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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   3516 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 19, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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It’s astonishing how stuff can check all the boxes and then just…not do anything else. Writing really is a skill.

I’m reminded of reading the original Elric stories. They’re formulaic, and schlocky as hell. You can be reading along and think, ah yes, this is the part where the breasts are going to heave. But despite knowing the notes it’s going to hit—villains die, Elric angsts, Stormbringer ganks an ally—they’re still fun. You still get that thrill of “what a cool image” or “wait, was this the first example of…”. It’s what made for good pulp.

When I encounter something profoundly meh, I try to remind myself there’s so much better material out there. Nothing wrong with shelving it.

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