudalistic society fit this mold.
Right......

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2002-12-25 05:34pm

I've enjoyed Brin's Uplift books, but it looks like I'm going to stay the hell away from anything non-fiction he does. Yuck.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-12-25 05:57pm

There is quite an irony about Brin crying "racism!" and "feudalism!" whenever he looks at any book that contains anything which could be remotely construed as genetic determinism or a feudal government (even if it's the bad guys, as in the case of SW), while he simultaneously writes books in which the societal leaders are picked from genetically superior dolphin races.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2002-12-28 08:09am

gravity wrote:
Simon H.Johansen wrote:The problem with David Brin is that he seems to think that if a fiction writer who describe a feudalist society, then he glorifies the feudal structure.
Tolkein *does* kind of glorify a fedualist structure as far as I can tell. Or at least he glosses over any problems that are a result of the system rather than of the influence of Sauron. Then again I haven't read the books in years, so I'm just going by the movie here.

I was referring to Star Wars as well as Tolkien. (The Galactic Empire is more or less feudalist - it's definately an absolutist monarchy a la Czarist Russia)

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2002-12-28 09:16am

Simon H.Johansen wrote: Tolkein *does* kind of glorify a fedualist structure as far as I can tell. Or at least he glosses over any problems that are a result of the system rather than of the influence of Sauron. Then again I haven't read the books in years, so I'm just going by the movie here.

I was referring to Star Wars as well as Tolkien. (The Galactic Empire is more or less feudalist - it's definately an absolutist monarchy a la Czarist Russia)[/quote]

I would have to say it is more of a military dictatorship. Palpatine's manoeuvring is very much intended to be similiar to Augustus', I think. Likewise, notice how initially the Senate is left in place, and most of the official literature says it gave him the Imperial title and dignities? What lacks tradition, or familiarity through long usage, shall be held by force of arms.