11 KiB
[Q] Uplift fiction?
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Author: u/somnolentSlumber *
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/4ti2jg/q_uplift_fiction/
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Score: 32
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Created: 2016-07-18T23:34:16
Post:
There isn't really a specific name for this genre as far as I know...I guess some kinds of portal fantasy count, such as "A Hero's War" and quite a few Game of Thrones self-inserts.
Either way, I suppose the criteria for a piece of "uplift fiction" is to have a character with the skills and knowledge of modern science/engineering/technologically related discipline inserted into a fantasy world that is stagnating in the high fantasy medieval era who proceeds to cause societal and scientific upheaval and drags the world kicking and screaming into modernity.
I've caught up with a few of these but I find myself wanting more. Anyone have some recommendations?
Comments:
u/blazinghand [+21] Chaos Undivided (7 minutes later)
The name of the trope is One-Man Industrial Revolution and I think the foundational work of this kind is A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. You can read it here: (link).
u/None [+7] (an hour later)
[removed]
u/MoralRelativity [+4] (23 hours later)
I agree. Mostly by munckining D&D rules but it's definitely the outside modern perspective that makes it possible.
u/OpenPath101 [+5] (9 hours later)
Try the SafeHold Series by David Weber. It is basically about the main character uplifting the last human world after humanity lost a war with aliens. It is a great series with some of the best tactical land and naval battles I have ever read. It also contains an interesting religious undertone.
u/daydev [+1] (a day later)
I second the recommendation, and yes Weber is very strong on his Author Tract how "soft" religion (no persecution of unbelievers, no messed up customs, etc.) is such a nice thing, while fanatical zealots are the evilest of evil (although I guess strictly speaking they do adhere to the rules on the sidebar, because they really believe in that shit). It sometimes reaches ridiculous levels, at one point in Safehold, I remember, some of the characters thought how nice it would be when after dismantling the false religion they'll re-introduce all the diversity of religions from the Old Earth. Although I must say that except for a few especially obnoxious episodes like that one, Weber is possibly the only author who managed to make his religious characters so nice that my militant atheist self finds them hard to dislike.
u/None [+7] (an hour later)
[deleted]
u/SimonSim211 [+1] (2 hours later)
Is there only 3 chapters of "A Spark of Ice and Fire"? if yes I need some help at finding it, Thanks.
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+1] Roll the Dice on Fate (7 hours later)
There should be a lot more than 3 chapters. No index though, you have to just go to the next page and keep scrolling through.
u/SimonSim211 [+1] (11 hours later)
Can you provide a link?
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+1] Roll the Dice on Fate (12 hours later)
Sure, it was on the TvTropes Page. http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/a-spark-of-ice-and-fire.322412/
You need an Alternate History account to read.
u/Anderkent [+1] (12 hours later)
Even after making an account and confirming my email I'm getting a 'You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action.' on this link. Are you sure it works? Am I missing something?
Searching for the title or all posts by the author (http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/members/samarkand.36808/#profile-post-436) doesn't seem to work either.
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+2] Roll the Dice on Fate (12 hours later)
I vaguely remember that the AH mods only authenticate new accounts by hand, so maybe wait a while? It's been a while since I made mine, so I can't really say for sure.
u/Anderkent [+2] (12 hours later)
Seems plausible, I just noticed I can't post in any of the forums either. Annoying!
u/DangerouslyUnstable [+1] (16 days later)
Did you ever get access? I signed up and it's been about a full day and I still can't view it.
u/Anderkent [+1] (16 days later)
I did. The first account got rejected after about 18 hours for being "created via proxy", but the second try worked. It did take a while
u/Anderkent [+1] (22 hours later)
Pff, they just rejected my account because "Proxy" (I'm not using one, but it might be hitting the great firewall of UK :P)
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+1] Roll the Dice on Fate (23 hours later)
Oh hey Anderkent, didn't realise it was you I was talking to.
I can assure you it's not because you're in the UK.
u/Anderkent [+1] (23 hours later)
Got it resolved now. Probably was because I registered at work, where the traffic goes through a couple security devices that could be misinterpreted as proxies :P
(um, I feel bad now because I'm not sure where you recognise my nick from? Other than, you know, general posts here)
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+1] Roll the Dice on Fate (a day later)
It is I! Jackercracks!
u/sicutumbo [+9] (3 hours later)
A major theme of With This Ring is uplifting DC Earth so that it can compete with other interstellar societies. It's a very slow burn, and the beginning few episodes don't indicate the quality of the whole, but overall it's very well done on a number of levels and I would recommend it without hesitation.
Much of the uplift is through getting various pieces of DC fiction to work together in order to improve technology everywhere. Mostly, this includes getting the super tech made by mad scientists to become widely understood and distributed, and in making magic available to everyone. As of the most recent update, this includes people working on making autonomous drones for controlling the weather on a large scale, special gates that are able to teleport you to their opposite gate regardless of distance, mass producing a superconducting wire for all kinds of uses, and advancing research in alchemy with a focus on human augmentation.
u/somnolentSlumber [+2] (3 hours later)
Yup I loved this one The Britishisms took a while to get used to but it's a fun read, especially with the alternate "renegade option" universe
u/sicutumbo [+4] (4 hours later)
The climax of Stars, Crossed was a masterpiece. Or really just the whole thing.
"How are you still alive?"
"Spite."
u/somnolentSlumber [+2] (9 hours later)
Then again, I was recently reminded unpleasantly that the author, Mr Zoats, has what he calls "grammatical idiosyncrasies" where he purposefully deviates from accepted grammatical norms and it's actually really jarring in-story
sighs
u/Empiricist_or_not [+3] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (10 hours later)
He does have a FAQ with them at the beginning.
u/somnolentSlumber [+1] (20 hours later)
doesn't make it any less frustrating, to be honest
like if a character's dialogue is interrupted he uses a dash AND a period inside the quotation marks and that's just like really ridiculous
u/Empiricist_or_not [+1] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (23 hours later)
I had to go back and look for the example, but I see what you mean. I'm usually not done with my first coffee when I read it so I missed it the first time.
u/MoralRelativity [+2] (23 hours later)
As a (somewhat) reformed pendant I can relate to the frustration. In reading WTR I've thankfully been able to put aside my pedantry in order to just enjoy the story as it emerges day by day.
u/JackStargazer [+1] Primordial Apologist (5 days later)
I've actually felt that some of the britishisms are more jarring than punctuation choices.
But then again, after you've tried to parse what judges think is proper grammar for writing legal documents over a 50 year span, anything else seems rather quaint.
u/OutOfNiceUsernames [+3] fear of last pages (3 hours later)
Relevant threads \ discussions:
u/ArgentStonecutter [+3] Emergency Mustelid Hologram (11 hours later)
Lest Darkness Fall - Modern man in the later Roman Empire.
Wiz Biz - Programmer revolutionizes magic.
u/Terkala [+3] (an hour later)
Light on shattered water
u/catern [+2] (4 months later)
The pre-rewrite version, "The Human Memoirs", may be considered more uplift-y and rational.
It's here: http://www.furry.de/charon/Fiction.html
u/Terkala [+2] (4 months later)
I agree, and I think that the two stories are different enough to warrant a read of both. But "The Human Memoirs" definitely reads more like fanfiction and less like professional fiction. Though I enjoyed it anyway.
u/ArgentStonecutter [+1] Emergency Mustelid Hologram (11 hours later)
I haven't thought of that one in a long time.
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Shattered-Water-Life-Riley-ebook/dp/B008GASFDA
u/blazinghand [+1] Chaos Undivided (a day later)
Do you recommend it?
u/waylandertheslayer [+1] (10 hours later)
Guardians of the Flame does this, especially book 2 onwards.
u/BadGoyWithAGun [+1] (10 hours later)
Not particularly rational, but Vernor Vinge's Zones of Thought series (A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky, The Children of the Sky) has strong elements of this.