Best selling science fiction books. Style matters

 

Best selling science fiction books. Style matters

If something is not in vogue it surely is not in demand as well. That is the reason fashion industry swears on just one thing, “If it does not impress it does not sell!” And it is true!

Here vogue refers to style. And styles are not constant; they keep on changing based on new trends and new preferences of the people. It is an important factor governed by relative influences.

But there is one niche where style matters a lot; and a few people are renowned not for their ability to adjust or change their style. They are famous and loved by their fans because they do not change their style. And this non-shifting and unchanging style always keeps them in vogue.

This niche is more of a genre in writing, and most of us recognise it as science fiction. And the best selling authors who happen to write the best selling science fiction books, are the ones who manage to retain their fundamental writing style, while not allowing their writing pattern to get corrupted by fickle precepts that keep proliferating this genre with an incumbent sense of becoming better than the rest. And in order to satisfy this need, few #scifi authors sacrifice one of their greatest virtues. Their writing style.

And when these scifi authors compromise with their writing style, they live in this false belief that it will help them relate better with the vogue trending in this genre. However, just the opposite happens. Their scifi books fail to become the best selling scifi books. Because the scifi readers are unable to find their favourite writing style in them. Which forces them to look for other options.

Some scifi authors fail to understand that with time scifi readers prefer to read scifi books that cater to new and emerging scientific trends. Without expecting their favourite scifi authors to change or compromise with their writing style. 

And this is exactly where many scifi writers commit the blunder of misunderstanding the need for change. Which fundamentally pertains to writing about new scientific concepts and not about changing their writing styles.

For the scifi authors it becomes necessary to pay attention to just one fact. That it is important to write about contemporary scientific concepts. Which means the scifi author has to reinvent himself/herself continuously and produce brave and stimulating scientific concepts. Only then the scifi writer can ensure WHAT he/she says captivates the scifi readers’ minds. 

And for prolonging the grip of this mesmerising spell, cast on the scifi readers; the scifi author has to be extra particular not to change much in terms of HOW he/she expresses this new scientific thought. Because a scifi author is mostly loved and adored by his/her readers for his/her writing style i.e. HOW he/she says or expresses facts and stories. 

When scifi readers come across a new and radical scientific idea being expressed by their favourite scifi author, in his/her unique and trademark style. The scifi readers find it highly attractive. And they are unable to let go of the scifi book for two strong reasons.

I-  A new and a highly stimulating scientific idea.

And

II- That this idea is being expressed by their favourite scifi author in his/her typical style, that these scifi readers love him/her for.

And maybe this is what it takes to write a best selling scifi book. Many of us might think so. But it is not that easy. Because how you say, what you are saying, needs a lot of effort and time.

Many of us might think it is ridiculous and for one basic reason. The writing style of every scifi author is unique, and it being a part of his/her personality, the #scifi readers expect it to come to him/her very naturally and without much effort. Now I may sound a bit digressive, but it is the only way to comprehend this assumption better.

For a pilot flying a plane is easy. Because that is what he/she has been doing all his/her life. Correct?

I am sure most of you would agree.

But, let us not disregard one important part of this pilot analogy. 

Every pilot is trained to fly a particular plane. A fighter pilot trained to operate a MIG plane would find it difficult to operate a Harrier plane that comes with vertical lift off and more engines to control when they generate this upward thrust. Now if both these pilots are asked to operate the latest generation of stealth planes, that would be impossible for them. Because stealth planes operate on a completely different flying specification, if not aerodynamics related rudimentary principles.

And this is what needs to be understood in complete detail.

Now let us assume a scifi author is a pilot. The scifi readers love his/her flying technique and the way he/she flies the plane. It leaves them breathless and wanting for more.

But seeing the scifi author fly the same plane always in every scifi book will eventually kill their liking towards him/her. Because witnessing the scifi author flying the same plane everyday can be a boring experience. But a best selling scifi author, who always wants to write the best selling scifi book knows a lot about this fact.

That is why he/she invests time to train himself/herself to fly new planes and new generations of the planes he/she is already trained to fly. And without altering his/her flying style, his/her flying manoeuvres remain the same, although bound by the aerodynamic flexibility offered by new planes, which scifi readers can easily understand. But what they are awed by is his/her flying style, which can remain constant irrespective of the planes he/she flies. 

This is one fact the best selling scifi authors know and make best use of. And I am not saying this advisedly but with 100% conviction.

Because just like a MIG plane Harrier too can perform great manoeuvres and it is upto the pilot how he/she flies it to create that typical flying pattern that reminds the scifi readers of him/her. And nobody else!

As an example let us consider following scifi books, both are in their own rights best selling scifi books:

• The Invisible Man

And

• Time Machine

Both scifi books are written by a very famous and one of my favourite writers, Mr. H. G. Wells.

Here is an extract from the scifi book titled: The Invisible Man

“The Invisible Man started and stood still. "Traitor!" cried the Voice, and suddenly the dressing-gown opened, and sitting down the Unseen began to disrobe. Kemp made three swift steps to the door, and forthwith the Invisible Man -- his legs had vanished -- sprang to his feet with a shout. Kemp flung the door open.”

Here is an extract from the scifi book titled: Time Machine

“I remarked indeed a clumsy swaying of the machine, for which I was unable to account. But my mind was too confused to attend to it, so with a kind of madness growing upon me, I flung myself into futurity. At first I scarce thought of stopping, scarce thought of anything but these new sensations.”

Do you notice something or anything at all that tells you both extracts are from scifi books written by the same author/writer? I am sure you do. Because it is very boldly advertising itself in both the extracts. And if you happen to read both the scifi books, or you have read both #scifi books already, you would agree that the writing style in both scifi books is very similar, very typical of Mr. H. G. Wells writing style. And after you have read a couple of his books, whenever you read any other book from this author, you should be able to tell it is him. And it is because of his writing style that you would want to read more books by this author.

If you read another book by this author, that you actually want to read because you loved his writing style when you read his first book, if he diverts from his style that you developed a liking for, you might not be that willing to carry on reading the next book.

The theme and concept in the new book maybe more appealing and enticing. But due to the missing and typical Mr. H. G. Wells style, you will discard the book.

That is why retaining the writing style is very important, because for scifi readers it becomes the scifi author’s signature that they can recognise instantly in all his/her books. And it is the familiar and much admired writing style that encourages the scifi readers to read and discover the author’s new book/s.

For scifi readers, identifying their favourite scifi author’s writing style in scifi books is easy, i.e. once they have read a couple of his/her books. And any change in this style would only dishearten his/her fans.

I personally like Mr. H. E. Bates’ style of writing. It is romantic, it is filled with a sense of mystique that originates from realism or romanticism that existed in the old days. Days when life was straightforward and when human emotions were simple and uncomplicated with no layers of synthetic formalities. 

Whenever you read few of Mr. H. E. Bates’ books, his writing style transports you into a world that he was a  part of. And he does it with such an extraordinary style that he makes you feel part of it too. And his use of words is like nobody else. He is brilliant because he is natural and true to the social changes that were taking place during his time. 

I have read a love story by him, titled: Love For Lydia. It is simply epic! Because he makes you feel the presence of this girl named Lydia, and then he also manages with infectious intensity to make you believe you are her lover. And as the story progresses you are held by two strong anchors:

1- That you want to know what becomes of your girlfriend and your love story. So you feel restless until you have read it all.

2- Being Lydia’s lover you are desperate to know what becomes of you.

And it is rare to come across such intense interplay of words that create sharp emotional overtones for every reader. Maybe I am exaggerating it because I love his writing style and it appeals to me directly because I too am a romantic like him. So, we share a writer’s kinship when it comes to this. Haa haaa!

There is something else that is remarkable about him. He reflects social truths with an undertone of simplicity, yet being powerfully direct. For example he refers to men and women in a sort of colour grading: pink, white, not so white, red, rusted due to hard work in the sun, greasy arms due to working many hours under the old car etc. etc. This implies to one fact, that during his time societies were either not as liberal as they are now or people liked to express what they felt without any fear. Without getting caught in the dilemma of what people might say or how they might react if I wrote the truth. 

And I love him because he is honest about it, he does not pretend or offer a false image at all.

( That is the power of a formidable writing style and well known authors retain it forever. In #India we call it “Tashan!” You either have it or you do not have it. And here it translates into : Writer’s Tashan.

Tashan : According to me it means : Style with the right attitude that nobody can copy. And there is no word in any language that means the same. So, Oxford should consider including this word in their dictionary. Will be good!)

If he, Mr. H. E. Bates were alive today, I am sure he would avoid colour based description of people, and he would use his writer’s wit to add brilliant humour to it instead. And what is best about him. Is the way he adds humour to his writing. Typical English humour that is witty and sharp. 

And when it comes to scifi books, all scifi readers tend to recognise the writing style of their favourite scifi authors. Provided they happen to love these scifi authors for their incredible writing style. A style with “Tashan” that makes these scifi readers feel an integral part of the entire scifi story. These scifi authors know how to compliment scifi readers and flirt with them decently. And when a scifi reader feels important and complemented he/she remembers the scifi author with a deep sense of regard that only grows with time, if the scifi author retains his/her writing style.

As, in my case, I love the writing style of Ms. Mary Shelley, just like Mr. H. E. Bates, she stays true to the reality that she was experiencing during her days. And she does it with unparalleled efficiency, which is typical of her style. Humane yet extremely thrill seeking and adventurous. A very rare quality to possess. Had it not been so, she would not sympathise so much with Frankenstein's Monster. In the scifi book she seems to feel his pain, his emotional destitution and social isolation, and then she brilliantly makes the reader feel this pain of Frankenstein's Monster as well. Simply remarkable!

Haa haaa! Mr. H. E. Bates and Ms. Mary Shelley. You might be thinking I am primitive or I come from the stone age. But without experiencing the stone age no other age could exist, that too is a fact. I love them for their originality and the way they use words, it is something only few gifted writers can accomplish. But my liking for Mr. H. E. Bates is paramount, because he is very natural. The way he explains nature , mentions about flowers, society, colours, taboos, stigmas, fears, joys, relationships, he takes it to a different degree of realism, that at some points becomes a reality that you feel you are getting addicted to. Because his powerful writing style creates that addictive punch, and you helplessly give in to the charms of his addictive writing style. 

It is like the most beautiful flower seeking human form and asking you to fall in love. Who could resist or deny such an invitation!

His fears about old age, his portrayal of sibling rivalries and how females were emerging as a force of new renaissance in the UK that existed then, is matchless. But yes, he feels proud about his British heritage and he is honest about it too. And that is why I like him. We all should be proud of our heritage because it defines us as much as we define it!

So, scifi writing just like any other genre is all and everything about style that impresses the scifi readers. I wonder if Mr. H. E. Bates were to write a #scifi book, how he would write it. Because it maybe the 8th wonder of the world, given that he tends to write more about human relationships, nature, social realities, flowers, and heritage that he is so proud of, and rightly so. His scifi book maybe one of a kind.

And if you are seeking to read a scifi book, that would remind you of Mr. H. E. Bates like style, then you must explore the scifi book titled: They Loved in 2075.

It deals with human relationships and their evolution in the world that would exist in 2075, in the midst of self aware machines capable of emoting like humans. And in this scifi book a boy falls in love with a beautiful girl who is unable to emote like humans due to her excessive interactions with self aware machines.

And the story unfolds with many technological marvels, social complications, and changing human emotions. Yet the boy dares to love this beautiful girl like a human should. Just like Lydia was loved in Mr. H. E. Bates novel, Love for Lydia.

To know who wins. The boy, the girl or the machines, you must read the #scifi book titled: They Loved in 2075. And here is something for your imagination. In Mr. H. E. Bates writing style, there is a lot of tragedy, but the hope of a good and happy ending does not seem distant either. And carrying both together and still making them create contradictions is not easy, only a master like him can do it with brilliance that is typical of his style. And the scifi book, They Loved in 2075, is a tribute to his style and the woman I happen to love!