Neal Stephenson on Sci-Fi / Fantasy Actors

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/05/08/Neal_Stephenson_Science_Fiction_as_a_Literary_Genre

Bestselling author Neal Stephenson theorizes on why "niche" science-fiction / fantasy actors like Lucy Lawless, Hugo Weaving and Leonard Nimoy so often end up cast in these types of roles.

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Neal Stephenson delivered a talk entitled The Fork: Science Fiction versus Mundane Culture at Gresham College.

Four professors discuss the origins of science fiction, its overlap with other genres and its developments over more than a century.

Neal Stephenson is the best-selling author of such novels as Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, and The Baroque Cycle. He is best know for writing science fiction (in the postcyberpunk genre) and his interests often lead him into investigations of society, mathematics, cryptology, currency and the history of science.

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[trend2transhumanism]

William Gibson and Neal Stephenson are two of the greatest pioneers of what will be 21st century SF Literature!

[ogjimkenobi]

Thank you, I am entirely unfamiliar with the term however I plan to familiarize myself with it and then add it to my vocabulary.

I love coming across new words.

[MLAOTNMCC]

@golantr

Neuromancer is tough (and fantastic), granted i read it while ~15 the first time. It's not very clear, he sort of mashes stuff together to produce information overload. Sort of like futuristic city life, or i guess that's the point.

But judging a book by 30 pages is misleading. Gibson, like Stephenson takes a while to get to the point. I think one of his "quicker" books would be The Difference Engine (with Bruce Sterling – also brilliant) but I didn't like that one very much.

[golantr]

I love Neal Stephenson through and through. I've throughly enjoyed every one of his books. I decided to read GIbson. The first/only book I attempted reading of Gibson's was Spook Country. I just couldn't get past 30 pages. It was thoroughly ungripping. What's the best book of Gibson's to make the Neal to Gibson leap? Neuromancer?

[hookysun]

i'll wager that leonard and hugo have the common talent for looking cool-headed in a tough spot. they perhaps act like old unshakable men in not-so-old bodies.

[teldiron]

I'm a little disappointed about his analysis of Vulcan actors. He should have mentioned the eyebrows as at least one other distinguishing feature.

[hydrolito]

Tuvok was also a Vulcan in Star Trek Voyager or did he forget him, it ran more episodes than the original Star Trek.

[hydrolito]

Would Lucy Lawless as Xena warrior princess have been as successful without Renee O'Ccnnor as Gabrielle, who was short and not Amazonian in stature?

[CatAtomic99]

I know exactly what you mean and I couldn't agree more. It's like watching someone sculpt a beautiful figure in clay for a few hours, then stomp on it.

[TheFallibleFiend]

Bifurcated careers is an interesting topic. Who would make a good vulcan: Derek Jacobi!

Best actor on the planet and supremely capable of conveying intelligence, even through speech impediments.

Also, Ian McKellan? Malcolm McDowell? Possibly Sigourney Weaver?

NS can't give a good (non ludicrous) ending to a book to save his life. He creates a completely believable story and then in the last 1 or 2 chapters says, "Ha ha! Only kidding!"