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The Creative Info Dump

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The Example of Hyperion, Blackfish City and Children of Time In science fiction, the author must describe the special features of the story’s world to the reader. At worst, the information is laid out in a long didactic paragraph, the dreaded “info dump.” And sometimes, an info dump includes details not relevant to the story: […]

Sensors and Intuitives in Neal Stephenson’s Novel, Anathem

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A successful character reads like a complete person with particular thought patterns and reactions, habits and tics. The best characters are consistent and believable, a person one might encounter in real life, for better or worse. How does an author fashion the mental world of diverse but credible characters?

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