Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Synchrotron Gets Sci-Fi Writer In Residence

Posted by timothy on from the no-facility-is-complete-otherwise dept.

kandela writes "CBC News is reporting that Nebula and Hugo award winning author Robert J. Sawyer is to become the first-ever writer in residence at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron facility (see also their media release). Sawyer will spend two months at the facility, where he is hoping to be inspired by the everyday grind of scientists, 'I spent a lot of time visiting science labs over the years, but it's always the VIP tour,' he said in an interview Wednesday. 'You are in and you are out in a couple of hours, and everyone has shown you all the things they want you to see but none of the day-to-day grind of the work as well. I want to get the flavour of that.' As a scientist who has worked at synchrotron facilities (and occasional sci-fi writer myself (page 4)), I'm excited to see what a professional can do with that environment for inspiration."

7 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Right... by zwekiel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Obviously the purpose of books is to draw us out of our own day-to-day grind into a universe consisting of... more day-to-day grinds? Right.

    --
    Web Hosting: Unlimited storage and bandwidth: $5/month
    1. Re:Right... by m.ducharme · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To be fair to Sawyer, he has dealt with alternate universes and aliens in his work. I would expect that he'd continue with that, intermixing the more fantastic elements with the prosaic.

      --
      Rule of Slashdot #0: You and people like you are not representative of the larger population. - A.C.
    2. Re:Right... by lysergic.acid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      i guess that's the difference between hard sci-fi and sci-fi/fantasy, or perhaps between real literature and children's books.

      most adult readers prefer stories based on life-like characters which they can relate to. that includes characters with realistic jobs and responsibilities. yes, books often offer a relaxing diversion from the monotony/stresses of day-to-day life, but just because a story is fictional doesn't mean it has to be set in an idealized utopian paradise; just because the real world is filled with problems and conflict doesn't mean that a fictional story should be devoid of these things.

      it shouldn't be a surprise that sci-fi writers create fictional universes which parallel the real-world in many ways. it adds realism and depth to a story. and even though writers do background research in the real world, they still write stories with creative and original plots. just because you're writing a work of fiction doesn't mean you have to include fairies and unicorns or that you can't include mundane characters like plumbers or office clerks.

      even in real life ordinary people with ordinary routines can have remarkable things happen to them or become involved in extraordinary events. there's no reason fiction should be any different. often the most compelling stories are the ones where the unexpected happens to everyday people. and writers frequently base their fictional characters off of people they encounter or observe in real life.

      doing a short residency at a place like the synchrotron is a great way to see first-hand how real scientists work/live/talk/behave. that would certainly help an author to create realistic portrayals of scientists and capture their demeanor on paper. besides, the synchrotron isn't exactly a mundane place to work. sure, the researchers who work there probably have their share of tedious work to do, but so do rock stars and star athletes. nothing is 100% glamorous, fun & exciting. if that's what you want then read Harry Potter.

  2. Boring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I've worked at a synchrotron, and...

    oh my god is it boring. This would seem like a good idea for about 3 days.

  3. Synchrotrons are great environments by aaron+alderman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From from my own experience doing research at a synchrotron, I call tell you there is nothing "day to day" about it. We get roughly one week to do as much as humanly possible in an environment which drains you (16+ hour days under high fluorescent lighting with the incessant hum of vacuum pumps and machinery).

    The scientific environment is electric. Things get done - ideas flourish and are crushed in minutes as a gaggle of intelligent scientists throw ideas around and call on their years of experience. Copious amounts of coffee are consumed and everyone stands there silent when the a-ha moment arrives and all the hard work comes together.

    It might be hard for an outsider to appreciate this, and there is a chance this isn't the norm when it comes to the average synchrotron experience.

    1. Re:Synchrotrons are great environments by drinkypoo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      What's hard for me to appreciate is how a bunch of people who are supposedly so fucking brilliant won't band together and get an alternative to the fluorescent lights put in. I mean, come on, form a fucking union or something. Don't those things give you headaches? I know they do me.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  4. Exchange of Ideas by DS256 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think some of the best stories could come from the dialogue between Sawyer and the scientists at CLS. As to the need for a writer to have a backgroud in science, I think we've seen benefits to a writer having it or not. Did you ever see the bibliography of Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton? Now there was a science based story. Other writers haven't had a formal training but an aptitude in the sciences that have led to future predictions that have come true. At the heart of good SF is the story and I have read all of Sawyers works and find him to be one of the most distinctive writers I have read. Here's looking for a future Sawyer novel based at CLS.