The constituents of tragedy may be universally acknowledged, easily invoked and deeply felt, but the elements of comedy are, I think, more widely variable from person to person. Paul Di Filippo acknowledgecomedyconstituent Change image and share on social
Generally speaking, by the time a subculture such as steampunk secures the attention of major media, resulting in extensive coverage of the craze, said phenomenon is already on the way out. Paul Di Filippo attentioncoveragecraze Change image and share on social
Every new generation of SF writers remakes cyberpunk - a genre often laced with dystopian subtexts - in its own image. Paul Di Filippo cyberpunkdystopiangeneration Change image and share on social
The three touchstones that woke Buddha up - sickness, old age, and death - are a pretty good place to start when crafting a tragic tale. And if we need to get more specific: heartbreak, destruction, miscomprehension, natural disasters, betrayal, and the waste of human potential. Paul Di Filippo agebetrayalbuddha share on social
Writing one's first novel, getting it sold, and shepherding it through the labyrinths of editing, production, marketing, journalism, and social media is an arduous and nerve-wracking process. Paul Di Filippo arduouseditjournalism Change image and share on social
Only a minority of science fiction dystopias attempt to plumb the real existential roots of oppression, the flaws in humanity's nature that undermine our best attempts at organizing ourselves into social units. Paul Di Filippo attemptdystopiaexistential share on social
The sentient beast has long been a staple of fantasy fiction and its antecedents in myth and folktale. Paul Di Filippo antecedentbeastfantasy Change image and share on social
War has always been a part of science fiction. Even before the birth of SF as a standalone genre in 1926, speculative novels such as 'The Battle of Dorking' from 1871 showed how SF's trademark 'what if' scenarios could easily encompass warfare. Paul Di Filippo battlebirthdorking share on social
Once anthropology and geology had opened up the pre-recordkeeping darkness of humanity's long, slow, sustained infancy as suitable grounds for speculation, writers began trying to imagine human existence as it must have been with only stone-age technology. Paul Di Filippo ageanthropologybegin share on social
The term 'steampunk' itself, now a badge of honor, began as a putdown, a joke. But like 'Big Bang' in cosmology, the diss became the standard. Paul Di Filippo badgebangbegin Change image and share on social
