How do you describe genetically hating, scientifically? What genes would
be altered, what hormones and or neurotransmitters would be changed?
My definition of monster is to show that not all creatures in reality
need to possess evil. In games and in non-real places, maybe, but that
also should be reasons why we should not pity those who looks like freaks.
On 12/16/2013 12:13 AM, dark wrote:
Hi Ulysses.
I'm not sure where you got the deffinition of monster as any creature
that was once not evil but has turned that way, but certainly
according to the fantasy cosmology of many alternate histories that is
not the case. The daleks as I said were created that way, genetically
engineered to hate anything that wasn't a Dalek and seak to destroy
it. And how about something like the Trffids, killer plants with
poison stings from John Wydham's day of the triffids? those had
literally no moral character at all, they killed as a natural predator
because they didn't have a choice not to.
While your monster deffinition is true perhaps for vampires, I'd argue
it isn't for zombies, at least not in the zombi appocalypse sense the
term is usually meant, since zombies are! no longer human, and at
least in every zombocalypse I've seen don't have a choice about eating
living people.
Regarding the appearence question, well obviously you haven't read
enough propper science fiction, since the question of alien appearence
vs motivations is a common one. Indeed in his science fiction trilogy,
C S Lewis raises this question quite directly when discussing how his
main character could possibly relate reasonably on a level of
friendship with creatures who looked so different from humans.
while the classic bug eyed monsters and similar horror aliens were
indeed based on monstrous appearence, or on the assumption (first made
by H G Wells in War of the Worlds), that any super intelligent species
would automatically have evil intentions, that is certainly not the
case anymore, indeed in modern scifi series like babylon 5 and to ane
xtent star trek presents aliens very much in the same way as humans,
as races who's appearence might be different but who essentially are
individual groups with their own ways of life, beliefs, culture and
customs and are no worse or better than most humans.
This conception of other races as like humans but different also
occurs a lot in fantasy literature, ---- at least in the better
written fantasy literature, indeed these days a distinction between
monsters, ie, creatures who's nature is destructive or violent without
recourse, and demi humans, ie, creatures with human intelligence and a
choice on their action are common.
Regarding setting, well science fiction can certain range in styles of
future, indeed this is one reason I enjoy doctor who so much myself
since it can range from travelling back into history to the distant
future, to politics, horror, post appocalyptic, space battles or very
different places.
With regards to fatnasy literature, well the reason there is heavy
bias towards the medaeval period is largely to do with where the genre
came from. Back in the late 19th and early 20th century, fantasy was
exclusively retelling of nordic or germanic myths in style, and
figures like Conan the Barbarian were common. Indeed fantasy at that
point didn't really have real human characters or what we would call
complex morality, for all they could be enjoyable on their own rather
stylised grounds.
As well as a realized world with it's own history, language, myths
and culture, tolkien gave the fantasy genre something new, ---- the
ability to include human characters. Tolkien fought in the first world
war and always said he admired the courage of very ordinary people who
were made to do extraordinaary things, hence why his principle
characters, despite epic figures like Aragorn and Gandalf were hobbits
from a small country shire.
Naturally once Tolkien tried a pressident there were many people who
played with it and attempted things in a similar vane, or took the
idea in another direction some more or less successful. Obviously when
something has been popular there are lots of immitators, and I do
confess I myself find that generic dungeons and dragons medaeval world
with kings and peasants, elves dwarves and humans these days a little
bland simply because I've seen it so often before, but that's true of
any genre.
A good fantasy author should however create a unique world, and in the
ranks of good fantasy writers many have.
I am for example currently reading way of kings by brandon sanderson,
---- a world who's history and development is so different to our own
it's hard to put any! time frame on it. I also recently finished Robin
Hobb's farseer books, which take place in a world where different
nations exist at different times, from early to late renaesance, (plus
dragons).
Then there is Pamela Hills' silver city series set in a world closer
to ancient rome or the tirkish empire, and Tad williams fantasy War of
Flowers which takes place in a world with close to modern technology.
Fantasy has the potential to create any world or situation you can
imagine, indeed unlike science fiction your not limited to
plausability of scientific principles just to your own consistancy of
creation, (I myself enjoy fantasy and sf pretty equally and don't
really find much difference between them).
Finally however, remember that for a game there must be some sort of
challenge to the player, a puzzle, a battle, an environment to
explore. That is likely why medaeval periods appeal to game creators
since you can have lots of unexplored dungeons, naturrally occurring
monsters etc, although i agree with a little creativity you could do
this in other settings too, ---- indeed following the Japanese
originals like the Final fantasy series, many games are now being set
in a world with many elements of modern technology such as cars, tanks
and electricity, which also happens to contain magical elements as well.
Beware the Grue!
Dark.
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