posted
Would anyone be interested in discussing Saturn in G Minor from WOTF? This is the story the ultimately won and I think the reasons are worth pointing out and discussing. I have a number of thoughts about this extremely well written story.
What do you think made it stand out from the rest of the winners?
Was there anything that you thought that was particularly clever about the story?
What can we learn from it?
Did you have any emotional response, as I did and were you able to identify how it achieved that effect?
posted
Oh I'd like to discuss the winning story. And may I just say I really enjoy your comments here on Hatrack Mr Wilz.
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posted
What do I think made it stand out from the rest of the winners?
Umm. I think that it was actually a very fresh idea seated in actual science. In other words the premise was actually a conceivable plot that I don’t think had been already done, so to speak. That showed depth in the writer and made it a stand out piece for the judges who have probably tired of the same story in different clothes all the time.
posted
Was there anything that you thought that was particularly clever about the story?
Yes, and this also lent itself heavily towards the winning I think. There was an emotional undercurrent present that ran in tandem with the Sci-Fi element. One that was actually very well done - not overstated but undeniably there. If the story succeeds in plying the reader’s emotions, even a little they will remember the story for a long time. Should I bring out that element (as it would be a spoiler)?
posted
Well, I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation you're having. I don't check this thread very often. I'm not sure I can answer your questions since I haven't read all the other winning entries. I can, however, tell you my reaction to this piece.
I thought it was well written. Very smooth and easy to read. It seemed to start off awfully slowly. In fact, I skimmed through most of the beginning when I first read it. The ease of the prose allowed that without letting me feel that I'd missed anything. It didn't really pick up for me until Jacinto started poking around Paolo's files.
I think its biggest asset is its simplicity. I guess I tend to make my stories overly complicated--probably because books are my natural form. Also, it was satisfying because it was largely predictable. It seemed to play out logically, and we could see the ending coming a good distance away. It plays on certain stereotypes (artist willing to die for his or her art). However, the premise was pretty unique--making music like that. Or even making music in space. Don't think I've read anything like that before.
Emotional response... hm, well, besides thinking that it was satisfying, no, not much. I wasn't particularly drawn in by Paolo or Jacinto. I could sympathize with Paolo's mission, but there wasn't quite enough in there for me to care.
So I guess the bottom line is I'm not sure why this was chosen. Maybe the stuff I like to write isn't cut out for WotF, dunno, but that won't keep me from trying.
posted
I think there is a subtlety to the story that one may not notice at first. The story is also about human relationships and family. If you didn’t catch it the first time a second read will reveal that Jacinto is actually Paulo’s long abandon son. No I’m not assuming too much here, its quite plain if you look for it. Kotowych never directly says it – he doesn’t need to and that adds to the quality of the story. The story isn’t just a pop song; it has nuance and depth. I felt sad for Jacinto at the end because he never gets the chance to know his father beyond the 16 days and that was strained - and then has to watch him kill himself in a final act of defiant artistic brilliance. Also the fact that this famous genius hermit wanted to, at least one time, meet his son and the time he chose to do it had a fairly profound emotional impact. How much that affects you will probably depend a great deal on where you are in your own life and how you think of family and your own mortality.
More on why I believe the judges picked it later.
[This message has been edited by tnwilz (edited May 14, 2008).]
posted
I just read the latest WotF paperback, and I absolutely loved this particular story more than any of the others. I thought it was a standout story for most of the reasons already stated, but there was one small item that rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I'm wrong, but since space is a vacuum, isn't it silent? I would think it'd be impossible to produce sound of any kind in the vacuum of space. This thought was constantly running through my mind the entire time I was reading it.
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