Technical Inaccuraces - Page 2

RichL · 09-29-2011, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

in science fiction they could completely make up the science, i'm not about to check.

Making up the science is not a problem. The problem is when they are not consistent with what they make up. Bypassing time by going through a worm hole then cutting an exit through the side with their supervibro survival knife? Yup totally acceptable. When in the next chapter they say the side of a worm hole is totally impregnable and don't follow up with a reason for the change then I toss it into the fireplace or hit delete.

xg4bx · 09-29-2011, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichL

Making up the science is not a problem. The problem is when they are not consistent with what they make up. Bypassing time by going through a worm hole then cutting an exit through the side with their supervibro survival knife? Yup totally acceptable. When in the next chapter they say the side of a worm hole is totally impregnable and don't follow up with a reason for the change then I toss it into the fireplace or hit delete.

true but to me thats just sloppy writing lol. if the author gives the incorrect mass of a blue giant star, however, i'll never know if its wrong or not.

Hellmark · 09-29-2011, 03:10 AM

It really depends on the level of inaccuracy. Is it something minor, or a glaring major one? Most of the time, they're minor in my experience and aren't a big problem. I have had issues with some that made me want to stop reading the book.

HarryT · 09-29-2011, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thierry.C

For me also it depends on the kind of the book.
For a reference book: irritating, even more so than usually you only learn later on, too late, that it is wrong or blatantly inaccurate. I'll forgive but lose confidence.

In a reference book, factual errors are inexcusable. That's the only circumstance is which I will not tolerate them at all.

Lazybones · 09-29-2011, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

in science fiction they could completely make up the science, i'm not about to check.

Heh, that's why I've stayed with fantasy in my own writing; I enjoy sci-fi and have had a few good ideas in that genre, but I don't know enough science to make it comfortable for me.

I would think, though, that the Internet makes it much easier for authors to fact check as they are writing. I know the hazards of using Wikipedia as a source, but I still find myself using it about 20 times a week in my job just to check casual facts that come up in documents I am editing. If I see something where an author hasn't even bothered that level of research, then I can be less tolerant of an author's gaffes.

Hellmark · 09-29-2011, 11:51 AM

While scifi and fantasy can make stuff up, most is still rooted in fact at some level. I've seen many instances where real things are brought up in stories, and presented completely wrong. For instance, with Urban Fantasy, you'll still see guns and real life things, and are meant to be presented just as they are in real life, but inexperience of the author makes them far from how they are factually.

OneandonlyDoc · 09-29-2011, 01:10 PM

It generally depends on how widespread and horrible the errors are, for me. If they're very bad, I definitely consider not buying more work by the same author.

emellaich · 09-30-2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

in science fiction they could completely make up the science, i'm not about to check.

In fact I get turned off by the opposite -- an author who must spend pages explaining how their fantasy science works. I don't get too hung up over this though. I just skip/skim over that section.

HarryT · 09-30-2011, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emellaich

In fact I get turned off by the opposite -- an author who must spend pages explaining how their fantasy science works. I don't get too hung up over this though. I just skip/skim over that section.

I like that, personally. I'm currently reading Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy, and I really like the detailed explanations he gives as to how the magic works.

Pinecone · 09-30-2011, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

While scifi and fantasy can make stuff up, most is still rooted in fact at some level. I've seen many instances where real things are brought up in stories, and presented completely wrong. For instance, with Urban Fantasy, you'll still see guns and real life things, and are meant to be presented just as they are in real life, but inexperience of the author makes them far from how they are factually.

The book that started me thinking this way is semi-science fiction. And does that.

Since I started this poll, F-84 Sabre (that is about 30 seconds on Google to find out that the Sabre was the F-86).

And now confusing helocast with fast rope or fast rappel for inserting people froma helicopter. And even getting the name wrong, calling it a heliocast. Helio means sun or solar. Helo is as in helicopter.

If you were wondering, Helocast is where the helicopter flies at about 10 feet and the people just jump out into the water. Fast rope is using ropes to slide down, more like using a fireman's pole than a typical rope descent. Fast rappel is a form of rappeling (meaning using a harness) but at VERY high speed. he military tends to do it head first so you can look and even fire on targets as you go down the rope. Again a minute or two on Google would have fixed that.

And not to get into the technical inaccuracies about flying and how to fly.

HistoryWes · 09-30-2011, 02:06 PM

If it's relatively minor, it doesn't ruin the whole book for me, but even then it does pull me out of the story for a bit. I think it bothers me more in movies-- like that Bjork movie "Dancer in the Dark" where the Supreme Court tries her for murder. The U.S. Supreme Court only hears appeals. It doesn't try cases.

RDaneel54 · 09-30-2011, 02:48 PM

In movies and TV, the inaccuracy that most irritates me is someone firing 7,000 rounds out of a revolver. But I keep watching if she's cute.

Hellmark · 09-30-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

In movies and TV, the inaccuracy that most irritates me is someone firing 7,000 rounds out of a revolver. But I keep watching if she's cute.

One movie I saw, one of the guys had a "9mm shotgun"... Idjuts...

ekster · 09-30-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

One movie I saw, one of the guys had a "9mm shotgun"... Idjuts...

Was it an antique? Those really did exist: Winchester M/36

Hellmark · 09-30-2011, 04:38 PM

If I remember right, the gun was actually a 12ga Remington 870. While there is technically a shotgun shell with 9mm diameter, not quite the same thing. The m36 they made for 7 years, and a total of 20k were made. The ammo was not made for years, and only semirecently has Fiocchi started making it as a specialty in small batches for collectors. The guy was some innercity thug type, so I doubt he'd be using 85-90 year old guns with extremely rare ammo.

Another similar example was in another movie, where one character had told another to that their Glock's "safety was still on", and they proceeded to work the slide release.

View Poll Results: Do tehnical erros bother you
They bother me enough that I will not buy/read other books by this author	9	16.98%
They bother me, but I can generally see my way through to the story	38	71.70%
I barely notice them	4	7.55%
I don't care about technical errors	1	1.89%
I don't know enough to notice them	1	1.89%
Voters: 53. You may not vote on this poll

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09-29-2011, 03:10 AM	#18
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	It really depends on the level of inaccuracy. Is it something minor, or a glaring major one? Most of the time, they're minor in my experience and aren't a big problem. I have had issues with some that made me want to stop reading the book.

09-29-2011, 11:51 AM	#21
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	While scifi and fantasy can make stuff up, most is still rooted in fact at some level. I've seen many instances where real things are brought up in stories, and presented completely wrong. For instance, with Urban Fantasy, you'll still see guns and real life things, and are meant to be presented just as they are in real life, but inexperience of the author makes them far from how they are factually.

09-29-2011, 01:10 PM	#22
OneandonlyDoc Fearless Writer Posts: 210 Karma: 375317 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: In a mitten! Device: Kobo Wifi	It generally depends on how widespread and horrible the errors are, for me. If they're very bad, I definitely consider not buying more work by the same author.

09-30-2011, 02:06 PM	#26
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	If it's relatively minor, it doesn't ruin the whole book for me, but even then it does pull me out of the story for a bit. I think it bothers me more in movies-- like that Bjork movie "Dancer in the Dark" where the Supreme Court tries her for murder. The U.S. Supreme Court only hears appeals. It doesn't try cases.

09-30-2011, 02:48 PM	#27
RDaneel54 Aging Positronic Brain Posts: 633 Karma: 2155452 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Aurora (when off-Earth) Device: Amazon Oasis; iPhone, iPad Mini	In movies and TV, the inaccuracy that most irritates me is someone firing 7,000 rounds out of a revolver. But I keep watching if she's cute.

09-30-2011, 04:38 PM	#30
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	If I remember right, the gun was actually a 12ga Remington 870. While there is technically a shotgun shell with 9mm diameter, not quite the same thing. The m36 they made for 7 years, and a total of 20k were made. The ammo was not made for years, and only semirecently has Fiocchi started making it as a specialty in small batches for collectors. The guy was some innercity thug type, so I doubt he'd be using 85-90 year old guns with extremely rare ammo. Another similar example was in another movie, where one character had told another to that their Glock's "safety was still on", and they proceeded to work the slide release.

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