God's Teeth Whitbread!
This post is a question for Mike, but the whole internet could benefit from his answer.
I'm reading The Mote in God's Eye" since that is on your favorite book list in your profile. I'm through most of it, and it's good reading as I would have expected, but what is up with the swearing inthe 31st century? God's teeth? What is that?
I have never read any Niven before, so I'm unsure what to think. The book was written in '74 so it shows some age; like the Russians are still in there. And there are a lot of Catholics floating around the cosmos. Not sure I get that. I also keep looking for the Mexicans and Chinese, but nadda. In every battle scene in every movie, someone always has to shout, "Argh! They got Sanchez!" He was a plucky fellow, but you know he'd never make it out alive. Interesting how Niven bucks this trend.
What say you? And don't give away the ending since I have 150 pages left.
posted by Jason W. @ 10:19 PM
1 Comments:
There are four fundamental methods of cursing in science fiction:
1. First is called "retro cursing". This involves old-style cursing that really isn't cursing at all. Blasphemies such as "God's Teeth!" or "By the Blood of the Emperor!" give a feel of an old, conservative society without teenagers. The Mote in God's Eye, as you note, is of this type.
2. Second is what I like to call "making up curses". This type of cursing is usually found in space operas and involves references to astronomical bodies or phenomena. Example include "Europa's Eye!" or "Eat Vacuum!". This type of swearing is typically found in 1950's science fiction, particularly the juveniles.
3. Third is slightly changing modern words to sound futuristic or to get past television sensors. Hence Battlestar Galactica's liberal use of "frack".
4. Finally is the use of completely made up words of acronyms to indicate swearing. Such as "tanj!" (there ain't no justice) or "slarpud!". These are used by cutesy SF writers and other malcontents.
As for the Mote in God's Eye, I consider it to be the finest work of science fiction that I have read. I first read it when I was about 13 or so, and it really struck a cord with me. I especially liked the moties and the human's interaction with them. I try to reread it every couple of years or so.
By the way, you'll be sorry you took Whitbread's name in vain.
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