Upon leaving the theater last night, I found myself oddly perturbed. James Cameron spent ten years on AVATAR, and yet the script wasn't very well-written. My intellectual sparring partner asked me what, exactly, I expected from a science-fiction movie. Well, to be entirely honest, I expected a story. I expected, in addition to fantastic, amazing special effects (which it delivered!), good dialogue and a plot that I couldn't guess at consistently from start to finish.
Why, you ask, do I demand so much? Because special FX aren't an excuse for mediocre writing!
It was, in my humble opinion, kind of like Star Wars: Episode III. It was decent, but the writing just wasn't that great. And just because it's "science fiction" doesn't mean a story has an excuse to not be well-written.
Take Margaret Atwood. The first story of hers that I read was The Handmaid's Tale, a science fiction story about a future in which the Religious Right essentially enslaves women for the purpose of procreation. It's great, fantastic, well worth reading. Atwood can write the heck out of a science fiction tale, and I recommend her to anyone who likes sci-fi. While I couldn't find a short story to share, I did find some stuff for those of you interested in learning more about her:
A video interview with Charlie Rose.
A list of her books, and a bio of her life.
Cheers,
(Note: I couldn't find a photo credit for this particular pic, so if anyone has any info, email me)
