tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.comments2023-08-06T10:03:00.038-05:00POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAYS: Where Writing, Christianity, and Speculative Fiction Interact GuyStewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comBlogger514125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-12675667573215651432022-10-30T08:30:13.493-05:002022-10-30T08:30:13.493-05:00This one was a virtual-only session, and since I d...This one was a virtual-only session, and since I didn't have a way of watching while I was there, I didn't get to it until after the convention was over. Unfortunately, there were a lot sound problems and other technical glitches — maybe partially explainable by it being one of the first panels of the con — so even if you had seen it, your questions would probably still be unanswered.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18403516317404356011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-51934990823754951262021-10-05T07:01:44.022-05:002021-10-05T07:01:44.022-05:00Thanks for leaving a note! I appreciate your thoug...Thanks for leaving a note! I appreciate your thoughts.<br /><br />Enjoy your retirement! I certainly am!<br /><br />GSGuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-35465450426393190252021-10-02T08:57:42.670-05:002021-10-02T08:57:42.670-05:00Hello Mr. Stewart. My name is Dina and we have nev...Hello Mr. Stewart. My name is Dina and we have never met. I am a retired HS science teacher living in the flint hills of Kansas. I was dreaming last night/this morning—and my dream directed me to find Guy Stewart-a person I had never heard of before! I recalled the name when I woke up and sat down with coffee and Google this AM and found your essay. I was surprised to find that it had been posted earlier this morning😎 I am currently undergoing my own paradigm shift in how I view the world—-specifically, with a sense of wonder, and awe and seeing every thing and every one as a perfectly imperfect miracle. I am finding so many synchronicities now that my eyes are open. It is fun to connect with you through the matrix of consciousness as I slept, and now through the WWW. Peace and well being to you and your wife, sir ❤️Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01876203514873555349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-21368931975999254762021-07-28T16:28:35.876-05:002021-07-28T16:28:35.876-05:00Thanks for the comment! This is great food for tho...Thanks for the comment! This is great food for though. maybe even another post. Thanks again for taking the time to post.<br /><br />GuyGuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-28006495560988430572021-07-13T16:44:37.046-05:002021-07-13T16:44:37.046-05:00The idea of basing fallen and unfallen intelligenc...The idea of basing fallen and unfallen intelligences on religion is like basing the ability to use tools on the presence of thumbs. What would be the best metric; what would be the metric NASA would use, if they were trying to figure out which intelligences are fallen vs. unfallen? What might be the differences expressed by them?Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-29494104659489083862020-06-20T20:27:11.740-05:002020-06-20T20:27:11.740-05:00So picking books or stories to publish based prima...So picking books or stories to publish based primarily on the author's identitarian qualities, and not on the quality of the actual work itself, <i>always</i> backfires. It may create a short-lived buzz and move a lot of copies of a few titles in the short term, but in the long run, instead of expanding overall readership by creating an entirely new market for books by authors of the specified identity, all it does is establish in the customers' minds that books by authors of said identity generally aren't very good, and are best avoided.~brbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10845253722980029012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-66338336036848140142020-06-20T13:11:39.191-05:002020-06-20T13:11:39.191-05:00What I fear will happen is what's happened bef...What I fear will happen is what's happened before: literary tokenism. Some "identitarian" category of author will suddenly become very hot, and all the agents, editors, and publishers in the business will rush to sign such authors in order to signal how virtuous, hip, trendy, and tuned-in to the times they are. The problem is that there are never enough REALLY GOOD authors in any given identitarian category at any given time, so along with the truly good and undeservedly overlooked authors, a whole lot of marginal to downright bad authors will be signed simply because they have the right "look" to be this year's model. <br /><br />What happens next is that the publishers aggressively promote their authors as being "the next [famous identitarian writer]" and the market quickly becomes saturated with identity books, most of which, to be frank, are not very good. So with astonishing rapidity, readers (who are, after all, the reason why the whole writing and publishing industry exists) quickly come to consider reading books by authors with the specified identity to be an experience comparable to being force-fed lima beans.~brbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10845253722980029012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-45037370990773211172018-09-30T16:18:25.754-05:002018-09-30T16:18:25.754-05:00It's a fair question, Guy, but it seems to me ...It's a fair question, Guy, but it seems to me that it comes back to "the devil you know" (so to speak).<br /><br />Let me add that I have not developed the kind of thinking necessary to postulate counterfactuals that seem at all plausible. Kudos to you and everyone who can do so!<br /><br />Best,<br />GGray Rineharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07192897951927237279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-67740868345408837952018-09-16T18:57:36.445-05:002018-09-16T18:57:36.445-05:00Thank you for taking the time to respond.
I will ...Thank you for taking the time to respond.<br /><br />I will take the time to read the article and activate the direct link.<br /><br />Guy Stewart<br /><br /><a href="https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/medal-of-honor-iraq-afghanistan" rel="nofollow"></a>GuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-4423839572445380572018-09-13T10:36:15.109-05:002018-09-13T10:36:15.109-05:00I would like to meet your hopes by pointing you to...I would like to meet your hopes by pointing you to the 16 recipients of the Congressional Metal of Honor from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. I am one of the roughly 2.5 million service members that deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq and would like to reassure you that to many "The S Word" still means something. We are just not loud about it because to use an adage from the greatest generation "Loose lips sink ships" https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/medal-of-honor-iraq-afghanistanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-49763024542257772492018-07-09T09:57:05.054-05:002018-07-09T09:57:05.054-05:00Most insightful! Both in regards to the probable d...Most insightful! Both in regards to the probable dearth of fiction-reading (and hence story-led deprivation) by the world's movers & shakers (what stories then do they tell themselves about the meaning of life?), and as your concept applies to my own humble struggles on the page. I'm wrestling rather unsuccessfully with my latest novel. Time to go back to that first sentence, perhaps.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11859793828612924966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-90907967770638582672018-07-08T16:48:28.935-05:002018-07-08T16:48:28.935-05:00In general, I agree: the opening has to at least h...In general, I agree: the opening has to at least hint at the bigger picture. I submit as an addendum (or maybe a caveat) that what we consider "the opening" may differ depending on the type of story we're reading, from the opening line or paragraph of a short story to the opening chapter (or possibly more) of a novel. Even so, you're right that the sooner we make it clear the sooner the reader has a better reason to care.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />GGray Rineharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07192897951927237279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-31885360715591549232018-02-04T21:05:23.913-06:002018-02-04T21:05:23.913-06:00Thanks, Gray!Thanks, Gray!GuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-89641740043698127102018-02-04T09:21:01.018-06:002018-02-04T09:21:01.018-06:00Nice post, Guy -- good point about war being the b...Nice post, Guy -- good point about war being the backdrop to the story. And I certainly agree that most of us "like our ideologies to be right, tight, and black-and-white."<br /><br />Best,<br />GGray Rineharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07192897951927237279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-40593304987567420582017-12-14T22:26:45.939-06:002017-12-14T22:26:45.939-06:00I recently put in a budget request for pencils. I ...I recently put in a budget request for pencils. I was told that the $35 budget I had last year was canceled. Can we at least afford pencil-level technology? Please?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-78411274709233594952017-07-12T22:01:36.625-05:002017-07-12T22:01:36.625-05:00Thanks, Jake! Hope all is well with you and your n...Thanks, Jake! Hope all is well with you and your new bride!<br />GuyGuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-51992034080063036452017-07-09T10:41:51.283-05:002017-07-09T10:41:51.283-05:00Great point! Great point! moroshekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10581023676029033350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-47316700400061380422017-05-01T06:12:07.070-05:002017-05-01T06:12:07.070-05:00Thanks, Gray!
Also GThanks, Gray!<br /><br />Also GGuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-19778282220390696142017-04-16T07:15:16.751-05:002017-04-16T07:15:16.751-05:00Very keen observations there, Guy. Thanks for shar...Very keen observations there, Guy. Thanks for sharing!<br />GGray Rineharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07192897951927237279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-24491887920219922332016-06-12T16:50:14.642-05:002016-06-12T16:50:14.642-05:00Yep...I SO feel that. Some days, I walk away and w...Yep...I SO feel that. Some days, I walk away and watch a dozen Youtubes or read four or five books, hoping the urge to write goes away...but it DOESN'T.<br /><br />"Hello, my name is Guy Stewart, and I am a writer..." GuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-57051196932366403422016-06-12T15:18:51.453-05:002016-06-12T15:18:51.453-05:00Is it even possible for you to quit writing? I kno...Is it even possible for you to quit writing? I know I've tried, many times. I have successfully quit writing certain genres, or for certain markets. But to actually, totally, completely quit writing? <br /><br />Can't do it. I have tried. And sometimes I can walk away from it for a while. But sooner or later, the need to put thoughts into recorded words in some medium always returns...~brbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10845253722980029012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-66331979491563670552016-06-03T21:15:01.336-05:002016-06-03T21:15:01.336-05:00Hi, Guy!
My sister and I just read "Whey Stat...Hi, Guy!<br />My sister and I just read "Whey Station." We were completely baffled by it. Thanks for this explanation.<br />PeggyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-82924466774184606212016-03-26T18:17:31.868-05:002016-03-26T18:17:31.868-05:00Next time I have the chance to hear all of you -- ...Next time I have the chance to hear all of you -- maybe I'll have a chance to TALK to you all!<br /><br />GuyGuyStewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268114053763665577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-79239854400194787792016-03-26T08:50:32.549-05:002016-03-26T08:50:32.549-05:00As a professor at OK State University who is marri...As a professor at OK State University who is married to a Middle School teacher, I couldn't agree more. Most of the teens I work with (or that my wife tells nightly stories about) are very positive, but that doesn't stop them from enjoying the dystopian novels. What I think draws them is the way modern dystopias categorize children and then produce a protagonist that "doesn't fit." <br /><br />Think of all the state testing, the push toward "what are you going to do for the rest of your life?" and the political stratification they are subjected to on a daily basis. I think dystopias are not about the doom and gloom of the world, but the specialness of not being categorized and being different than what fits.<br /><br />The panel, by the way, was fun. Laura and Dan are fabulous writers and speakers, and I don't think anyone would have downright disagreed with your assertions. TCBucherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13790984484489533352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518122161715399657.post-73281046493835191752015-11-15T20:50:09.651-06:002015-11-15T20:50:09.651-06:00There's a lot of brilliant people who hope ver...There's a lot of brilliant people who hope very much that the singularity doesn't happen - Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking... I think they'd be happy to hear your pessimism haha.moroshekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10581023676029033350noreply@blogger.com