View From the Bushes

My dad sent me The Grand List of Overused Science Fiction Clichés. There are some good items on the list, like #22 from Overused Story Elements and Plot Devices: A fighter pilot, upon destroying an alien vessel, yells "yeeeeeeee-haaaaaaa!" And there are some obviously funny ones as well, the problem is that in a list of 293 items some of them extremely general (like, "28. Eccentric scientists."), that very few science fiction stories which aren't covered by this list in one respect or another.

I mean think of all the great stories covered by: (#4 Section II) Extra Breasts on Alien women. Okay I can only really think of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but by himself Douglas Adams (a moment of silence please) managed to artistic realms reached only by authors like Dostoevsky. Obviously one of the strengths of Science Fiction is it's greater than average ability to introspect, but that also leaves it open to lots of potential cliché's and silliness.

Well it's pretty late, so I need to go to bed, lest my cold get any worse. The weekend should give my wiring guy enough time to finish the adventure so we should have something for you on Monday.

Carpe Diem Quam Minimum Credula Postero
Ross