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One thing always bothered me about the fantasy/SF challenge thread. Most of the entries were obviously spurious - stuff like "write about a sentient mango who's running for president, bonus points if he's secretly a vampire, double bonus points if he's run over for no reason by a truck".

So I've decided to make this thread. It's basically the same. You challenge people to write the kind of Science Fiction or Fantasy that you'd like to see. But the catch is that you have to be honest this time, you have to ask for stuff you'd really LIKE to read, stuff you'd actually write yourself if you could.

So here's my initial pitch:

A fantasy story that isn't set in a world that was created many, many thousand years and Ages ago, and which is now facing an end due to Darkness. Instead, the world has just been created. It's about half an hour old. The very first dawn after Creation's Six Days, if you will. It's vast and most of it is still unformed, and you can go out for a stroll and say I want a mountain here overlooking the sea and you'll get it because it's still being put together.
And what kind of story can you write in this world, you ask? Well, since the world is still being shaped, the most obvious conflict comes from what kind of world it'll be. And I don't just mean bickering about where that praerie would look best. The basic nature of the world is still up to debate. The Wheel of Reincarnation hasn't been mounted yet - except of course there's the faction that would rather have two Afterlife worlds instead.

I'm off to try that "brand new universe" idea. It really reminds me of the Emerald Dream from the Warcraft world/universe/fandom. Basically, its a very malleable place that exists in the same space as the actual world, and is linked to all of the other "drafts" for the way the world was supposed to be. Anyone can temporarily alter it with their minds, and the place is pretty screwed-up looking because of that.

It's been done, read Alastair Reynolds.

Me, I would like to see a story "set in a world that was created many, many thousand years and Ages ago, and which is now facing an end due to Darkness". A sci-fi story, where the universe is on the verge of 'the Big Rip', where all of the stars have burned out, the universe is totally dark, all of the energy has been spread out through too large a volume and has become homogeneous background radiation. There are still races of people living on ships which drift through the void looking for resources and trying to survive.

Not sure if I explained that too well.

I like this idea. ^.^ Dares are only fun in their fluffyness, not so much in actual quality content. if someone made a compelling story about a pinable that was in love with a were orange that was actually really compelling as a result of dares, they must be a god. unless it was a childrens book...

I don't have any paticular idea as of now, but I'll be back when I have one. I'm tempted to try the new universe idea. =]

Yeah, I think I know what you mean. All the stars are gone and people are scrambling to try to survive without a sun. Essentially the end of the universe as we know it. That would be fun to read or write too. ^.^

I've got a prologue written. Here it is.

~~Prologue~~

"Zangbourne?"

"Yes."

"Well, we've been thinking for a while now, and, since you are our god, and you are 'Zangbourne, Creator of Worlds'..."

"Yes?"

"W-why didn't you create a world for us? All of the other races get worlds, physical bodies, and, and, they get to take up space!"

"You want to know why I made you just beings of pure energy?"

"Yes."

"It causes too many damn problems."

"W-what?"

"Existing ain't easy, you've gotta eat, and sleep, and kill stuff. You'd have to give up on your utopian culture, with your ultra-pacifism, your all-encompassing philosophy, all of that. You can't tell me you don't like any of that."

"Well, what nobody relly gets about utopias, is, well, they're just so god-damned boring. We want to exist now, we've had it with ethereal bodies."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You guys've voted on this?"

"You can go check the ballots if you want."

"Now your positive?"

"Absolutely."

"No can do."

"Wait, what?"

"I've got enough to worry about right now. It takes forever to make new worlds."

"That's why w- wait, if it takes forever, how did you ever make any?"

"You know, I really should have given you guys a better sense of humor."

"Sorry."

"It's all right, it's all right. Look, I don't have time to make another world right now. Or your bodies. Or to make some stuff for you guys to eat."

"We can do all of that on our own."

"What?"

"We've been studying some of your other creations, and we have a plan. All you need to do is give us a world that's malleable enough for us to change it with our minds."

"I can see you guys thought this through. Alright, okay, I'll make you a world. Actually, I've already got one for you. Was gonna make a bunch of mountains on it, and then put elves there. I wanted to see if they'd evolve into dwarves, but you guys can have it. You should be able to change everything on it with your minds."

"Okay..."

The glowing ball of light drifted away from Zangbourne slowly, stalling before it left his mighty realm.

"Hey." It said.

"Yeah."

"If existing is so hard, why do make any races that exist at all?"

"Because it is also unbelievably funny for me to watch."

"Oh."