Specialization is for insects!

[Chimera]

^Nuune, cool bro!

 

btw Urban if you reading this, my OP was specifically directed towards mad talented Somali individuals such as yourself, enrich Somali literature and art!

[Valenteenah.]

Originally posted by Somali Psycho:

I'm not sure since it's not a short story, also i'm still trying to wrap up a fantasy epic, but i'm struggling with a kick-azz ending, not sure wether to:

 

A) kill the two brothers in a battle with the demon army in front of their fortress

 

B

) have their female love interest kill them both, since she can't choose

 

(above scenarios the brothers would be revived in the next book)

 

C

) Let the brothers live but have a brutal twist involving the demon army

 

If you want a vote, I will vote for C (since you'll bring them back, what's the point of killing them?).

 

Good luck.

[Chimera]

For dramatic effect, it's basically the easy way out, and would enable me with a good reason to reveal the powers of the female character, since she eclipses all of them but they are ignorant of it, and she keeps it hidden.

 

I also prefer the twist, and have now found a powerful alternative reason that will infuriate her, involving her old teachers and the Abay Siti school she trained and grew up in.

[Urban]

 

I'll PM you soon inshaa' Allah.

[Chimera]

Haye, you got something impressive for me bro?, any luck coloring my drawings btw?(<- kinda of irrelevant now)

[Rain]

somali sci fi stories usually deal with beings not from out in the universe, but rather with unseen/supernatural beings of this world and their interactions with us. whether they be jins, holy-men, animal spirits, and the likes.

 

i've heard there once was a guy who use to tell stories about his adventures into the jinn world on the bbc back in the day. don't know if its true.

 

the most striking thing i remember about him, translation of it, was that in the middle of his saga;

he said he was walking in miyi one day, and as the sun set, as was customary he looked for a fire, some generous folks to host him for the night. as the darkness grew and the echoes of beasts were coming from all directions , he saw fire in the distance, and walked towards it with relief.

 

he came to a family in aqal-soomaali, a man sitting in the ardaa next to the fire, so he greeted him and asked if they could host him, the man accepted. he heard some noise coming from the house, and as he looked towards it he saw a women in the distance laying on the ground, his host noticed his curiosity and smilingly told him that his wive was giving birth. so the man said i congratulated him.

 

after few minutes later, he said the women went into labor, and a voice came from the house, "Its a Boy". suddenly, what looked like a baby came out walking, took a piece of cloth, and sat next to us in the fire. then another voice came out. "its a Boy". then another one walked out, took another piece of cloth and took his place in the fire. this continued for another 5-7 times.

 

so he said i couldn't hold myself anymore, so i screamed, "Acuudu Billah ....."

 

then all of the kids started screaming, and rolling on the ground. the mother in the house started crying, their father stood up turned to him and said, "how could you murder our offspring, when we've hosted you!" he said he begged them, that he didn't know better, so they told him to leave, so he left them. and his saga continued ...

[Chimera]

^Nice one.

[5]

RAIN - those kinds of stories are disturbing. I've never understood the appeal.

 

SOMALI PSYCHO: "It is the mental captivity of the notorious box of specialisation that prevents a great writer from landing a gigantic spaceship, with an evil creature inside"

 

Any writer who writes about "gicantic" spaceships with "evil creature inside" is not a great writer! But I get the point.

 

CARA: “Science fiction films from the West are failures here. Even Star Wars!” he said. “The themes aren’t taken seriously. Science fiction will come here when it is relevant to the people of Africa. Right now, Africans are bothered about issues of bad leadership, the food crisis in East Africa, refugees in the Congo, militants here in Nigeria. Africans are bothered about food, roads, electricity, water wars, famine, etc, not spacecrafts and spaceships. Only stories that explore these everyday realities are considered relevant to us for now.”

 

Actually, bad leadership, food crisis, famine etc are all excellent themes to explore in sci-fi. Clearly whoever that comment is by, is not particularly familiar with serious sci-fi lit. In fact Africa should really produce 21st century's best sci-fi stories precisely because things are not so comfortable there. Comfort is the death of creativity - of course assuming it's already alive. Which, unfortunately, is not the case in Africa.

 

Should we encourage more Somalis/Africans to pursue sci-fi? Dunno. As a creative professional, I'd love to see more Somalis pursue creativity in general but I think first we (as in those in creative industries) need to create a network that makes creativity appealing to Somalis by making it compatible with Islam. Many unfortunately view most creative careers as religiously dubious.

"A novelist? You wanna write fiction? Isn't that lying? But lying's haram!"

"What! You wanna make films? But you can't even photogragh people, it's haram."

"But why do you wanna waste your time painting dots? Shouldn't you make better use of your time here on Earth? I'm sure that kind of waste of time must be haram some way".

"Writing slogans for companies that pay taxes to governments that kill innocent Muslim lives is wrong!"

"A playwright? So what does that mean in practice; men and women kissing on stage?"

[Haatu]

I heard a staroy back in the day of a lady lost in the miyi with her you daughter with no food and drink. After a couple of hours they saw an aqal and an old man sittin in front of it. As they approached, the old man covered his face. When they reached him he told them not to look at him as they were Insi and he was Jinn. To cut a long story short, he helps them gives them some food and they leave.

 

I also heard another story of how a lost traveller arrived at a small house in the middle of nowhere inhabited by dad cun who ate their granma. Disgusting I know.

[Chimera]

Originally posted by 5:

SOMALI PSYCHO: "It is the mental captivity of the notorious box of specialisation that prevents a great writer from landing a gigantic spaceship, with an evil creature inside"

 

Any writer who writes about "gicantic" spaceships with "evil creature inside"

is not a great writer!

But I get the point.

Why would you say that? Not your genre?, Cliche plot? Take any critically acclaimed book and you will find a dozen similarities/cliches it shares with other books. A great writer knows how to make these 'cliches' their own to the point of people thinking it is original, so reserve your judgement just yet sis.

 

You touched a nerve, as i have a story about a large Somali wedding celebration taking place in a fictional town somewhere in the lush open fields of Sanaag, until it is disrupted by the impact of an object from outerspace, which is actually an extremely advanced unmanned prison ship containing a vicious alien banished for life by an unknown cosmic civilization. The creature naturally with the new reality of being free continues in his destructive ways that got him locked up in the first place, with the celebrating town ofcourse the first target.

 

One can look at the above plot and spot plenty of cliches, however my main characters(Newlyweds) and their tribulations, loyalty etc will set this story apart from any other in the genre that had a badboy from space land in their backyard.

 

btw I like diversity, I abhor Horror films and secretly curse all those who manage to drag me into watching one, but the thought that if I wanted to watch or read a Somali Horror film or book, the options would be there is better than now, where these options are nonexistant, or of very low - uninspiring - quality.

[5]

Originally posted by Somali Psycho:

Why would you say that? Not your genre?, Cliche plot?

No, "gigantic" and "evil creature" are just weak descriptions. But like I said, I got the point.

 

Your story sounds actually interesting. Just don't kill it with too much talk. Get writing.

[Chimera]

Haye, Hooyo.

[Blessed]

Have you considered blogging your novel. I've been following this girl and now she's getting published. You'd get better feedback when we have a chapter to work with and you might get some much needed publicity too. ..

 

Just a thought, eh. Good luck ne'way. I've got me cash ready for your novel, Insha Allah.

[Chimera]

I might, but this is still a 'Work in progress' and I haven't even finished my first draft yet, the first chapter could end up very differently if it doesn't go smoothly with the end. After I have edited it a bit, I will leave the novel somewhere in a dark digital chamber and will reopen it a few months later so I can analyse the story with a fresh persepective and see whether the scenes, the plots, the characters have stood the test of time.

 

If I blog it, I will remain attached and won't be able to have the above kind of distance from the story that is very crucial. However if i'm really statisfied with what i have created, then yes i will consider that option.

 

Thank you!

[Chimera]

Flashforward Tv-show - Somalia:

 

 

^I got a kick from watching that bit. There are so many stories one could place in Somalia and make it completely unique. Whether it is because of our long rich history with mysterious looking architecture and landscapes, or the current decentralisation, meaning if something happens the people are on their own.(Dystopian stories set in America and Europe always need a significant nuclear accident/war or disaster to happen, around which the stories are built.)