Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Would you be interested in Traveller fiction?
Traveller Fiction
- Thread starter Andrew Boulton
- Start date
There's so much good SF to choose from that I doubt I would read a story solely because it's Traveller-themed. I voted yes on short stories, however, just because I really enjoy good space-opera type short stories, and if it happens to have a Traveller vibe, so much the better.
Steve
Steve
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
Soit'nlee! A "Free Trader Beowulf" series would be a good place to start, especially if the series follows the freighter through all of its changes of ownership.
beowulf2044
SOC-12
One novel I read was very dissapointing. I'd have risked less sanity reading the Necronomicon. But I believe it can be done.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
IKWYM. As you say, though, it can be done.
beowulf2044
SOC-12
One problem would be choosing the setting; Classic, Rebellion, Post Virus? As far as the Annic Nova goes, I always thought it was a Droyne constructed ship (small seats and vacc suit, though I don't recall the suits as having room for wings as did the Shimmer Suits from Secrets of the Ancients).
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Classic might sell better, but any era is possible.
Only if it would be written by Ken Bearden. No, seriously, I welcome all efforts at Traveller fiction. I would have hoped that I could see more Concordant fiction from Swycaffer but he has gone awfully quiet. I found MJD novel rather dense but not unreadable...so we need more inspired fiction. Similarly, Dale Kemper's Force of Destiny or the one who did Long Way Home were rather dense...but sure gamer fiction (and I do not say that to denegrate) is great...if Traveller could have the likes of Hickman & Weiss writing for it...and spawn a huge Imperium of Traveller-like writing...I would be happy.
Thunderbolt
SOC-12
I think time pressures would make me go with short stories, which were set in the Classic Traveller setting.
spinwardpirate
SOC-13
I voted no, for one reason really. I seriously doubt I would buy it just because it has the label Traveller on it. Sure, I'd pick it up and look at it. Buying it is a different story. That would require some snappy cover art 
on the front and a synopsis that really catches my attention on the back.
on the front and a synopsis that really catches my attention on the back.
I voted no, for one reason really. I seriously doubt I would buy it just because it has the label Traveller on it. Sure, I'd pick it up and look at it. Buying it is a different story. That would require some snappy cover art
Both I think could be done well within budget especially if said FFE could partner with a big publishing house like BAEN. I think Short Stories would be the way to go...kinda like Bradley's Sword & Sorceress series...give a bunch of writers the fundamental background - a writer's bible, if you like - of the Traveller Universe (ie Introduction in T4 or the revised document of T5) and allow creativity do the rest.
Chaosium has done something similar, save, they kept it inhouse but I don't think any company producing Traveller right now has the resources to recruit top writers...so it would have to be a partnership.
Sure, we might get something that we don't expect but good writers would want to do research and that is where fandom could come in to help...along with fandom actually submitting material. Plus, Chaosium stand on the shoulders of giants especially when those writers feared their early writings never got beyond the arthouse publishers of the 1950s & 1960s.
I see Short Stories and RPGs being incubators for the imagination...and I can't say how many times I have seen writers rip off Marc's IP just because through the late 1970s & early 1980s...RPGs were a mainstay of popular culture and Traveller was at the forefront of SFRPGs.
Then there is the whole arguement that what is Traveller. If it is a setting then let a thousand parallel settings co-exist with the OTU. So long the premises of Traveller are not violated...then why not...
Gents,
I voted for "Both", but I'm not exactly holding my breath.
I'm an omnivorous reader, a voluminous reader, and an eclectic reader. I read a lot, I need to read constantly, and when I'm desperate I've been known to read utter crap. Yet despite all that, the TNE novels and T4 novels nearly beat me.
I had to force myself to read them. Force. As in "Attempt and failed multiple times", as in "It took several readings to get through to the end", as in There's time I'll never get back.
Making the matter even worse, I was ashamed that Traveller was associated with these books.
The Dragonlance novels for D&D were bad enough, but the Traveller novels were like becoming personally and painfully aware of a new sexually transmitted disease.
I'll look any new Traveller fiction over, but I'm exactly not expecting much fi anything.
Kafka's idea is probably the best. Come up with a setting bible as was done with Thieves World and let some short writers take a crack at it.
Regards,
Bill
I voted for "Both", but I'm not exactly holding my breath.
I'm an omnivorous reader, a voluminous reader, and an eclectic reader. I read a lot, I need to read constantly, and when I'm desperate I've been known to read utter crap. Yet despite all that, the TNE novels and T4 novels nearly beat me.
I had to force myself to read them. Force. As in "Attempt and failed multiple times", as in "It took several readings to get through to the end", as in There's time I'll never get back.
Making the matter even worse, I was ashamed that Traveller was associated with these books.
The Dragonlance novels for D&D were bad enough, but the Traveller novels were like becoming personally and painfully aware of a new sexually transmitted disease.
I'll look any new Traveller fiction over, but I'm exactly not expecting much fi anything.
Kafka's idea is probably the best. Come up with a setting bible as was done with Thieves World and let some short writers take a crack at it.
Regards,
Bill
FreeTrav
SOC-14 1K
Of course I would. And I believe others would as well. That's the whole point of Raconteurs' Rest at Freelance Traveller.
Oh, you mean PRO Trav-fic?
Yes. Very yes.
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
Agreed.
Suggestions:
- The Editor determines an overall story-arc as a backdrop against which the writers would present each of their short stories. This story arc would be considered inviolable "canon" and might even be based on events in Mr. Miller's OTU.
- Each writer would have one character that is essentially "Off Limits" to all other writers. This character could interact with all other writer-characters (WCs), but could not cause any harm to the other WCs or place them in harmful situations without express permission of their original "owner".
- Certain Editor-Characters (ECs) would be "Off Limits" insofar as any writer directing their actions, harming them, or placing them in harm's way. The Editor could use these ECs as Patrons, random encounters, or even recurring villains.
This would be sorta like a PBEM game, except that entire short stories would be narrated by the writer, and the editor would simply state what the result of the characters' actions might be, or (with cooperation of the writer) 'tweak' the writer's story a bit to move it along and bring it more in line with the over-all story arc.
Tarsus, anyone?
beowulf2044
SOC-12
Tarsus? How about District 268? The name of the game is Traveller. Collace seems to be the logical hub for the area.
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
... and how many jumps from Collace to Tarsus? 
District 268 would be perfect, though.
It doesn't matter which world, as long as there is enough "Elbow Room" for character development. I mean, who would want to read the same story from 4 different perspectives inside the same cutter module?
(... Later that same day ...)
Come to think of it, it might be better if the Editor determines the important aspects of the initial world (including which world to use), relying on his or her own creativity to dress the sets, set the scenes and cast the population. That way, there won't be dozens of writers arguing over whose concept of an established setting is the most correct. I say this because of my experiences with pre-packaged RPG settings, in which the players tried to argue that their interpretation of "canon" was more correct than mine. "Because I am the DM and I say so" only goes so far before you start losing players. Think of how much worse it could be for writers who each believe that only their particular impressions of Collace are the right ones.
No, an original setting would be best -- more work for the Editor, but certainly worth avoiding a good portion of arguments over "Creative differences", eh?
District 268 would be perfect, though.
It doesn't matter which world, as long as there is enough "Elbow Room" for character development. I mean, who would want to read the same story from 4 different perspectives inside the same cutter module?
(... Later that same day ...)
Come to think of it, it might be better if the Editor determines the important aspects of the initial world (including which world to use), relying on his or her own creativity to dress the sets, set the scenes and cast the population. That way, there won't be dozens of writers arguing over whose concept of an established setting is the most correct. I say this because of my experiences with pre-packaged RPG settings, in which the players tried to argue that their interpretation of "canon" was more correct than mine. "Because I am the DM and I say so" only goes so far before you start losing players. Think of how much worse it could be for writers who each believe that only their particular impressions of Collace are the right ones.
No, an original setting would be best -- more work for the Editor, but certainly worth avoiding a good portion of arguments over "Creative differences", eh?
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