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 Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:35 am
Strude Four nations fighting for the right to rule Babylon and with it the Tower of Babel.
Grenouille, a realm that has been at war for centuries. Fighting over the right to control the nation of Babylon and with it the Tower of Babel. For whoever controls Babylon and the tower of Babel, controls the right to beseech the gods and reverse their punishment.
The war started with the building of the Tower of Babel, where the people of Grenouille built a structure so high as to reach the gods. Where they implored the gods to gift the realm of Grenouille, with the ability to speak in the tongues of the gods. The gods Grenouille worshiped took the building of the Tower of Babel as a insult to their power. As punishment the gods destroyed half of the Tower of Babel and cursed each nation of Grenouille. Making it so that no one could understand each other, never being able to read or learn each others languages. On top of the curse each person was given a animal form and they were told: "To understand one another you must shift into your animal form. Only then may you understand the words passing your lips."
But the gods though appalled at their followers actions. Did give the people of Grenouille an alternative. To gain the gods favor once more, the gods gifted the lands surrounding the broken Tower of Babel with the power to lift the curse. The gods called this land Babylon and told the people of Grenouille: "Here is the land of Babylon, the only land where you may walk as humans and understand each others words. Only in Babylon may the curse be lifted. However here in Babylon you may not build any structures taller then the broken tower of Babel. You may build no cities and you may only spend a total of five suns within Babylon's boarders. You may only enter Babylon every fortnight (the space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks.)."
The gods then left the realm of Grenouille to fester like an open wound; conveniently leaving out one crucial piece of advice, which the gods deemed part of Grenouille's punishment.
The people of Grenouille then began to form nations, soon after the departure of their gods. Like before the building of Babel, the people of Grenouille quickly divided themselves into four countries. Each hosting a different cluster of animals and adopting new names for their lands. Welkin to western mountains, Lue-nar (Lunar) in the northern boreal forests, Raparish in the East and Serpent to the south and southern oceans. Each nation then blamed the other for their current state, and with such accusations came war. The realm of Grenouille spent centuries sowing the seeds of blasphemy and hatred towards their gods and one another.
Till the day only a century past, that the gods spoke once more to the people of Grenouille and the war made a shift. In simple terms the people of Grenouille were told: "If you wish for the curse to be lifted, you must bring to us one soul who will ascend to godhood and learn the language of your gods. This one soul will then return to your land and lift the curse that we have placed upon you. When you have chosen an ambassador to your realm, have them sit in the Tower of Babel and call upon us. Until that day, our rules over your land still stand: In Babylon you may not build any structures taller then the broken tower of Babel. You may build no cities and you may only spend a total of five suns within Babylon's boarders. You may only enter Babylon every fortnight and remember never to call upon us until the day you have decided upon an ambassador to your realm."
And with this the people of Grenouille and their four nations fought; not over who caused the curse but who would lift it. Who would be the one person to become like their gods, learn their gods language and free their people of their suffering and war. Grenouille and its nations for a century have been at ends with one another and decision has yet to be made.
For those closely connected to the proceeding of Babylon, they see no near end to their realms turmoil . . .
CITY NOTES
Welkin the land of the sky. The home to the birds, the animals of flight, the aviators of the the realm of Grenouille. Their nation sit to the west, in the mountains where the Welkin spent two centuries building cities within the topmost cliffs and deep into the mountains. Other animal races, commonly found in mountains terrains and cavern dwellers too found a home within the cities of the Welkin nation.
Lue-nar (Lunar) the home of the nocturnal, the night. Nestled deep in the northern boreal forests, the creatures of the night built their cities suspended above the forest floors. Connected by bridges and branches the hosts many of the more acrobatic races, flying and
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:39 am
Strude Social science fiction - is a term used to describe a subgenre of science fiction concerned less with technology and space opera and more with sociological speculation about human society.
Exploration of fictional societies is one of the most interesting aspects of science fiction, allowing it to perform predictive (H.G. Wells, The Final Circle of Paradise) and precautionary (Fahrenheit 451) functions, to criticize the contemporary world (Antarctica-online) and to present solutions (Walden Two), to portray alternative societies (World of the Noon) and to examine the implications of ethical principles (Lukyanenko). Soft science fiction, or soft SF, - like its complementary opposite hard science fiction, is a descriptive term that points to the role and nature of the science content in a science fiction story. The term first appeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s and indicated SF based not on engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry) but on the "soft" sciences, and especially the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, and so on). Another sense is SF that is more concerned with character, society, or other speculative ideas and themes that are not centrally tied to scientific or engineering speculations. A third sense is SF that is less rigorous in its application of scientific ideas, for example allowing faster-than-light space travel in a setting that otherwise follows more conservative standards.
In The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Peter Nicholls writes that "soft SF" is a "not very precise item of sf terminology" and that the contrast between hard and soft is "sometimes illogical. In fact, the boundaries between "hard" and "soft" are neither definite nor universally agreed-upon, so there is no single standard of scientific "hardness" or "softness." Some readers might consider any deviation from the possible or probable (for example, including faster-than-light travel or paranormal powers) to be a mark of "softness." Others might see an emphasis on character or the social implications of technological change (however possible or probable) as a departure from the science-engineering-technology issues that in their view ought to be the focus of hard SF. Given this lack of objective and well-defined standards, "soft science fiction" does not indicate a genre or subgenre of SF but a tendency or quality--one pole of an axis that has "hard science fiction" at the other pole. Hard science fiction - is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science Fiction. The complementary term soft science fiction (formed by analogy to "hard science fiction" ) first appeared in the late 1970s as a way of describing science fiction in which science is not featured, or violates the scientific understanding at the time of writing.
The term sometimes also contrasts the "hardness" of the sciences used in the story: the "hard" sciences are quantitative or material-based disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and astronomy; while the more "soft" sciences are social sciences, such as sociology, anthropology, or psychology. Stories featuring engineering tend to be categorized as hard SF, although technically engineering is not a science. Neither term is part of a rigorous taxonomy — instead they are rule-of-thumb ways of characterizing stories that reviewers and commentators have found useful. The categorization "hard SF" represents a position on a scale from "softer" to "harder", not a binary classification. Biopunk - is a genre of science fiction that focuses on biotechnology and genetic engineering. Like cyberpunk, biopunk-themed fictional worlds are usually dystopic in nature.
Biopunk (a portmanteau word combining 'biotech' and 'punk') is a term used to describe a science fiction genre that focuses on biotechnology and subversives. More recently, the term has also been used to denote a techno-progressive movement advocating open access to genetic information.
Biopunk is a sub-genre of cyberpunk fiction, which describes the underground side of the biotech revolution that is said to have started to have an impact in the last decade of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century. Biopunk stories explore the struggles of individuals or groups, often the product of human experimentation, against a backdrop of totalitarian governments or megacorporations which misuse biotechnologies as means of social control or profiteering. Unlike cyberpunk, it builds not on information technology but on synthetic biology. Like in postcyberpunk fiction, individuals are usually modified and enhanced not with cyberware, but by genetic manipulation of their very chromosomes. A common feature of biopunk stories is the “black clinic”, which is a lab, clinic or hospital that performs illegal, unregulated or ethically-dubious biomod and gengineering procedures.Cyberpunk - is a genre of science fiction where in the future a high-tech lifestyle is lived by low-class and low-moral people. It is not uncommon for a cyberpunk storyline to be dominated by the anti-hero archetype. Hackers and hookers (male hustlers as well as females) are commonplace in these works.
Cyberpunk plots often center on a conflict among hackers, artificial intelligences, and mega corporations. They tend to be set in a near-future Earth, rather than the far future settings or galactic vistas found in novels like Isaac Asimov's Foundation or Frank Herbert's Dune. The settings are usually post-industrial dystopias, but tend to be marked by extraordinary cultural ferment and the use of technology in ways never anticipated by its creators ('the street finds its own uses for things'). Much of the genre's atmosphere echoes film noir, and written works in the genre often use techniques from detective fiction.Space opera - is a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing powerful (and sometimes quite fanciful) technologies and abilities. Perhaps the most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale. Steampunk - Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history–style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality. It is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.Cyberprep - (a portmanteau word combining 'cybernetics' and 'preppy') is a term that refers to a sub-genre of science fiction or role-playing game campaign that reflects the flip side of cyberpunk.
A cyberprep world assumes that all the technological advancements of cyberpunk speculation have taken place but life is happy rather than gritty and dangerous. Since society is leisure-driven, uploading is more of an art form or a medium of entertainment while advanced body modifications are used for sports and pleasure. Alternatively, within a cyberpunk world, a stereotypical cyberprep character would be a yuppie living a self-indulgent life in a techno-utopian gated community. - - - - - - - - - -
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:40 am
Strude Alternate History - Although many forms of alternate history are classified as science fiction, alternate histories where magic works or fantastic creatures abound are classified as fantasy. The characteristics that separate it from historical fantasy and contemporary fantasy are that the history has both clear differences and clear connections to history and geography.Bangsian fantasy - Bangsian fantasy is named for John Kendrick Bangs, whose late 19th- and early 20th-century Associated Shades series of novels deals with the afterlives of various famous people. Frequently used are the Underworld/Limbo/Purgatory (["neutral"]), Elysium/Nirvana/Heaven (["good"]), and Erebus/Gehenna/Hell (["bad"]).Contemporary fantasy - This fantasy comprises stories set in the putative real world or consensus reality in contemporary times, in which, the story reveals, magic or magical creatures exist, such as vampires or, as in the Highlander films and television series, immortals.
All the fantasy elements in a contemporary fantasy must exist in, or at least intrude into, the real world. Fantasy stories where the characters leave the real world for a fantasy world, and the real world contains nothing magical except, perhaps, the portal, are high fantasy. On the other hand, their existence must be secret enough that a reader can be convinced that by one means or another, the fantasy elements could hide or be hidden from history, the media, and the overwhelming majority of people. If the fantasy elements are so clear as to make the majority of people aware of them, the story becomes alternate history. Urban fantasy - Most contemporary fantasy takes place in an urban setting, leading the designation urban fantasy. The term is rarely used for stories taking place in the cities of imaginary lands.
Elfpunk - Elfpunk is a subgenre of contemporary fantasy and urban fantasy, specifically consisting of novels and stories in which faeries and elves are transplanted from rural folklore into modern urban settings. Some works in this subgenre are Dark fantasy - Dark fantasy in this context refers to stories that focus on elements usually found in the horror genre but which take place in a setting more alike sword and sorcery or high fantasy. Dark fantasy includes "grittier" fantasy, conducted in settings which represent the brutality of the medieval period more realisticly than the traditionally idealised representations of conventional fantasy, generally with a dash of supernatural horror. It may or may not take place in its own fantasy world.Erotic fantasy - Erotic fantasy utilizes erotica in a fantasy setting. This subgenre can, in fact, overlap with almost every other subgenre, since its distinguishing traits are not the fantastical elements or setting that distinguish the others.Fairytale fantasy - Fairytale fantasy is distinguished from other sub-genres by the works' heavy use of motifs, and often plots, from folklore. They sometimes ignore the standards of world-building common to fantasy as blithely as the tales from which they derive, though not always; stories that use a high fantasy, contemporary, or historical setting, with the world-building thus entailed, may also be considered part of those genres.Heroic fantasy - A sub-genre touching high fantasy on one hand and sword-and-sorcery on the other. A hero is usually the main character, and is usually on a quest, and often is carrying one or more magical items.High fantasy - The term high fantasy (also epic fantasy) generally refers to fantasy that depicts an epic struggle between good and evil in a fantasy world, whether independent of or parallel to ours. The moral concepts in such tales take on objective status, and are not relative to the one making the judgment. The moral tone and high stakes -- usually world-shaking -- separates this genre from sword and sorcery, while the degree to which the world is not based on a real-world history separates it from historical fantasy.Historical fantasy - Historical fantasy takes two distinct forms. One encompasses stories set in the historical past but with fantasy elements introduced, much as contemporary fantasy is set in the present. The other is set in a created fantasy world that closely parallels our own, with recognizable analogs for countries, historical events or historical personages.Celtic Fantasy - Within the genre, further subgenres arise when a given historical era is popular. For instance, many fantasy settings have been in, or inspired by, Dark Age Celtic cultures have lead to the name of "Celtic fantasy."
Fantasy Steampunk - Fantasy Steampunk is another subgenre of historical fantasy, being set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, although certain technological features must also be present to label it as steampunk, and some works in this genre are alternate history.
Wǔxiá - Wǔxiá ([Traditional Chinese: 武俠, Simplified Chinese: 武侠, Mandarin IPA: wuɕiɑ, Cantonese Pinyin: mów hàb]), literally meaning "martial ([arts]) heroes", is a sub-genre of the quasi-fantasy and martial arts genre in literature, television and cinema. Wǔxiá figures prominently in the popular culture of Chinese-speaking areas, and the most important writers have devoted followings. The wǔxiá genre is a blend of the philosophy of xiá ([俠, "honor code", "an ethical person", "a hero"]), and China's long history in wǔshù (["kung fu" (pronounced gong fu, despite popular misconceptions) or "martial arts"]). A martial artist who follows the code of xiá is called a swordsman, or xiákè ([俠客/侠客, literally "chivalrous guest"]). Japan's samurai bushidō traditions, England's knight chivalry traditions, and America's gunslinger Western traditions all share some aspects with China's swordsman xiá traditions. The swordsman, however, need not serve a lord or hold any military power and they are not required to be from an aristocratic class.
Historical high fantasy - When the historical setting is used for characters and a plot resembling high fantasy, the names may be combined to indicate this subgenre.
Medieval fantasy - No notes yet! But it should be self explanatory! Low fantasy - Low fantasy is not a proper subgenre as such, but a catch-all term employed to describe works of fantasy literature described in an antagonistic relationship with the more well-defined high fantasy genre. As such, it can indicate fantasy that tries not to emphasise magic; fantasy set in the real world; fantasy that contains realism and a more cynical worldview; and Dark fantasy -- among others.Mythic fiction - Mythic fiction is a term often used for contemporary, real-world fantasy (including fantastical work published as mainstream fiction) that draws upon the themes, symbols, and archetypes of myth and folklore. Mythic fiction overlaps with urban fantasy and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but mythic fiction also includes contemporary works in non-urban settings. Though often very loosely based in mythology, it uses familiar mythological personages archetypes(such as tricksters, or the thunderer). This is in contrast to many other forms of fantasy (with the usual exception of fairytale fantasy), such as the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, which generally invent their own legends and folklore, and volunteer entirely new pantheons, or attempt to disguise actual mythology with made-up names.Mythpunk - Mythpunk, a subgenre of mythic fiction, is a term used by Catherynne M. Valente and other American fantasy writers to define a specific brand of nonrealist fiction, largely written by women authors, which starts in folklore and myth and from there layers in postmodern fantastic techniques: urban fantasy, confessional poetry, non-linear storytelling, linguistic calisthenics, worldbuilding, and academic fantasy. Writers of works that can be considered to fall under the mythpunk label are Greer Gilman, Theodora Goss, Yoon Ha Lee, Vera Nazarian, Holly Phillips, Sonya Taaffe, Erzebet Barthold Yellow-Boy, and Valente herself. Romantic fantasy - The plots of romantic fantasies centre upon a romantic relationship between the protagonists, and the plots or settings include fantastical elements. Romantic fantasy has been published both as fantasy and as romance. Although this subgenre can overlap with almost every other fantasy subgenre, since its distinguishing traits are not the fantastical elements or setting that distinguish the others, most romantic fantasy shares setting elements that go beyond the focus on romantic relationships. Romantic fantasy novels usually feature valiant female warriors and in most of these books, female soldiers and mercenaries are either accepted and common in enlightened realms, or gain acceptance in the course of the story. Science fantasy - Fantasy and science fiction jointly share the subgenre called science fantasy, which has many of the trappings of science fiction, such as space travel and laser guns, but also contains significant elements that bear more resemblance to magic than science or in some other way draw more from fantasy than from science fiction. One of the best known examples of science fantasy is the Star Wars series of films, set aboard spaceships and on alien planets but featuring swashbuckling knights, princesses in distress, a dark sorcerer who has enslaved the galaxy, a mystical source of magical power called the Force, and even an opening line that is a variant of "Once upon a time": A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.Sword and Planet - A subgenre of science fantasy, it focuses on swashbuckling adventures on other planets.
Dying Earth fiction - A subgenre of science fantasy, distinguished by its setting in the far-distant future. Superhero fantasy - Superhero fantasy began in American comic books, evolving into a combination of science fantasy and contemporary fantasy. That is, it is a genre that is typically set in the contemporary world in where all fantastic concepts from extra-terrestrials and futuristic technology to magic and classic mythological beings potentially co-exist. The feature characters, however, are costumed heroes often endowed with fantastic abilities, skills or equipment.Sword and sorcery - Inspired primarily by the works of Robert E. Howard, especially Conan the Barbarian, sword and sorcery is more concerned with immediate physical threats and action than high fantasy, distinguishing the two genres. Further, sword and sorcery, in contrast to high fantasy, tends to portray amoral protagonists and/or worlds--there are rarely objective values, or any sort of cosmic justice. Even when the protagonists act morally and do incidental good deeds along the way, the usual protagonist's motivation is self-interest.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:41 am
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