What’s harder than trying to write wacky made-up faerie science?
Writing wacky made-up faerie science from the point of view of a character who doesn’t know the first bloody thing about it. Especially when the education of your other major protagonist pretty much stops at her knowing how to read.
There are days when I really, really wish I’d constructed this story in a fashion that made Wrain or somebody the faerie protagonist, in Dead Rick’s place.
But the protag who doesn’t know what they’re doing allows you to fudge! Also to include no more than you need for plot purposes! If you were in the head of a fairy scientist, you’d be doing 3 pager soliloquies on the surprising chemical properties of eye of newt.
Unfortunately, in this instance it means he can’t contribute very meaningfully to the thing that needs to happen.
(And I like three-page soliloquies on the surprising chemical properties of eye of newt!)
Side story? Being the Scientifickal Journals of yr Humble Researcher, Peaseblossom, with Politickal Interruptions?
hey! Found your blog (this is Erin, btw)
One of our aircraft guys was sitting in on a big discussion about
astronomical cameras, and when we asked him what he got out of it , he
smiled, and showed us his notebook. It had the best flow diagram ever:
Plane flies–>Telescope points at star–>MAGIC–>pretty pictures
There were also some impressive doodles of SOFIA being used as a
laser-death ray.
ALSO I just found out Mountain view has a working difference engine built according to Charles Babbage’s original designs. Some
crazy rich computer guy donated a bunch of money to the Computer
History museum to have it built. Because that’s what we do in silicon
valley, apparently. I don’t know if it’d be useful to you, but I
thought I’d mention it–it came up in conversation this weekend at the
festival in downtown.
Hee. It warms the cockles of my heart to know scientists are silly like that.
Difference Engine — ooh! I may try to contact the museum to see if they’ll let me see it in operation. I looked at the one in London a few months ago, but it was of course locked away and not in motion. Thanks!
http://www.computerhistory.org/hours/
Apparently they’re only open weekends right now, but they do demonstrations of the difference engine at 1 and 2pm Saturdays and Sundays.
