O_o

[feuervogel]

Note to future self:

Never send someone who doesn't read outside a very narrow section of SF (hard SF, mostly) your space opera novel to beta read. The resulting commentary full of insults that you don't know how to write and that stories that don't focus on the technology aren't "really SF" is not only not helpful but rage-making, and you will have to figure out the most polite way to say, "You have no idea what you're talking about" without coming across as That Writer saying "You just doooon't understaaaaaaand my viiiiiision."

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Comments

[luckykitty.livejournal.com]

I saw what you quoted over on Dreamwidth and ... I think there's some worth to what he's saying but it was not stated well, and as you say, he clearly doesn't understand the diversity of sf these days.

But I do think it's a worthy and legitimate challenge: why is the story told in a sf setting? And I think "Because it makes for a fun and novel setting" is *totally* legitimate. But I think deciding that could help you decide which elements to play up about your SF world. I do think you might have a lot of fun pushing the worldbuilding even farther. I did get really curious about the day and night cycles on the station, why they were like that, etc. I know I complained a bit about getting infodumped now and then, but I think that was more just my desire to see your world more through your characters' eyes than through the allmighty narrator's.

I do disagree with his assertion that it has to be technology. I think that's his narrow genre limitation again. But I actually agree that it would be really wonderful to see even more of your futuristic world. I loved the glimpses we got of how space stations are these entities unto themselves, because often in sf on tv they're just owned by this or that alliance, this or that race. (As if being a race makes you a singular political entity.) I loved seeing how you had variations of different religions on different stations and I do love seeing sf where science hasn't obliterated religion. (I am agnostic myself but I really don't believe humanity is about to let go of its need for faith anytime soon.)

I think that is what I would take from his critique. Explore your world even more, really give us a meaty, believable setting. Your politics and plot are sound in my opinion. For me, I want even deeper characterization. He seems to want even broader, more intense worldbuilding.

You're a great writer and you can really work with this, I think. Don't let his insults and clumsy crit skills turn this into something unhelpful.