Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Jules Verne and SciFi
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:30:04 -0700
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 21
Message-ID: <20250924143004.00006406@gmail.com>
References: <9fjemlxbio.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <YtXxQ.220966$oyoc.192887@fx15.iad> <mirchsFqpepU2@mid.individual.net> <flrnplx7qj.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <mitt7jF904oU6@mid.individual.net> <jXednXdqSKTfoVb1nZ2dnZfqn_qdnZ2d@giganews.com> <10afh2l$3hcc0$1@dont-email.me> <10ag0tf$3l3a7$1@dont-email.me> <10agpn4$3qpp8$2@dont-email.me> <10ah9i6$3v8gp$1@dont-email.me> <mj399bF681dU7@mid.individual.net> <10ai0bj$599f$1@dont-email.me> <mj451pFaeh2U3@mid.individual.net> <Z2Kdndeom8-Ie1H1nZ2dnZfqn_idnZ2d@giganews.com> <dis0qlx6ar.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <VuDzQ.53$3vU6.42@fx17.ams1> <j6l3qlxdoa.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <7ZYzQ.83$Qzga.44@fx10.ams1> <j146qlxe16.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <tKhAQ.96$Qzga.61@fx10.ams1> <87wm5qckd0.fsf@parhasard.net> <mjeklkF47opU6@mid.individual.net> <10atv47$2v2db$1@dont-email.me> <kbcbqlx4mu.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <10av7su$3a5lo$1@dont-email.me> <mjh2rtFhb3sU1@mid.individual.net> <li2eqlxaqn.ln2@Telcontar.valinor>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Injection-Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:30:09 +0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="45af9b10108f1e5f33f3b2269225cff9"; logging-data="4028246"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX187EMSnlmQAFNG0U3ZC2aMoUadVTK3hT5k="
Cancel-Lock: sha1:RKsjmVpJ+d7+qCe/Y6D7cF4eBz4=
X-Newsreader: Claws Mail 4.3.0 (GTK 3.24.42; x86_64-w64-mingw32)
Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:75135

On Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:57:25 +0200
"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

> I take SciFi as following science rules. If a law is broken, it has
> to be explained how. Usually some law is broken, like having
> superluminal speed crafts, but is an assumption they make.
> 
> But well, Verne was not yet SciFi, was maybe the best precursor.

Bless him, he was no scientist (if we take the example of "20,000
Leagues," he doesn't seem to understand that electric power systems
require a power source other than "um, electricity?" and the less said
about geology and volcanology in "Journey to the Center of the Earth"
the better,) and suffered from the common 19th-century weediness of
prose (although that may be in part a fault of his translators; I yield
to Francophones on that point.)

But by *God* was he a terrific "ideas man." It's hard to name a story
of his that doesn't at least catch the imagination with a "hey,
*that's* a cool notion" premise, however it works out in the execution.