Causation or Correlation?

[raefinlay]

I was reading an urban fantasy by a newish author last night. In the text, there was a more-than-casual reference to Linux code. Laughing, I checked the author's bio. Sure enough, programming is this author's day job.

It sure seems that most spec fic writers are, to some extent, computer geeks. Not all DBA's and programmers, of course, though a serious chunk of us are. But...bloggers, gamers, online workshop/critique group addicts, etc. I mean, who doesn't know some basic HTML code?

I wonder why that is?

Comments

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

We're insane? Maybe?

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

:D :D :D

[aaron-mag.livejournal.com]

Well I have a degree in computer engineering as well as history/economics...

But I wanted to be a fantasy writer long before that. The computer engineering degree was more like the 'practical backup plan'. ;)

And I'm basically computer illiterate now. I had to have some tech help me fix our server just now. He logged on remotely and was moving the mouse and such and I was like, "Wow! I didn't know you could do this!!!"

Furthermore it was Jodi that showed me the world of IM. Didn't even know about such things until she showed me these things.

So I'm fricken obsolete and not 'with it'. People tell me about 'Flash' for really fancy websites and I just scratch my head in confusion. I can code html, but this new stuff is just beyond my imagination...

:D

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

It's part of the Tribe Rituals.

See, every social group is really a Tribe. And Tribes have their various rituals and standards of behavior. There are subtribes, and some tribal alliances. The Gamers, SF/F Writers, and Programmers are all allied tribes in the Greater Geek Nation. They have slightly different rituals and standards of behavior, but they have many commonalities of culture.

They do not have so many commonalities with, say, the United Tribes of Wall Street. By and large the UTWS employ people of the GGN, and some may have once been members of the GGN, or have secret ties to the GGN. But they do not identify themselves as Geeks, they identify themselves as Wall Streeters, and follow the behavioral and dress codes of Wall Street.

I swear, the world makes a lot more sense when you look at it with the Tribe Theory.

[raecarson.livejournal.com]

I think you're onto something. Tribe Theory. You should write a book.

*member of GGN*

[raecarson.livejournal.com]

You're the exception to every rule, ZOP. Doesn't that make you feel nice?

Oh, and thx for the review! Excellent thoughts. *puts story in crockpot*

[aaron-mag.livejournal.com]

Dude. I'm glad you just replied. Maybe you can help me. Do you know anything about digital music? I want to buy songs and make some CDs with only the music I like. Do I go the napster route or itunes? Will I be able to tranfer the music to other computers if I buy it?

[raecarson.livejournal.com]

I'll email you about this.

[janeorben.livejournal.com]

I am an artists with a pathetic amount of computer knowledge for someone my age.

However, I am also not a typical spec fic writer in the sense that I just stumbled into the genre unintentionally. Previous to working on my novel "The Cousins of Sede", I never read spec fic. I started out forcing myself to read some of the classics just so I'd be familiar with the genre of SF. I had to start Asimov's Foundation trilogy three times before I could actually finish it. And I won't even pick up a Fantasy novel. My dad read "The Hobbit" to me as a kid, but I've never even read "Lord of the Rings".

[aaron-mag.livejournal.com]

Had to start the original Foundation series three times????!!!! Blasphemer!!!

Those first three were so good. Rest were...eh, not so good...

[storytellersjem.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not into computers, so, I'm an exception. I can see how computer types tend to long for something like fantasy over sci fi though.