As I put the finishing touches (ha!) on the area that I've been working on for 4% of my adult life to date, I find time--surprise--to muse on a subject that bears no relation to the snowy cobblestones and cliffs of Iriaebor. This subject is outer space, and the fact that it bears no relation to my present work is part of what I want to talk about.
I made dinner for some friends this weekend, and somehow Battlestar Galactica came up. A friend turned to me and said, "Zach, you're probably really into it, right?" To which I said, almost without thinking, "No, I hate space." Another event of last week also makes the topic timely: I downloaded Mass Effect and started playing it. For like thirty minutes, which is a new low for me and a new computer game. I know it's an RPG and all, and maybe I'll some day take the time to figure out why people think it's good, but I found it hard to get into. And I think the reason why is that it takes place in outer space.
My own prejudice against space has everything to do with my sensibilities and temperament, and this is all the more reason to question it. I may be a free-thinking, banjo-playing, Obama-worshiping libertine, but I am also a reactionary, a lover of a world that never was and never should have been, and one that is safest within the obvious boundaries of fantasy. I am glad that there are quasars and black holes, and that the universe is full of dust and emptiness and elliptical orbits; but there is a wayward and very strong part of me that adores the geocentric model of a tiny, fertile universe, one filled with singing spheres and perfect motion and a pantheon of gods.
But if half of this love is reactionary, at least some part of it is rooted in my experience of the natural world--right? To my eye, the fantasy landscape is far superior to the outer space one: dark stretches of forest, pastoral villages, wonderland caves you just happen to find and don't have to pay admission to see, untold ruins that will never be excavated and catalogued. I'd rather this than dusty Martian plains or an intergalactic vacuum any day. I would prefer to forget that the lovely, dangerous landscape of medieval fantasy is actually violently misanthropic. I would rather think that what endears me to this landscape is the fact that it is as earthly and local as outer space is stellar and universal. But yet again the contrast is troubling when thought through: The pristine wilderness that exists in the modern world only in pockets exists in my imagination amplified to a global, threatening scale; even as science fiction represents a technologically optimistic vision of the future, medieval fantasy represents a technologically backward dream--or nightmare--of the past.
So how come so many people find it easy to reconcile these two opposite strains of fantasy? Is the fact that they are both forms of fantasy enough--and is it simply a peculiar and perverse fixation that keeps me rooted in the reactionary one, growing, as it were, away from the progressive light of the other? I.e., Why do people assume that D&D geeks must also like Star Wars? And why is true that so many D&D geeks do like Star Wars?
Design: Uniqueness
13 hours ago
16 comments:
Somebody once noted that "Generation X" was a stupid name, and it should be called the "Star Wars Generation", containing those of us who saw it in the theater (either '77 or '79) at an impressionable age.
For me -- and I believe you're younger -- it was just one of the inexplicable formative experiences of my life.
But can you really be bothered by the *science* in science fiction? There's a tradition of "hard sf", but in most of the really popular stuff, the "science" serves about the same purpose as the ever-growing and ever-quantifiable lore/crunch in recent permutations of D&D -- a patina of rational order over the fantasy-story heart.
Of course, the Realms version of D&D seems to me as progressively optimistic at heart as any sci-fi. So maybe the question isn't why other D&D geeks like Star Wars, but why you like D&D at all? It's mostly *not* the locally-rooted, gothic-retrograde thing you praise here -- and gave an amazing taste of in The Birthday.
I've myself have thought about why at least I myself love both medieval settings and space settings.
The conclusion I've come to is my youth. On one hand, I live in Germany. In many places here you can't throw a stone without finding at least *some* remainder from the middle ages, usually in the form of historical buildings. Only the youngest of settlements have no city core that is referred to as "Old City" (because that's what it is. It is the old part of the city). And that is even *after* two wars, where especially in the second one large amounts of the old buildings especially in the larger cities, like Frankfurt in my area were destroyed by air raids. Despite that, there's still a lot left.
In fact, in my closer area I can think of 7 *castles* (of all types: the regular medieval type, the more modern, residential type that has in fact been inhabited until recently [well, read "recently" as "until around 1937". But only because most of the entire family of nobles who some of these castles I'm thinking of belonged to died in a plane crash when visiting the English relatives. The last Grandduke himself had died some years earlier [the mother of the Grandduke of Hesse-Darmstadt was Princess Alice, making Queen Victoria his Grandmother]], as well as the really *OLD* type, as in "it's a ruin now". That one has been around since 950 AD at least, though in a much simpler form back then. It grew over time.). Three of those castles are in one single city, actually (Offenbach. They don't really have a historical city core these days [even if the Subway stop is called "Old City"], but they have *three* castles!). In one of the other castles (the really old, ruined one, which is in a neigbouring town from where I live) a medieval fair [A Medieval Fair, not a "Renaissance Fair". The difference is that *we* have people actually dressing up as lepers. I myself am planning to go as Plague Doctor, complete with mask and black cloak and hat and poking stick next. I already have everything, but finding the right hat is turning out to be difficult. Yes, I do already have the mask - you'd think that would be the most difficult thing to find, right?] is held every year, and my mother took us there once or twice. I loved it, and I was fascinated with it. And I've been going there costumed for a few years now (I worked myself up step by step. fitting combinations of clothes first, a self made medieval dresss next. And now, a plague doctor costume. ^_^ ).
So yeah, you can definitely say I love the Middle Ages.
But I also love Space. I blame it on the cartoons I watched as a kid. Two of my favourite shows were "Captain Future", which is an anime based on the science fiction stories by Edmond Hamilton, and "Ulysses 31", which essentially is the Odyssey IN SPACE!. So yeah, I liked space.
Without these influences, I am not sure I'd be as fascinated with these topics these days. Actually, I think I would anyway, because I can find interest for just about anything (why yes, I do have a stamp collection, and I find them interesting.), but not at such an early age, or as actively (I am much more actively cosplaying [the medieval reenactment kind, not the Anime kind. Before I get to making any Anime costumes I don't yet know where to wear I have to finish my Jedi robe I don't yet know where to wear. And of course, the plague doctor costume.] or using my telescope than looking out to find new and interesting stamps to collect, for example.).
(Phew! That was a long post!)
Oh, and while talking about Banjo playing, I was wondering if there was some way I could get my hands on that nice song you've posted here on the blog. I really like it, and I'd love to put it on my ipod (I already put the songs from "Harp and Chrysanthemum" there too. They're lovely. ^_^ ).
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Why do people assume that D&D geeks must also like Star Wars?
What - You've never dreamed about wielding a proton phaser blaster, while the chick on board with the crazy forehead and 3 eyes (but hey, they'd still hit it) clings to your arm during a confrontation with the Gorzod battle fleet?
There's nothing wrong with the Genre - I just can't pick it up like I can the medieval fantasy setting.
So, I assume They assume for the same reasons We All assume things:
It's easy!
And why is true that so many D&D geeks do like Star Wars?
They certainly have their similarities.
Nice post, bud!
Oh, and I'd like to say I never saw Star Wars in cinemas (I was born '87, so a whole 10 years too late.). Still, I am a fan of Star Wars (mostly the original movies, and these days KOTOR. I haven't seen Episode II or III yet, in fact.). I remember that when I was young, a friend of mine and I would dress up in my parents bathrobes, take an extendable broomstick each, and play Jedi Knight. We pretended our Dobermann (of the black type. There's also brown ones, like our current one. And I hear in the US they have blueish-grey ones, which I'd *really* like to see.) was Darth Vader, and our other dog, which is a cute (though she's wicked. She knows she's adorable and knows how to use it. And she's smart in other ways too. So beware!) brown middle sized dog called Cora was Chewbacca (Chewie was male: so what? :P )
Also, I find that "Star Wars" really can't be described as regular "Science Fiction". I think that what is generally considered "Science Fiction" can at least partly considered to be something we might see in the future. In *OUR* future. And in fact, we already have teleportation of single particles, and 3D holographic projection has already been achieved (and one of the examples they of course projected was a Tie-Fighter. :P Oh, and moving holograms are possible too!).
But Star Wars already defines in the beginning that it is set "A long time ago, in a Galaxy Far away". It's not something that's going to happen to us. It's something that happened already, to someone else. And while I want to believe that one day we will have light sabres and Jedi running about, I am afraid at least one of them is quite unlikely (you decide which one).
So, Star Wars is probably better categorised under "Fantasy in Space", rather than "Science Fiction". Or as some people like to call it, "Space Opera".
(I could go on how compared to other franchises set in space, Star Wars is about the people and the emotions and the Jedi etc, while, for example, Star Trek is about "The Adventures of the Star Ship Enterprise", and not "The Personal Lives of the Crew of the Star Ship Enterprise". That's why you can't really compare Star Trek and Star Wars. So the premise of the two things are much too different. And of course, you can't compare the two because the format is just too different, but now I'm starting to digress so I better stop before this sentence and bracket mutates into a giant monster...FROM SPACE!!!!).
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As someone who obviously loves Star Wars (duh), I think much of it has to do with how I got into it as a child. Gadgets, lightsabers, funky looking aliens and some philosophies that really affected me at that time has to do with it.
I've never been really that fond of space as such though. I suppose an attraction of it is that sense of escapism and wonder. Are there societies out there somewhere? Are there planets of equal (or more) beauty than Earth. There is also a certain tension that can be used for certain genres, such as in Alien, where your basically confined that spaceship, just floating through space. No escape.
When I was younger I was generally partial to fantasy though, especially after being introduced to Tolkien at a fairly young age. It contains all kinds of wonders, but is often familiar enough to the reader/player/whatever, that he can draw upon his own emotions, instincts and experiences. That special feeling of travelling through the nature was instantly recognizable in LOTR, and I think it really helps sell it all.
I'd guess that's why FR is popular, because it stays within those boundaries where people can experience the fantastic, and yet it's sort of grounded enough it nature as we know it, to make them relate to it.
For me though, I've grown more attached to the weird these last few years. I still appreciate fantasy (and I think that you hit upon it in H&C, with its wonderful sense of, well nature and realism), but I've grown very attached to Planescape for example. I also enjoy post-apocalyptic settings a lot, steampunk, cyberpunk etc...
I enjoy most settings though. I've grown quite tired of the Sword Coast in FR, but even that can be very good if done right.
Hard to say why, but I believe it has to do with the accessability of fantasy. Since in many ways, the basic fantasy story shares many things with Earth in its presentation (in terms of nature and environment), I think it's also easy to overdose on it. But I think a well-done fantasy story, will always have a strong "human base" in which it can have a huge impact on a lot of people.
I will also say that I found Mass Effect to be utterly mediocre despite all the praise it has received. I really do not see what makes it so special, I guess a lot of people really get into the whole cinematic angle. But that hardly makes a game, and I think most other things in the game are very average.
Glad to see you're getting closer to finishing that particular area. :)
Hmmm, you put a lot more thought into it than I do.
I don't even like Star Wars that much. I mean, it's alright, but it ain't no Indiana Jones. Battlestar Galactica I've never even seen, and don't really feel any need to do so.
Anyway, at the end of the day fantasy is fake. It's a lot of fun to use your imagination and whatnot, but all the wishful thinking in the world isn't going to send us to the middle ages except there's magic this time. Whatever.
Space is real. If you're hoping to see something completely different, something wild for real, it's either going to come from there or the deep ocean (I've seen some pictures of fish down in the deep ocean that really make you go "wow, I didn't think anything like that was real"). So that's why space is awesome.
To spare us from a giant post about Battlestar Galactica: I like BSG because it's a well made show about atrocity, revenge, justice, and human loss. It's a show where the good guys used suicide bombing and terrorism to resist an alien occupation. Where both sides have used torture, and it never came out looking pretty and clean and justified like it does on 24. Where the villain of the show endured a trial, not a gun battle. Where every conceivable rule of war is violated when convenient, because of course the other side isn't one of us.
Realistically, that's something you could only do in Space. And that's why I like Battlestar Galactica, and that's why I like Space.
I think people are much quicker to understand science fiction worlds than fantasy worlds because they have more familiar bits to grip onto.
As for the idea of an overlap - well I think there definitely is one. Ultimately if you want to tell a big story that is fictional, one dealing with civilizations and governments and the fate of the proles, it's got to be either fantasy or science fiction. They're both "big idea" genres.
Space, steampunk, pastoral fantasy, star wars with it's magic-using sword-wielding knights: I think it's all of the same breed, ultimately.
I think your excellent post sums up my feelings about space, Zach. As far as Mass Effect is concerned, my feeling so far is that it's pristine and polished while being strangely bland and sterile; I probably need to play more before drawing any real conclusions, but it's not gripped me.
bah, crawl back into you're hollow earth then! :p
I think it's escapism, whatever the setting, and that's what I enjoy. I find it a lot harder to get into reading modern fiction, and always get more of a kick from reading fantasy/sci-fi.
As the others say - exposure at an impressionable age is key. I loved star wars and had the figures as a kid. Watching it now I'm less taken. But also, whatever the setting, some of the stories and themes run through - and that's what I like. I love westerns, but I also likes Outlands - High Noon in space.
Outland...
I haven't seen that one forever, but it was a good one. I never thought about it that way, but it really was High Noon in space.
Personally I can't say I care one way or the other. I do like both, but not because of any one particular bias. What strikes me about either one is what kind of world my mind chooses to explore.
I just don't generally like mixing the two, I like them to be their own unique thing.
That said, the cinematics of Mass Effect are identical to BSG if you've ever seen it. And Mass Effect is not really a space opera, it is about a fight for survival and dominance in space on a much larger scale. Not even necessarily with the Machines lurking in Darkspace. It shows the constant danger of an untamed and untameable kind of frontier. There is no one out there who is your friend really.
You have pirates, aliens, sentient machines, no law or places where it's enforced other than in Alliance and/or Council space. Threats can come from anywhere. Half the races don't like you and don't trust you, it's literally you against the world (or the universe in this case).
In the middle of this you are in a way fighting for the survival of Humanity against that kind of backdrop. This is what makes something like Mass Effect and gives it the wide appeal. I don't think it's about being "progressive" at all in fact it can be the opposite at times. Even though you can be.
But then again, politically I stand on the complete opposite side of Maerduin.
Remember that really sad song that Ernie sang on Sesame Street? It goes, "No, I don't want to live on the moon."
I don't like outer space. I'm sure there are some awesome things there, but it's more interesting to me to look at the moon and feel terrified than to feel like I need to go and touch it. Not everything in life needs conquered.
Thanks for the thoughts. To respond to Flem's query about why I liked D&D/the Realms at all, given its distance from the kind of fantasy I like (and this responds to Phoenixus's and Starwars' post and maybe some others in a way too)--well, once narrative enters the picture the aesthetic is always going to change--so when I say medieval fantasy, I mean it only as a genre archetype--as a kind of aesthetic impulse. The same goes for science fiction, so-called (good call Jazhara). The science, totally bogus or convincing, isn't the problem for me--it's the possibility of science at all. And everyone's right that exposure as a kid to your favored genre is probably key: I didn't have much exposure to Star Wars, but I went from Lewis to Tolkien to D&D at a very early age. (And talk about reactionary!) Wyrin and Brian are also right to point out that it's all the same insofar as it's about escapism.
Jazhara: 7 castles? You want to download my banjo song to listen to on your ipod? Awesome! Send me an email at zach[dot]holbrook@gmail.com
Mass Effect: Do you guys think I should keep at it? Or should I keep working on BD? :)
Meg, your thing about the moon reminds me of this--"when man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason," which is Keats.
Eh, I don't know. The fun of ME for me was being able to be the bad cop with a shotgun. It's basically like Dirty Harry in space to me. You don't seem like the kind of guy to get a kick out of doing that though.
Yup, seven castles. And that's the ones I know of. There might be some I don't know of (I only found out about the three in Offenbach recently, for example. You'd think one knows about such things if you live in the area, but I guess I should have learned from the fact that at least half the residents of the town the really old castle is in don't know there is an annual Medieval Fair at the castle. One often knows less about one's own town/area than an outsider does.).
And this is just in the Rhine-Main (joining point of the Rhine River and Main river) area. If you go to the Rhine valley, you often can't throw a stone without hitting a castle. People fought to get hold of even a few metres of land bordering the river, so they could raise a tax on river travel there. It could be a very narrow strip of land, just as long as it bordered the river. And often that also lead to the building of a little castle or hold, to strengthen the rule of their little realm. If someone in that area was in the possession of some land (which in that time was not always a given), and had just a bit money, they'd try to build a castle and thus strengthen their rule and amass more riches too. They didn't even have to be of some kind of nobility. As a result you have an area littered with a different castle every few metres, and a very lucrative route for tourist boats.
My favourite castle of all times (and the second most visited castle after New Swanstone [it's likely you've seen a picture of it somewhere, even if the name doesn't ring a bell: http://www.neuschwanstein.com/index.htm ]. And everyone I know that visited both agrees that this one is much better than NeuSchwanstein.) is at the Mosel, away from the river, in a valley (so not a fortress castle, obviously, but rather a castle for living in.):
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cEf_cxsL7CQ/RncN1WBCr1I/AAAAAAAAAGM/WySbnV38dq4/s1600-h/day11.jpg
BURG ELTZ! (If you ever get the chance to do so, visit it! It's awesome. The tours are very informative. Here's their website: http://www.burg-eltz.de/ )
So yeah, if anything, Germany got a double serving when they were offering castles. *laughs*
And I'll send you an email because of the song. Thank you!
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You won TWO AME awards. Way to go!!!
Debut Author Award:
Zach Holbrook
Zach Holbrook (aka Maerduin) produced one of the defining modules of 2007 with Harp & Chrysanthemum. His attention to detail; from landscapes to music, character writing to story, makes him this year’s Debut Award winner.
Best Sound/Music:
New Music Tracks for Harp & Chrysanthemum by Zach Holbrook
This year’s Best Sound/Music Golden Dragon Award goes to the new music tracks produced for Harp & Chrysanthemum, by Zach Holbrook. They combine interesting use of voice and backing with an excellent fit to the module itself.
I think it's because both settings (fantasy and Sci-fi) are fundamentally about two things: escapism and the wonder of exploration.
Fantasy plays to escapism in that it allows us to go to a world where there is a music, a harmony, a balance of the heavens, struggles of eons, and a lack of technological advancement.
As an aside, what always strikes me about fantasy settings is the lack of technological progress. Take lord of the rings for example, 3000 years between the assault on mount doom and the ending of the third age and there has been no advancement in warfare or art or technology at all. If anything, the opposite has happened, technology has faded, the world has decayed, the magic has drained out. This area is the biggest contrast between Sci-Fi, which almost inherently creates a vision of technological progress (nevermind the fact that starwars took place a long long time ago).
Regardless, both present a future or a past where magical things were or will be possible. In fantasy, that magic is literally magic. In sci-fi, it is amazing technology. Both allow for the extra-ordinary to occur.
Very few people wish to roleplay in the mundane.
So the thinking that starwars nerds must also love lord of the rings just stems from the fact that at their heart, either setting caters to a personality longing for a escape to a more magical or extraordinary world. It's the desire for escapism and the yaerning to *play* that unites the drive to both, or either.
Your preference for fantasy may stem from your view of the universe and technology. Do you believe technological progression is a good thing? Do you think science is eliminating the possibility of a god? Do you think technology has taken the wonder from life? Some people think science has done the exact opposite, and is opening up a world of human experience never before imagined.
But I digress.
By the way, just finished playing your NWN 2 mod for the first time, outstanding work.
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