Quote:
Originally Posted by doreenjoy
Thanks, I'm on page 165 of Perdido St Station and it's just killing me. Why use 10 words when 800 will do?
I'm dreading the critical analysis I'll have to write.
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I've read a lot of steampunk, and yes, they get long and drawn out. But I think it's on purpose. Steampunk centers on the fusion of modern or futuristic (even magical) tropes onto past events or genres, esp. onto the Industrial Revolution - hence the name. In doing so, authors (IMHO) try to emulate the literary conventions of the former times - which were nothing, if not, long-winded and overly descriptive. The charm, if you will, of the new genre rests in the unexpected or sometimes grotesque appearance of something you recognize as modern, or even futuristic, in the midst of a long passage describing something you recognize from the past - which is accepted by the characters as perfectly normal. Sort of an "Aha" or "Wow" moment for the reader. And it's all worked into the narrative flow.
Looking up, I may have just reproduced your criticism in my explanation.
