Today I’m trying to find the path again so I can stay on it for a bit. NaNoWriMo Countdown: D-day minus nine
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Write if you get work. Or, well, yeah – write. But that’s what NaNoWriMo is all about.
I’m … disturbed, a bit, with your description of Burnside. And you focus your discussion on his handling of the drills. And while Burnside’s handling of the drills is *BAD*, and shows his view of the crew as unimportant and perhaps even sub-human, it’s his leading by example of rape and assault, and even having others carry out assaults for him, that makes him evil. Likewise, Simpson’s willingness to use assault and murder simply to make him a little more money is quite evil – I don’t need deep psychological profiles revealing how Burnside’s father performed in the Diurnia Sector equivalent of the Castro District or how Simpson slowly lost sight of humans as humans, relegating them to rats to test his economic theories out on, before sliding past that to just being a greedy bastard, to find them evil. Nor do I need an in-depth examination of Andrew Birchwood’s history to know that he’s of the opinion that if he can get away with it, it’s legal. Am I supposed to feel sympathetic for these *MONSTERS*, to assume that it’s not their fault for the evil they do?
Besides, I still think Ish had a leg to stand on with regards to Burnside’s drills – I believe at some point they use the language “in accordance with CPJCT Regulations and Customs”, which is the kind of thing that is taught at the Academy. And the term “fiduciary responsibilities” seems to come to mind with regard to Simpson’s handling of the problematic share, though that would be harder to prove in general – but a TIC investigation would probably show a pattern of that trick being used, which should be enough.
Seriously – what made the Trader’s Tales, and Tanyth Fairport’s Adventures so great, so far, is that you’ve made great stories without descending into that damned grimdark mess that’s trapped so much of SciFi and fiction in general these days.
Thanks, Tara Li.
You’re right. Keep me honest.
Thanks for the heads up about “The Retread Shop”! That was a great story!
Burnside was a bit of a rough transition for me, and I had a bit of a problem buying into the sudden change in tone, but, that said, I think we go through life not really understanding why vicious people are the way that they are. Especially when we’re younger, and when we’re in the middle of it. I don’t think there’s a lot of motive that needs to be seen, because we never (well, almost never) see it in real life. when I’m being hurt or threatened, questions of motive aren’t really on my mind. “It just is” works, I think, for expressing a violent person’s behavior.
Can your daughter put her booklette up on Amazon? It sounds like she really did some thing worthwhile.
I think I’m being suckered into a place I don’t need (want) to go with the villains.
These two comments are very helpful.
I always saw Burnside and Birchwood as rather flat, cardboard-y targets. Simpson had a little more depth – or at least a more complex story.
Based on these comments, I wrote better than I knew.
I really think you did. Perhaps it’s that we build our own background for characters as we read them – filling in the sketch marks to create a more rounded character in our own mind. I think, though, it’s more a matter of a writer being his own worst critic.
I think Simpson had more depth because at first we thought he was a decent guy, a rascally grandfather. But with a wretch like Burnside, I think we go into a more fight-or-flight mode, which is really is a very two dimensional state. In emergency services they called it tunnel vision, and having experienced it, I agree. You don’t think well, and can only perceive a limited range of what’s going on. With real villians, I suspect it often reduces down towards emotions like, “How do I avoid him,” “Oh god he’s coming my way,” “Why”, “it’s not fair,” “I’ll get that sob if it’s the last thing I do.”