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Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting

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Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by lwhitehead   » Wed Dec 18, 2019 4:18 am

lwhitehead
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Hi folks I would some help with my Space Opera Merchant Princes/ Trading series setting.

Right now I need books that can help me out, I've got the Chanur Saga book

I want to realistic space travel and trading,


LW
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by The E   » Wed Dec 18, 2019 7:55 am

The E
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lwhitehead wrote:Hi folks I would some help with my Space Opera Merchant Princes/ Trading series setting.

Right now I need books that can help me out, I've got the Chanur Saga book

I want to realistic space travel and trading,


LW


18 months since the last time you asked for help with building a setting. Have you actually written a story in that time, or are you still chasing ideas until you're bored of them (The secret to becoming a writer is to sit your ass down and write story after story until they're readable).


Anyway.

"Realistic space travel and trading" you say. There really is only one series that comes to mind that takes that seriously; Charlie Stross' "Saturn's Children" and "Neptune's Brood" (plus the short story "Bit Rot").
Spoiler alert for those: There is no FTL. There is no practical way to ship canned monkeys around, building an interplanetary, let alone interstellar, economy is hard, humanity has died out a long time ago but human civilization (in the form of the various androids and AIs humanity has left behind) hasn't really changed all that much.

If it's just trade you're after, let me recommend you Seth Dickinson's "The Traitor Baru Cormorant" and "The Monster Baru Cormorant". It's about economy and trade as weapons of conquest; it's great.
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by Michael Everett   » Wed Dec 18, 2019 2:52 pm

Michael Everett
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Here we go again.
So, Lwhite, how are you getting on with the Kath, Chinese Fantasy, Kavi, Privateer, Giovanni Bank, Delos, Rail Baron, Galaxy Express, Steampunk Giant, Swashbuckling and Space American Civil War stories?

I hate to say this, but I see a pattern forming.
Lwhite, pick one and put a chapter on Spacebattles. They will give you feedback/help/criticism.
And a good kick up the posterior if you try the "I got tired of trying to think my last X ideas through so here's another new one" that you keep pulling.
~~~~~~

I can't write anywhere near as well as Weber
But I try nonetheless, And even do my own artwork.

(Now on Twitter)and mentioned by RFC!
ACNH Dreams at DA-6594-0940-7995
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by Dilandu   » Wed Dec 18, 2019 3:18 pm

Dilandu
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lwhitehead wrote:Hi folks I would some help with my Space Opera Merchant Princes/ Trading series setting.


Huh, we almost started to worry what happens with you since you did not post anything for quite a long time.


lwhitehead wrote:I want to realistic space travel and trading,


LW


"Realistic space trading" is thing that may not even exist. To put it simply, it is rather hard to think out the commodities which may cost less to transport the interstellar distances than to made at home.

Basically, the possible thing that may be traded, or something:

* Very high-tech equipment, that required highly developed industry - like microelectronic.
* Information - both technical & cultural data.
* Specially-trained personnel - while it is not exactly "trade", it still fit under "what could make economical sense to transport on interstellar distances".
* Exotic goods - mainly produced by planetary biospheres, like farmaceutical, exotic natural materials & house plants/pets.

Must also point out, that exotic goods is basically only thing that colony might export to homeworls. So, hardly any reason to put colonies on worlds without biosphere.

So thing is, that interstellar trade would hardly be anything like "thousand of starships in Manticora system, hauling everything up to iron ore" (sorry, RFC!). This is just not logical to waste enormous amounts of energy to move such things as food, basic materials & simple machinery across the stars. Of course, the newly-founded colony would require initial supply of this, but it isn't exactly "trade", it is colony-founding operation.

Moreover, private starships are HIGHLY UNLIKELY. To put it simple, Governments tend to not like the idea of giving civilians the potential planet-busting weapon. And any starship is planet-busting weapon of mass destruction just by definition.

So, the trade ships would probably be either owned by government directly, or leased only to some rather trustful corporations. Quite probably, there would be some... unpopular measures implemented, like having a government official Commissar onboard the ship: hand-picket zealous fanatic, who would not hesitate to blow ship up with himself if he suspected that crew planned to misuse it.

So... no trade princes. Sorry. Space is not ocean. Even if we would have FTL, the situation is far too different.
------------------------------

Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by lwhitehead   » Wed Dec 18, 2019 10:56 pm

lwhitehead
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Why so I post what I written if I've did write so you co do what you did the last time,


So my writing is bad I ask for a list of books that can help me out with this setting,

LW
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by Michael Everett   » Thu Dec 19, 2019 4:49 am

Michael Everett
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lwhitehead wrote:Why so I post what I written if I've did write so you co do what you did the last time,


So my writing is bad I ask for a list of books that can help me out with this setting,

LW

Lwhite. I do not mean this in an insulting and/or nasty way, but the level of grammar you just displayed with your post shows that you need to really concentrate on learning how to write before trying to create a full story.
Your first sentence was rather jumbled and while I think I can just about parse its meaning, it reads more like a stream-of-consciousness thing rather than a sentence which has been planned.
The second sentence is better, but in that one, it is punctuation which has tripped you up.
I'm sorry, but you seem to lack some of the important tools for writing. Sentence structure is absolutely vital for a story. Grammar and punctuation are the nuts and bolts that hold the sentences together. Without that, it doesn't matter if your story will be the next Harry Potter, it will be unreadable and thus no-one will touch it.
I would suggest seeking out a course in how to write. Once you have fixed the deficiencies in your metaphorical toolbox, you will be able to actually progress on the path you wish to take.

I wish you luck with your education and look forwards to you demonstrating the improvement it has granted you.
~~~~~~

I can't write anywhere near as well as Weber
But I try nonetheless, And even do my own artwork.

(Now on Twitter)and mentioned by RFC!
ACNH Dreams at DA-6594-0940-7995
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by Daryl   » Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:29 am

Daryl
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Posts: 3488
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We have been down this path before. Michael is correct. Before a carpenter can build a house he has to learn how to swing a hammer.
You may have a perfect idea for a story, but if you can't express it in readable and good grammar, it will never be read.
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by lwhitehead   » Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:21 pm

lwhitehead
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Well is there any course for idiots?,

I need a list of books for Merchant/Trading Sci Fi books, and Yes it's river of ideas that flow from my mind and I can't turn it off.


LW
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by Michael Everett   » Fri Dec 20, 2019 3:01 am

Michael Everett
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Posts: 2612
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:54 am
Location: Bristol, England

lwhitehead wrote:Well is there any course for idiots?,

... Lwhite, that is leaving yourself too open. Phrasing is very important.
But to answer the question I think you were trying to ask, there should be courses available at schools/colleges etc, both remedial and advanced.
I need a list of books for Merchant/Trading Sci Fi books, and Yes it's river of ideas that flow from my mind and I can't turn it off.

I have a similar issue, which is why I have several Snippets files online, allowing me to put down my ideas so that I can easily find them again while allowing others to be inspired by them.
It helps that I mainly do fanfiction which needs far less foundational world-building, although keeping the Butterfly Effect in mind can be... complicated.
~~~~~~

I can't write anywhere near as well as Weber
But I try nonetheless, And even do my own artwork.

(Now on Twitter)and mentioned by RFC!
ACNH Dreams at DA-6594-0940-7995
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Re: Space Opera Merchant Prince/ Tradeing series setting
Post by The E   » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:43 am

The E
Admiral

Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 1:28 pm
Location: Meerbusch, Germany

lwhitehead wrote:I need a list of books for Merchant/Trading Sci Fi books, and Yes it's river of ideas that flow from my mind and I can't turn it off.


Learning how to "turn off" the flow of ideas, or how to channel it into making your current story better, is an important piece of a writer's skillset, as is the ability to sit down and finish a story before taking on another one.

Ideas are easy and cheap. Taking an idea and turning it into a story is the hard bit, and no amount of background research (i.e. what you're trying to do here when you're asking about stories similar to what you have in your head) will help you there.
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