[ SECRET POST #6257 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #6257 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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[Unexpected Star - Michael McIntyre's Big Show]



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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 07 secrets from Secret Submission Post #894.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

06. https://i.imgur.com/r2YULtE.png

[(Anonymous)]

Agreed, where is the sense of wonder and awe nowadays?

[(Anonymous)]

People have been asking "what happened to the good ol' sense of wonder" since about 1965.

[(Anonymous)]

Everyone's too depressed.

Even if creators can imagine an SF future or alternate world that's really different from ours and fantastic and optimistic, they wouldn't be able to get any money to get it made because the audience wouldn't be able to believe in it either.

[(Anonymous)]

Authors are paid to imagine a better life for us.

[(Anonymous)]

That ain't how that works.

[(Anonymous)]

That is exactly how it works, and always has. Just right now the billionaires who benefit from a people who are devoid of hope are the ones paying the pipers.

[(Anonymous)]

No, authors are paid to write what publishers think will sell. If they don't think imagining a better life will sell, then that isn't what they'll pay for.

[(Anonymous)]

Are you an idiot?

No, they're not. Not unless they're literally told by their bosses "the brief is an optimistic future..."

[(Anonymous)]

get thee to the library and read some Adrian Tchaikovsky

(maybe don't start with War Dogs tho)

other recs also appreciated

[(Anonymous)]

I gave the spidey one 20 pages and had to put it down. Too damn depressing.

[(Anonymous)]

Children of Time is one of the most uplifting books I've ever read in my life actually

but you do have to get to the end where after all the work and pain and struggle people survive and thrive better than you dared to imagine because it mattered, every time people put hard work and sacrifice into trying to make things work instead of giving up

it's not a cheery romp but you can't vanquish despair if it never appears

like it still might not be for you, they're doorstoppers for sure, but you don't actually know anything about the book if you didn't crack chapter 2

and the secret doesn't say "I want bright and cheery" - which is a perfectly valid desire, I love a fun snackable series as much as anyone - it says OP wants imaginative. And Tchaikovsky definitely delivers that.

[(Anonymous)]

Thats the opposite feeling I've gotten from people who rec Tchaikovsky. If they were just awful at describing things I'm willing to give them a try. Any one in particupar you rec to start with?

[(Anonymous)]

Tchaikovsky writes stuff that's squarely in the "hopeful ending that feels really earned" category to me - lots of harrowing stuff happens, but it's not because it's in love with being grimdark, it's because he's writing on an epic scale and it's about overcoming those situations.

If you're down for a really gripping thriller with wildly imaginative space worldbuilding, start with Shards of Earth; if you just want something quick to see if you actually like his style, try Firewalkers; if you're okay with vast tomes with a lot of harrowing shit but absolutely unquenchable spirit and hope and also you're intrigued by spider society, then go for Children of Time.

[(Anonymous)]

Ty so much! I am definitely going to check what my library has.

[(Anonymous)]

oh...? i might have to check this out. im always recc'ing the stone dance of the chameleon (ricardo pinto) because i swear to god, hand on my heart: the miserable grimy and gory epic grimdark actually does have a happy ending, you just have to slog through haha

[(Anonymous)]

thanks for the rec back, I'll look this up!

[wpadmirer]

Yes. I loved Weir's HAIL MARY last year because it WASN'T depressing. It was a wonderful story of friendship and working together to survive, and it rocked.

[kulturschnepfe]

+1

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, it was such fun I bought the trade paperback, the audio book and a small paperback for a long flight too! I loved The Martian so much as well.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes! I could have easily been a darker or more depressing story but the tone was so damn optimistic survival and friendship.

[(Anonymous)]

PLEASE REC ME SOME DEPRESSING SFF. like actual grimdark i wasnt sure what this secret was talking about bc i feel like theres too much hopepunk tbh

[(Anonymous)]

YOU should read War Dogs and Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky

it's not bleak bleak bleak, there's people trying so hard to make things better, but it's definitely...there's a grinding sense of temporariness at each victory and reprieve, a grimy realism that the fundamental forces of capital and greed and us-versus-them mindsets don't just disappear, a constant reminder that progress isn't a straight line, that more advanced technology doesn't make us less irrational or dangerous animals (pun not intended), it only means we have more powerful tools at our untrustworthy disposal

it's not a crushing book but it's a very disquieting one that doesn't flinch from "how would the worst people in the world actually use [scifi premise here]", I firmly felt like it's answer to "will we figure things out, will it get better or worse" was "it's too soon to say"

also The Postmortal by Drew Magary is definitely grimdark IMO, things just get worse and worse and worse and worse until [spoilers] almost comes as a relief. I personally found the worldbuilding there enthralling but the POV character insufferable, but if you want something relentlessly that still feels clever and prescient in its scifi situation, The Postmortal will scratch that itch.

[(Anonymous)]

was just thinking this as I saw the 1 millionth depressing and freaky sci-fi trailer the other day.