It's called SCI-FI. Anyone wanna take a wild guess at what the FI parts means? So shut up.

Hey, could you tell me what mistakes in fiction bother a D-bag?

Were there specific errors in Ancestor that gave you fits? Perhaps the sequel could retcon those away if you give Scott some details.... -- The ways of the Lord are often dark but never pleasant.

I suppose any story "errors" or omissions/stretches are not so dissimilar to the effect the film industry has on adapting stories for the cinema. I'm sure Top Gun rubbed people familiar with military air combat and that Crichton's bringing dinosaurs to life through genetic manipulation had a few assumptions that were less than plausible to the trained eye. Seems a common practice to use the science to facilitate the story telling rather than to stay true to the details. It is Sci Fi afterall, a little creative leniency is to be expected.

Yeah, I think the more absurdly false the scientific information in movies/books/games is the more hilarious it is! Take the Toxic Avenger, did they have to explain why he got his super powers? No, he just got thrown into a vat of radioactive waste. Period. And those movies rock ass!!! Of course the random titties and violence are definitely key in making it work. STICK THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT ROGUE!!!!!!!! With your burnt lips.

Bathing in radioactive waste doesn't automatically confer superpowers? No wonder my doctor keeps calling them "side-effects." -- The ways of the Lord are often dark but never pleasant.

There's a difference between getting what is current knowledge wrong (no I don't remember specifically, I listened to it a over a year ago), like A, G, T, P, and making predictions of what future tech could be like. It's like saying, "Because cows are member of the fish family, we can breed the ancestors in them." The first part "cows are fish" is just factually wrong, the second, "breed ancestors" imagines future tech. Some factual errors are necessary, like time travel to the past, which according the the rules of physics, in all likelyhood can not occur. But the would ruin the premise of an entire genre. Some are just sloppy (again, AGTP).

I am also interested in hearing specific problems with Ancestor. I felt that the print version cleared up most of the issues. I am a Developmental Biologist by trade thus I am interested in seeing where we differ. Granted the "god" machine is pretty much impossible right now, but I felt Sigler did a great job of merging story and plausible science. 0100001101101000011010010110001101101011011001010110111000100000 0101001101100011011010010111001101110011011011110111001001110011

Now, Now play nice. I think it's actually a great thing to have someone in the field related to his book on here talking about the fact over the fiction. But, you also have to realize that Scoot isn't a Biologist, Geologist, or any other "gist" He's an Author. And He has taken honest input from people more associated with the field then himself ( updates in Earthcore and Ancestor show this). But I don't think we should brow beat anyone with the whole "It's Science fiction" technically it's not, it was written as a Horror Novel.... hence the title of the page " Bestselling Horror Novelist" Actual honest input would be better though then the OP's minor condescending attitude (meant in the most positive way). =-=-=--=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "If it has ram. I can Crash it"

I work in Geology and work with people who have worked underground. In this context I was at times finding parts of Earthcore laugh able. They drilled that shaft way too quick, a hole 3miles deep of any diameter would take alot longer then a week and change like it did to drill in earthcore, at least it was into limestone, a nice and soft rock. Even with those hugly improbable events it did not irritate me. I have been reading Science fiction alot longer then I have been working and I know when to let the authors rules for the world over take my sence of how it should be and get on with enjoying the story.

I think that's the key, really. I found everything in both EarthCore and Ancestor plausible enough as a complete layman to not worry about how accurate it was and just run with it in the interest of the story. However, I can understand the original poster's frustration: I've read novels (and seen way too many movies) where they got ideas in my own areas of expertise totally dead wrong, and it ruined the experience for me. I can't speak for Scott (well I could, but I wouldn't want to risk Chicken Scissors reprisal) but if it were me, I'd want to hear the specifics of the factual errors so I could correct them as far as possible. I dunno what kind of revisions, if any, might happen before Ancestor is re-released in 2009, but I'd think it's still early enough to include corrections in Descendant. -- The ways of the Lord are often dark but never pleasant.

Yes, I can understand certain aspects of picking out incorrect info from a story or even through the media. but, we still watch it, we still enjoy it, and thankfully we still have the right to say what we want about it. Truth be told, no one gets it perfect....the world is constantly changing...by the time information comes out it can be incorrect no matter how up to date it was. I'm not one to talk because I too criticize...I think it's the human condition, however, if you enjoy it......why not enjoy all of it? Even the stretches of truth or perhaps alters what our vision of the truth is completely? *stepping down off her soapbox now....lol*

There is a reason it is called fiction. It's the authors world, and thus their rules. Just relax and enjoy the imagination it takes to put somthing together that kicks so much ass.

Get out! No WAY! Next, you're going to say there's no Force that binds us or no such thing as warp drive or that the Swamp Thing isn't scientifically factual! If something in Earthcore, Infection, et al disagrees with science, then science is wrong. --kevin

Siggie definitely wants input to fix the basic work he's doing. He seemed to appreciate the feedback that there are 5,280 feet in a mile, when it helped his character sound like he knew what he was talking about. I don't think he wants to try and make every aspect of his work read like a scientific manual, but he doesn't want his character to make stupid mistakes... ------- Whole Lot of Nonsense PodCast - http://www.wholelotofnonsense.org UUCSH Sunday Services - http://uucsh.libsyn.com Follow Me - http://www.twitter.com/bpende Pownce on Me - http://www.pownce.com/bpende

Sigler is NEVER wrong

i'm sure no other bio-related fiction has errors, right? blar. 

 

"Mae's a f***in genius! and a regular Genius too!" ~ Scott Sigler

I was just reading about all the nine errors in that piece of fiction called "An Inconvenient Truth" Maybe Scott should win the Nobel Death Prize.... --kevin

for that i forgive the slam on my favorite show! :-) 

 

"Mae's a f***in genius! and a regular Genius too!" ~ Scott Sigler

LOL! I'll be more cautious in the future. Warning heeded.... I was kinda-sorta hoping that you'd MAKE me a fan (as promised).... --kevin

i can get  you there if you have a little knowledge of the show and  soem time  to IM me. so feel free! on skype i am maebreakall, and on AIM i am Sweetgoldenmae. 

"Mae's a f***in genius! and a regular Genius too!" ~ Scott Sigler

I think I remember a few mistakes in scientific terminology, but it was great to listen to a horror novel with a plausible scientific premise. I don't think we have the technology to create organisms from DNA code, but like all good sci fi, it's an extrapolation from the present. Nice job Sigler for not bringing in the supernatural.

Jurassic Park: "This is a UNIX system... I know this!"

People that are experts in some type of knowlege tend to pick out "problems" in fiction that use their knowlege base. I guess,its just human nature and thats usualy not a problem, untill they get all pissy and fucktardish about it

Come on man, back it up - what are the specific errors? Are you saying you can't use one mammal to be the surrogate mother of another mammal? Are you saying that my text said "AGTP," or are you somehoe lumping me in with Red Planet? Give me the errors all you like, but let's hear some specifics if you're going to call me out. Otherwise, enjoy the read, and don't post, Junkie.