Jules Verne Forum

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From: <Mystery1881~at~aol.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 17:09:50 EDT
To: jvf~at~Gilead.org.il

Lieven's question about why Verne wrote novels with non-French characters
brings us to a fundamental question for all novelists- does one have to have
personally known/experienced the characters/situation to write about it. The would
seem to be one school of thought that says "write about what you know" and
another that says "use your imagination." If the common definition of literary
fiction is "The willing suspension of disbelief", then pesumably there is a
premium on illusion. Science fiction especially requires such a willing
suspension not only about the science, but about characters as well. Verne may have led
the way in utilizing characters as stereotypes with the additional reference
points of national stereotype as well. An americna science fiction author, Ben
Bova, has said that while you can get the reader to agree to one big
science-fictional premise, such as warp-speed, you have to have commonplace items
reletively "normal". This is his reason why you see space ships blow up with
flames,etc. But in the Verne context, this means that while you can postulate a
submarine that is actually unconstructable, you have to have such items as
ice-pressure and the human need for air intact so that the plot may be advanced.
Received on Sun 04 Apr 2004 - 23:10:14 IST

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