From: YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: why TNG is downhilling, or is it?
Date: 4 Oct 92 17:11:36 GMT
Organization: Yale University


   There was an interesting article in the New York Times today (oct.4)
page 4, week in review section) about Ross Perot and Science Fiction (?!),
and there was a quotation in it which somewhat clarifies the points I tried
to make in an earlier posting.  (Any comments inside brackets are my own,
otherwise, it's a direct quote.  I will have a more full, though not complete
quote in the rec.arts.sf.written.)  The quote is by Jim Chapin, "a writer,
political consultant and science-fiction fan"
 
   "Modern fiction is generally more Joyce than Dickens - it concerns various
forms of excessive individualism, and accepts society as given.  (I'll take
his word for it.  I've read some Dickens, but I never got around to reading
Ulysseys)  It is oleft to science fiction wirters, who are a little out of
tune with their own society and habitually deal with alternate realisties,
future histories and fantasy worlds, to ask 'How should we be organized?'and
'What would happen if...?'" (which was partially what I was trying to say when
I referred to 'Macro' stories.)
 
   Now, I do agree that the characters need to be interesting because they
are our POV characters, and some of those character-oriented stories can be
quite fun.  (e.g.
Q-pid, Family, to list a couple.)  For some "macro" stories, the choice of
a viewpoint character is absolutely crucial:  (e.g. "The Inner Light" which,
 among its ideas were how a society would, and should, face extinction; a
nice philosophical view;  one of my favorite last season, though it seems
very few others liked it was "The Masterpiece Society" where the very
existance of Geordi LaForge brings into question about the desirability
of a "more perfect (physical) human."; "Half a Life" where Lwaxana Troi
was actually used effectively.)
However, did we really need "New Grounds", another cliched single father
story?  (Or more accurately, did we need it as an A-story?) or
"Ethics", another cliched doctor-scientist-who-does-not-show-human-concerns
story?  (I'm quoting these because they seem especially cliched. [Forgive the
lack of accents on the word cliche]  Other shows last season, which I thought
were enjoyable, more or less, but concerned itself almost purely with
characters were "Hero Worship", "First Duty" [in which the idea was painfully
cliched, but it was just so damn well produced.  I'm actually beginning to
like Wesley.]  "Perfect Mate" "Next Phase" "Ensign Ro" [Though this story
may be a first episode in an extended story arc dealing with 'macro' topics]
and "Disaster")   That's eight out of 26, which dealt almost PURELY with
characters.
  On the other hand, there were shows like "Darmok" (which was what the
movie "Enemy Mine" should have been like) which worked as both a macro
story dealing with the differences and commonality of culture, as well
as a good character story.  THIS is the unique strength of Star Trek,
and it's an area I want them to follow up.  Most character bits, I think,
can be relegated to a B-story status, without hurting the show.
  I should try to define what I mean by "Macro" stories:  Those are
stories which deal with a whole culture; how countries (planets) with separate
cultures deal with each other.  On the simplest level, it can be political-
military thrillers such as "Redemption."   On the higher levels, it can
examine the pros and cons of various aspects of society and cultural
assumptions: "Half a Life", "First Contact" "Measure of a Man" among others.
     Re-reading the above, I think this may start a prolonged war on the
subject... maybe I should delete the post...maybe not.  But I think I will
stay out of the battle as much as possible.  Also, perhaps an argument
can be made that regular shows such as LA Law or Thirtysomething can deal
with these issues.  (Though because they have to stay in this time-space
continuum, they are somewhat hampered.)  Consider this post as musing of
someone who perhaps thinks about Trek too much for his own good.
                         Junsok Yang (YANJUNA @YALEVM)