Any SF series featuring successful couples?
Elf M. Sternberg
single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
affection.
Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
series.")
Elf
--
Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988
http://www.pendorwright.com/
Elf's latest stories are available in paperback! Buy
the genderbending novel _Sterlings_, available
now from http://stores.lulu.com/elfsternberg
ncw...@hotmail.com
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
E.E. "Doc" Smith - Lensman series - not married at first, but Clarissa
does play a regular and major supporting role throughout the main 4
books of the series.
Also the Family D'Alembert series - two married couples for the price
of one (again not married at first).
Cheers,
Nigel.
Andrew Plotkin
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
Plenty do they suffer the distraction of love and affection. (Okay,
not Lucky Starr, but that's an audience thing.) It's keeping a
relationship going that they don't bother with.
Or if they do, the author is trying to keep an "exciting new
relationship vibe" going, so they continue to live in sin rather than
getting married. Yes, I know how many things are wrong with that
sentence.
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
The Stainless Steel Rat. Vlad Taltos, although his marriage has been
on the rocks for more books than it was smooth -- but you didn't
specify smooth. Thursday Next (her husband doesn't exist, but he still
shows up regularly). Ki and Vandien. Sam Vimes. (Can you tell I
started going through my list in order by author?) Jake Stonebender
(he didn't get married until relatively late in his series, but it's
been a few books now). Detective Inspector Chen.
I don't suppose I can count Dunnett's "Niccolo" series as SF.
--Z
--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
When Bush says "Stay the course," what he means is "I don't know what to
do next." He's been saying this for years now.
William F. Adams
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
Harry Harrison's _The Stainless Steel Rat_
William
Stewart Robert Hinsley
<erky...@eblong.com> writes
Rod Gallowglass. Hawk (and Fisher). John Aversin.
>
>I don't suppose I can count Dunnett's "Niccolo" series as SF.
>
>--Z
>
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
Gene Ward Smith
news:87bq5l8...@speakeasy.net:
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series?
Such a series which is not restricted to action/adventure seems easier to
find. Does the Fantastic Four count? What about Jack Ryan?
Gene Ward Smith
@n36g2000hse.googlegroups.com:
>> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>> role throughout the series? ÿ(Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>> series.") ÿ
>>
>
> E.E. "Doc" Smith - Lensman series - not married at first, but Clarissa
> does play a regular and major supporting role throughout the main 4
> books of the series.
>
> Also the Family D'Alembert series - two married couples for the price
> of one (again not married at first).
I thought of Lensman but I don't think it counts; you are dead on with
Family D'Alembert though,
llen...@yahoo.com
> ncwa...@hotmail.com wrote in news:9561babd-53b9-4b62-a451-24cf71dd3f99
Dick and Dorothy Seaton and Martin and Margaret Crane each marry
towards the end of the first Skylark book, and both couples remain
together for the remaining 3 books of the series. In the last book
Dottie is even fairly liberated,
working as a guerrilla fighter alongside her husband. Just about
every major character in the series except those of the Fenachrone
and the ameboid chloran species are married, in fact.
Larry
Gene Ward Smith
@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com:
> Just about
> every major character in the series except those of the Fenachrone
> and the ameboid chloran species are married, in fact.
>
Tell us about Mrs. DuQuesne.
Brion K. Lienhart
->Just about<-. I do seem to recall him getting hitched in _Skylark
Duquesne_ though. Although in a typical manner for him, it starts off
mostly as a business transaction.
Brion K. Lienhart
As I recall, his wife's participation in most of the stories is pretty
low. And mostly consists of her showing up partway through and
threatening the various ladies who are hanging around Slippery Jim.
llen...@yahoo.com
> llennh...@yahoo.com wrote in news:38f0bea8-6eac-40c1-88fb-af2cf5076515
Stephanie ("Hunky") DeMargarie, as Mrs. Seaton calls her "the big
moose with the hair and the shape".
A nuclear physicist by profession, she agrees to marry DuQuense and
help him set up a galactic
empire in a galaxy a very far distance indeed from the Milky Way and
its annoying milksop do-gooders.
Very independent - she was known for never allowing men to pay for her
dates.
Larry
jonme...@gmail.com
> llennh...@yahoo.com wrote in news:38f0bea8-6eac-40c1-88fb-af2cf5076515
nee Stephanie de Marigny; she shows up in book 4, and at the end they
go off to rule their own galaxy.
jonme...@gmail.com
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
Anne McCaffrey's Pern series; F'lar and Lessa (though there's no
actual "marriage")
Cece
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
> Elf
>
> --
>
> Elf's latest stories are available in paperback! Buy
> the genderbending novel _Sterlings_, available
> now fromhttp://stores.lulu.com/elfsternberg
Aral and Cordelia, though!
llen...@yahoo.com
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
Christopher Stasheff's A Wizard in Rhyme series - Matt is Lord Wizard
of Merovance and his wife is Queen.
To a lesser extent the Warlock in Spite of Himself series by the same
author, although Gwen's part is sharply reduced after she becomes a
mom. But the ups and downs of their marriage often play a big role in
events.
Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos and Operation Luna, if 2 books twenty
years apart count as a series.
Larry
Paul Ian Harman
news:87bq5l8...@speakeasy.net...
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
Is this a re-run?
Stretching the definition of SF slightly, perhaps, the _...in Death_ series
by JD Robb (Nora Roberts).
Paul
Default User
From book two on, and not including the prequels, of course.
Brian
--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
Jim Lahue
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
> Elf
Barb & J.C. Hendee have "The Noble Dead" series, where the main
characters (Magiere (dhampir) and Leesil (half-elf)) are a couple and
both are active and crucial to the storylines.
Jim Lahue
Gene Ward Smith
@mid.individual.net:
> Barb & J.C. Hendee have "The Noble Dead" series, where the main
> characters (Magiere (dhampir) and Leesil (half-elf)) are a couple and
> both are active and crucial to the storylines.
Well, if that counts I'm going to mention the Undead And series by Davidson.
Konrad Gaertner
>
> "Elf M. Sternberg" <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
> news:87bq5l8...@speakeasy.net...
> > Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> > I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> > protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> > role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> > series.")
>
> Is this a re-run?
Yes, but last time I was the one asking:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.written/browse_frm/thread/5ef1e924c2e524db/
--
Konrad Gaertner - - - - - - - - - - - - - email: kgae...@tx.rr.com
http://kgbooklog.livejournal.com/
"If I let myself get hung up on only doing things that had any actual
chance of success, I'd never do *anything*!" Elan, Order of the Stick
William George Ferguson
To be fair, I don't think either Magiere and Leesil or Betsy and Eric have
quite reached 'successful' yet. Both couples are still a work in progress
(which is a big running thread in the Dhampir books, and the primary plot
in the Queen Betsy books).
--
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
(Bene Gesserit)
Default User
> William F. Adams wrote:
> > Harry Harrison's _The Stainless Steel Rat_
> >
>
> As I recall, his wife's participation in most of the stories is
> pretty low. And mostly consists of her showing up partway through and
> threatening the various ladies who are hanging around Slippery Jim.
I'd actually be quite interested in an Angelina-centric book.
Howard Brazee
Did the couple in Poul Anderson's _Operation Chaos_ have children?
Howard Brazee
<5bfe4963-f223-4ecc...@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
llen...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Christopher Stasheff's A Wizard in Rhyme series - Matt is Lord Wizard
> of Merovance and his wife is Queen.
Ahh, Lawrence Watt-Evans had an interesting marriage in his
Sorcerer/Cyborg books and his hero of _The Misenchanted Sword_
I suppose the ending of _Denner's Wreck_ has a happy couple.
endy9
One of my favorite couples is in a vampire fantasy series by Barbara Hambly.
James and Lydia Asher.
Those Who Hunt The Night
Travelling With The Dead
--
Dennis/Endy
http://home.comcast.net/~endymion91/
~I was born to rock the boat. Some will sink but we will float.
Grab your coat. Let's get out of here.
You're my witness. I'm your Mutineer~ - Warren Zevon
- -
llen...@yahoo.com
> What's rarer is successful families.
>
> Did the couple in Poul Anderson's _Operation Chaos_ have children?
Yes. Rescuing the first born daughter from Hell was a major part of
the book.
Larry
llen...@yahoo.com
> In article
> <5bfe4963-f223-4ecc-8beb-3a0715c44...@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
>
> llennh...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > Christopher Stasheff's A Wizard in Rhyme series - Matt is Lord Wizard
> > of Merovance and his wife is Queen.
>
> Ahh, Lawrence Watt-Evans had an interesting marriage in his
> Sorcerer/Cyborg books and his hero of _The Misenchanted Sword_
Valder and his wife don't do much together on stage, though the both
show up as supporting
characters in other Ethshar books.
David E. Siegel
> What's rarer is successful families.
>
> Did the couple in Poul Anderson's _Operation Chaos_ have children?
Yes, a daughter. She was kidnapped as a baby in the final segment of
the first book, and is IIRC a significant character in the 2nd book.
-DES
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net> wrote:
>
>
>What's rarer is successful families.
>
>Did the couple in Poul Anderson's _Operation Chaos_ have children?
Yes.
And don't forget The 'Rolling' Stones as a successful family. Also
The Hogbens, for an intersting value of 'successful'..
Ted
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
Lawrence Watt-Evans
wrote:
>I suppose the ending of _Denner's Wreck_ has a happy couple.
No, it doesn't -- that's clearly going to be a brief, messy, but
extremely entertaining fling that'll probably end badly.
Now, the end of _The Chromosomal Code_, on the other hand...
I generally like ending stories with the hero getting the girl (or
guy); I don't do it all the time, but there are several other examples
in my work.
Writing a follow-up where they're married is less common, but I've
certainly done that, too. I'm a bit surprised that Valder and Irith
got a mention, but not (so far as I've yet seen) Tobas, Alorria, and
Karanissa.
--
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com
The seventh issue of Helix is now at http://www.helixsf.com
Elf M. Sternberg
> Paul Ian Harman wrote:
>>
>> "Elf M. Sternberg" <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
>> news:87bq5l8...@speakeasy.net...
>> > Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>> > I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>> > protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>> > role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>> > series.")
>> Is this a re-run?
> Yes, but last time I was the one asking:
Oh, dear. Sorry about that. Still, reviving a pretty decent
thread after four years doesn't seem quite so tragic a sin. And there
have been quite a few books written since then.
Elf M. Sternberg
> To be fair, I don't think either Magiere and Leesil or Betsy and Eric have
> quite reached 'successful' yet. Both couples are still a work in progress
> (which is a big running thread in the Dhampir books, and the primary plot
> in the Queen Betsy books).
See, now I feel guilty. I spent the entire last weekend with
the writers of the Dhampir series and I haven't even read their first
book yet. Now I have to.
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Elf M. Sternberg <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote:
>
>
>William George Ferguson <wmgf...@newsguy.com> writes:
>
>> To be fair, I don't think either Magiere and Leesil or Betsy and Eric have
>> quite reached 'successful' yet. Both couples are still a work in progress
>> (which is a big running thread in the Dhampir books, and the primary plot
>> in the Queen Betsy books).
>
> See, now I feel guilty. I spent the entire last weekend with
>the writers of the Dhampir series and I haven't even read their first
>book yet. Now I have to.
>
> Elf
>
>--
>Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988
While the 'A' couple have their problems, I think the 'B' "romance" is
actually more intersting.
Ken from Chicago
"Elf M. Sternberg" <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:87bq5l8...@speakeasy.net...
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
>
>
>
> --
> Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988
>
> Elf's latest stories are available in paperback! Buy
> the genderbending novel _Sterlings_, available
> now from http://stores.lulu.com/elfsternberg
The "... IN DEATH" series by Nora Roberts nee JD Robb, about homicide cop in
the future and her reformed con / thief / smuggler / hacker gazillionaire
husband.
-- Ken from Chicago
Ken from Chicago
"Paul Ian Harman" <chatt...@doctorwhowebguide.net> wrote in message
news:63o8npF...@mid.individual.net...
GMTA.
Considering the series is set in the future, has featured robots, cloning,
psionics, space travel, flying cars (with optional autopilot) etc. I think
it qualifies as SF.
-- Ken from Chicago
David DeLaney
>Brion K. Lienhart wrote:
>> William F. Adams wrote:
>> > Harry Harrison's _The Stainless Steel Rat_
>>
>> As I recall, his wife's participation in most of the stories is
>> pretty low. And mostly consists of her showing up partway through and
>> threatening the various ladies who are hanging around Slippery Jim.
>
>I'd actually be quite interested in an Angelina-centric book.
The Zakour / & Ganem <haircolor> detective books - the detective is quite
married, to someone at least as dangerous as Slippery Jim's wife.
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Butch Malahide
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
Hunt Bowman and Lyssa, resistance fighters against the Earth-
conquering Voltamen, in the long-running "The Lost World" series by
"Thornecliffe Herrick" (Jerome Bixby?). Hmm. Come to think of it, I'm
not sure if they were married.
Lawrence Watt-Evans
I didn't think they were. They struck me as a courting couple, not
married; I don't think the stories ever actually say.
Butch Malahide
> On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:46:00 -0700 (PDT), Butch Malahide
>
> >conquering Voltamen, in the long-running "The Lost World" series by
> >"Thornecliffe Herrick" (Jerome Bixby?). Hmm. Come to think of it, I'm
> >not sure if they were married.
>
> I didn't think they were. They struck me as a courting couple, not
> married; I don't think the stories ever actually say.
Do you know whether Jerome Bixby wrote "The Lost World"? Did he draw
too? All I've read is that TH was a house name used by Bixby and
others.
lal_truckee
Chuk Goodin
>> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
>> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
>> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
>> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
>> affection.
>>
>> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>> series.")
>
>characters (Magiere (dhampir) and Leesil (half-elf)) are a couple and
>both are active and crucial to the storylines.
Aah! Spoiler! I've only read the first one and they don't even look like
they might get together by the end of that one.
--
chuk
Lawrence Watt-Evans
Sorry, I don't have a clue.
To the best of my knowledge the only SF writer who worked as a comic
book artist, as well as a writer, was Harry Harrison, but I don't know
about Bixby one way or the other.
Or for that matter, Alfred Bester or Mickey Spillane or any of those
other guys.
William George Ferguson
Wynn and Chane? Interesting in the sense that a train wreck is
interesting? Compared to them, Buffy and Angel (or Buffy and Spike) are
perfect, simple, and everlasting pairings.
Magiere should just chop off Chane's head. Oh wait...
Konrad Gaertner
>
> What's rarer is successful families.
Erikson's Malazan series often focusses on familial relationships, but
I wouldn't call any of them healthy much less successful. And I didn't
mention this earlier because we never both parents together (usually
because at least one is dead). Oh wait, there was one couple who did
get together at the end of one book (and may play a large role in the
next), but they're not people; they're a pair of wolves that somehow
ended up in the pantheon.
And speaking of messed up families, I just finshed the first volume
of Carla Speed McNeil's comic Finder.
James Nicoll
Konrad Gaertner <kgae...@tx.rr.com> wrote:
>Howard Brazee wrote:
>>
>> What's rarer is successful families.
>
>Erikson's Malazan series often focusses on familial relationships, but
>I wouldn't call any of them healthy much less successful. And I didn't
>mention this earlier because we never both parents together (usually
>because at least one is dead). Oh wait, there was one couple who did
>get together at the end of one book (and may play a large role in the
>next), but they're not people; they're a pair of wolves that somehow
>ended up in the pantheon.
>
>And speaking of messed up families, I just finshed the first volume
>of Carla Speed McNeil's comic Finder.
KJ Parker seems to enjoy showing relationships that have
gone horribly wrong, usually from the best of intentions.
--
http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll
http://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll (For all your "The problem with
defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Hmm. I certainly thought they appeared headed there.. (Although I almost
didn't read the next book since the first one ended being a downer for
everyone involved).
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
William George Ferguson <wmgf...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>
>
>On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:51:19 GMT, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan
><tednolan>) wrote:
>
>>In article <87y78os...@speakeasy.net>,
>>Elf M. Sternberg <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>William George Ferguson <wmgf...@newsguy.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> To be fair, I don't think either Magiere and Leesil or Betsy and Eric have
>>>> quite reached 'successful' yet. Both couples are still a work in progress
>>>> (which is a big running thread in the Dhampir books, and the primary plot
>>>> in the Queen Betsy books).
>>>
>>> See, now I feel guilty. I spent the entire last weekend with
>>>the writers of the Dhampir series and I haven't even read their first
>>>book yet. Now I have to.
>>>
>>> Elf
>>>
>>>--
>>>Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988
>>
>>While the 'A' couple have their problems, I think the 'B' "romance" is
>>actually more intersting.
>>
>> Ted
>
>Wynn and Chane? Interesting in the sense that a train wreck is
>interesting? Compared to them, Buffy and Angel (or Buffy and Spike) are
>perfect, simple, and everlasting pairings.
>
>Magiere should just chop off Chane's head. Oh wait...
>
Yeah although the Elf guy is in the mix now too. The POV of the books
is that the vampires are not automatically evil. Chane may have gone
too far to reform however.
David Johnston
<e...@speakeasy.net> wrote:
>Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
>single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
>Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
>forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
>affection.
>
>Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>role throughout the series?
"In Death" Although in the first couple of books the spouse-to-be is
the suspect.
David E. Siegel
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> series.")
>
>
However, i think I could make a case for _Shards of Honor_ and
Barrayar_ constituting a series, and Aral and Cordelia are pretty
clearly co-protagonists (as well as being recurring and significant
supporting characters in the books with Miles as a protagonist).
Dag and Fern in Bujold's Sharing Knife series fit the bill pretty
well, i think.
As mentioned above, most series focus on a single protagonist. I'd
like to broaden the inquiry to series that focus on multiple co-
protagonists that are clearly co-protags, not hero and side-kick. I
offer as an initial example Leary and Mundy in David Drake's RCN
series. A partial example (co-protag does not enter until the 2nd
book, IIRC) Moon's "Vatta's War" series.
-DES
David E. Siegel
> On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:56:13 -0600, Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
> wrote:
>
> >I suppose the ending of _Denner's Wreck_ has a happy couple.
>
> No, it doesn't -- that's clearly going to be a brief, messy, but
> extremely entertaining fling that'll probably end badly.
>
> Now, the end of _The Chromosomal Code_, on the other hand...
>
> I generally like ending stories with the hero getting the girl (or
> guy); I don't do it all the time, but there are several other examples
> in my work.
>
> Writing a follow-up where they're married is less common, but I've
> certainly done that, too. I'm a bit surprised that Valder and Irith
> got a mention, but not (so far as I've yet seen) Tobas, Alorria, and
> Karanissa.
>
> --
> The seventh issue of Helix is now at http://www.helixsf.com
Well, the OP asked for "couples" and they are clearly a trio. But they
are more onstage and central in later books than Valder and Irith
are.
-DES
Gene Ward Smith
news:9a9gt39jj6vmp2ep3...@4ax.com:
> "In Death" Although in the first couple of books the spouse-to-be is
> the suspect.
>
Just the first one, and that wasn't much of a suspicion. In the second one,
there were some questions about his business relationship with the victim and
his ownership of a casino.
BP
DeLaney) wrote:
>The Zakour / & Ganem <haircolor> detective books - the detective is quite
>married, to someone at least as dangerous as Slippery Jim's wife.
Married? ISTR a weird girlfriend who showed up occasionally to give
him grief in the two that I read, but no wife. Did they later marry? I
found her mostly just annoying. (Just to confirm, you are talking
about _Plutonium Blonde_, _<adjective> Redhead, etc, right?)
BP
BP
<sie...@acm.org> wrote:
>As mentioned above, most series focus on a single protagonist. I'd
>like to broaden the inquiry to series that focus on multiple co-
>protagonists that are clearly co-protags, not hero and side-kick. I
>offer as an initial example Leary and Mundy in David Drake's RCN
>series.
Really? My impression (I think I have read three of these so far) was
that Leary was pretty clearly the hero, and Mundy the sidekick.
BP
David E. Siegel
I read it as an attempt to have two characters that are providing
quite differeent skills and values to an effective partnership. Since
Drake explicitly credits the Patrick O'Brian Aubry/Matruin novels as
his model here, I suspect that is what he intended. In the FAQ on his
web site (http://www.david-drake.com/faq.html), he says
"I'd been thinking of doing a series of space operas based on Patrick
O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, so I decided to use this novella [A
Grand Tour] as a chance to test the concept of two dissimilar friends
as dual leads. . . . I was pleased with the way A Grand Tour worked
out, but I felt it needed the length of a full novel to do the concept
justice. I used a similar pairing (a young naval officer and a
librarian) in With the Lightnings--not at all the same characters but
the same sort of characters--and think the result is some of the best
work I've ever done."
Whether he achieved this stated goal could be debated -- I think he
did.
-DES
David Johnston
Well he's the guy with the rank. But really Mundy is of at least
equal importance as a protagonist.
David E. Siegel
Exactly. Furthermore, while he has the rank, she has the connetions
with the republic's intelligence service that often save him from his
surperiors.
-DES
Igor Khavkine
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
I will second Andrew Plotkin's naming of The Stainless Steel Rat
series by Harry Harrison.
Igor
Walter Bushell
BP <re...@newsgroup.please> wrote:
Cordelia and Aral in the Vor 'verse. Kou and Kou also. The couple
Ekaterin Vorsoisson lived with the Vorthys, after her husband's death.
--
What is done in the heat of battle is (normatively) judged
by different standards than what is leisurely planned in
comfortable conference rooms.
David DeLaney
That series, yes. Lemme double-check, the latest one's on top of my T-Z Read
pile... ... ok, no it's not, apparently I finished it before separating my
read books into piles. dig dig dig
Okay, you are correct - in Frost-Haired Vixen they are engaged; in the latest,
Blue-Haired Bombshell, he refers to her as his girlfriend early on. So not
married yet. (Her name's Electra.)
Taki Kogoma
allegedly proclaimed to rec.arts.sf.written:
> In article <o4ogt3hqu8kmk094n...@4ax.com>,
> BP <re...@newsgroup.please> wrote:
>> On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:32:25 -0700 (PDT), "David E. Siegel"
>> <sie...@acm.org> wrote:
>> >As mentioned above, most series focus on a single protagonist. I'd
>> >like to broaden the inquiry to series that focus on multiple co-
>> >protagonists that are clearly co-protags, not hero and side-kick. I
>> >offer as an initial example Leary and Mundy in David Drake's RCN
>> >series.
>>
>> Really? My impression (I think I have read three of these so far) was
>> that Leary was pretty clearly the hero, and Mundy the sidekick.
>
Cordelia is clarly the protagonist in her books; what we see of
Aral is only connected to what she's doing/thinking.
> Kou and Kou also.
I presume you're talking about Clement "Kou" Koudelka, and Ludmilla
"Drou" Droushnakovi? Supporting characters, nowhere near "protagonist"
level.
>The couple
> Ekaterin Vorsoisson lived with the Vorthys, after her husband's death.
Lord Auditor Vorthys and Professora Vorthys are also supporting
characters, even more so than than Clan Koudelka. (At least Kareen
gets narrative focus in _A Civil Campaign_.)
--
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk (Known to some as Taki Kogoma) quirk @ swcp.com
Just an article detector on the Information Supercollider.
Mark Zenier
>single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
>Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
>forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
>affection.
>
>I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>series.")
Nobody seems to have mentioned John Barnes' various couples.
Some more successful than others.
Mark Zenier mze...@eskimo.com
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)
William George Ferguson
<sie...@acm.org> wrote:
>On Mar 12, 8:32 pm, David Johnston <da...@block.net> wrote:
>> On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:01:59 -0500, BP <re...@newsgroup.please> wrote:
>> >On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:32:25 -0700 (PDT), "David E. Siegel"
>> ><sie...@acm.org> wrote:
>>
>> >>As mentioned above, most series focus on a single protagonist. I'd
>> >>like to broaden the inquiry to series that focus on multiple co-
>> >>protagonists that are clearly co-protags, not hero and side-kick. I
>> >>offer as an initial example Leary and Mundy in David Drake's RCN
>> >>series.
>>
>> >Really? My impression (I think I have read three of these so far) was
>> >that Leary was pretty clearly the hero, and Mundy the sidekick.
>>
>> Well he's the guy with the rank. But really Mundy is of at least
>> equal importance as a protagonist.
>
>Exactly. Furthermore, while he has the rank, she has the connetions
>with the republic's intelligence service that often save him from his
>surperiors.
Well, the rank (and/or power or ability) isn't neccesarily the decider on
who is the protagonist. To me, the clearest indicator that they are
co-protagonists is that Drake gives them an equal level of independent POV
time, and splits the POV time between them when they are together. In
every book so far, we've had a Leary thread (aided and abetted by Mundy)
and a Mundy thread (which is frequently Not aided and abetted by Leary).
Mundy clearly considers Leary the hero and herself the sidekick, but the
author equally clearly considers them co-heroes.
Blue Tyson
> Eddie and Susannah Dean in the King's Dark Tower series.
>
> One of my favorite couples is in a vampire fantasy series by Barbara Hambly.
> James and Lydia Asher.
>
> Those Who Hunt The Night
> Travelling With The Dead
>
> --
> Dennis/Endyhttp://home.comcast.net/~endymion91/
> ~I was born to rock the boat. Some will sink but we will float.
> Grab your coat. Let's get out of here.
> You're my witness. I'm your Mutineer~ - Warren Zevon
> - -
Simon R. Green's Hawk and Fisher, if you want to include fantasy
types, too.
Blue Tyson
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
>
Married for various parts
Perry Rhodan
Interplanetary Huntress
How about more than one spouse? Melissa Scott's Five Twelfths of
Heaven, etc.
> --
> Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988http://www.pendorwright.com/
>
> Elf's latest stories are available in paperback! Buy
> the genderbending novel _Sterlings_, available
> now fromhttp://stores.lulu.com/elfsternberg
Blue Tyson
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
> Elf
>
There's one horribly incredibly obvious one (other than the FF, that
is), although probably not what you are after, that no one has
mentioned.
_Star Wars_
Par
> One of my favorite couples is in a vampire fantasy series by Barbara Hambly.
> James and Lydia Asher.
>
> Those Who Hunt The Night
> Travelling With The Dead
If we are talking about Hambly don't forget Starhawk and Sun Wolf, nor
Ingold and Gil in the Darwath books. Joanna and Antryg, at least when
something does not place them in separate universes.
Hmm, is Hambly very focussed on succesfull couples? Not conventional,
but definitely not even remotely in the plate-throwing style. And often
male wizzard (older) and younger resourceful girl.
/Par
--
Par use...@hunter-gatherer.org
"I'm gonna go home next weekend and end up envisioning all the local
rednecks in the lastest goth fasions... black overalls, black baseball
caps with glow-in-the-dark John Deere logos, etc." -- Kendall Libby
mimus
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
Ron Goulart's "Odd Jobs, Inc." series, about a couple who work as a
highly-expensive last-resort no-one-else-will-touch-it detective-agency . . . .
--
Since when is a mechanical cow an act of God?
< Goulart
Johnny1a
> Writing a follow-up where they're married is less common, but I've
> certainly done that, too. I'm a bit surprised that Valder and Irith
> got a mention, but not (so far as I've yet seen) Tobas, Alorria, and
> Karanissa.
>
An semi-topical example from film that I liked, in _The Mummy
Returns_, the characters of Rick and Evie from the first Mummy movie
(the modern movies, not the old ones) were married and had a child,
and were portrayed as a successful couple.
Steven L.
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
In Adventure Comics, a few of the Legion of Super-Heroes married each other:
Lightning Lad became engaged to Saturn Girl, and I believe they
eventually got married.
Karate Kid married Queen Projectra (formerly Princess Projectra).
--
Steven L.
Email: sdli...@earthlinkNOSPAM.net
Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
Kurt Busiek
Bouncing Boy married Duo Damsel, in a fit of fanboy wish fulfilment...
kdb
Blue Tyson
If you want to go that far comics - the X-Men, the Avengers
(multiple), etc.
Howard Brazee
<sdli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>> series.")
>
>In Adventure Comics, a few of the Legion of Super-Heroes married each other:
>
>Lightning Lad became engaged to Saturn Girl, and I believe they
>eventually got married.
>
>Karate Kid married Queen Projectra (formerly Princess Projectra).
As long as we're going comics - why not include _The Incredibles_ as
well?
Kurt Busiek
Because they're movie characters?
But sure, if you're looking for couples in SF, they'd count, along with
John and Maureen Robinson, Gomez and Morticia Addams, Herman and Lily
Munster, and maybe Steve and Josie Stronghold, if you don't demand that
"protagonist" refer to the primary lead...
kdb
Kurt Busiek
Whoops. Just thought of a reason to disqualify the Incredibles and the
Strongholds. Unless you count licensing spinoffs and the like, they're
not series characters. One movie each, so far.
kdb
Sea Wasp
And IIRC KK then got killed by Nemesis Kid, who was then SCHOOLED TO
DEATH by Projectra in one of the single greatest sequences of AWESOME
ever written in comic history.
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Live Journal: http://seawasp.livejournal.com
Howard Brazee
wrote:
>> As long as we're going comics - why not include _The Incredibles_ as
>> well?
>
>Because they're movie characters?
>
>But sure, if you're looking for couples in SF, they'd count, along with
>John and Maureen Robinson, Gomez and Morticia Addams, Herman and Lily
>Munster, and maybe Steve and Josie Stronghold, if you don't demand that
>"protagonist" refer to the primary lead...
I figure movies and comics are both "not books", except I like movies
much more than comics.
Kurt Busiek
Comics are not-prose, at least, but are no more not-books than prose
fiction. Sometimes they come in the form of books, sometimes not.
kdb
William December Starr
Sea Wasp <seawasp...@sgeObviousinc.com> said:
> Steven L. wrote:
>
>> Karate Kid married Queen Projectra (formerly Princess Projectra).
>
> And IIRC KK then got killed by Nemesis Kid, who was then SCHOOLED
> TO DEATH by Projectra in one of the single greatest sequences of
> AWESOME ever written in comic history.
While I certainly stipulate that it's possible to kill someone with
illusions, I have to ask how she did it awesomely.
Or did she eschew using her particular super-powers and just nut-kick
the bastard into orbit?
--
William December Starr <wds...@panix.com>
raymond larsson
<spoiler>
NK was immune to her power, so she just broke his neck. She was married
to the universe's greatest martial artist.
--
rgl or was that marital artist?
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Which puzzles me and disappoints me. The best superhero movie ever made
and all the _other_ stuff gets sequels.
Ted
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
Blue Tyson
> On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:26:29 -0700, Kurt Busiek <k...@busiek.comics>
However, on the couples-in-comics front, the Fantastic Four, the X-
Men, the Avengers etc., all have been in several novels.
Sea Wasp
S
p
i
i
l
e
r
s
a
w
a
y
!
Nemesis Kid's power was to gain whatever power he needed to negate
your own power. So her illusions were, of course, useless against her.
However, she was a warrior queen of a warrior people. She also had
combat training, and had been married to Karate Kid for some time.
This wasn't her POWER, so the Nemesis Power had no effect on it.
And, of course, as NK didn't have additional special powers of his
own... she beat the living hell out of him, and then snapped his neck
like a rotten twig.
And not one of the Legion dared say anything about it.
23vl
> Most of the popular SF action/adventure series seem to focus on a
> single protagonist: Miles Vorkosigan, Lucky Starr, Honor Harrington,
> Kris Longknife, Bill the Galactic Hero, Dr. Peter Conway, and so
> forth. Rarely do these characters suffer the distraction of love and
> affection.
>
> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> series.")
>
>
> --
> Elf M. Sternberg, Immanentizing the Eschaton since 1988http://www.pendorwright.com/
>
> Elf's latest stories are available in paperback! Buy
> the genderbending novel _Sterlings_, available
> now fromhttp://stores.lulu.com/elfsternberg
marrying and working together in the later books, but I cant remember
the name.It was great, but I read it a long time ago.
Han and Leia Solo in most of the SW EU,but does that fit the
criteria? Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker could fit the requirements.
What about Aral and Cordelia from the early ''Vorkoseigan" books-they
were a couple,and both characters plaid important roles on their own
and supported each other when faced with a major crisis.
.
Sea Wasp
Sea Wasp wrote:
>
> S
>
>
> p
>
> i
>
> i
>
> l
>
> e
>
> r
>
> s
>
>
> a
> w
> a
> y
>
> !
>
>
> Nemesis Kid's power was to gain whatever power he needed to negate
> your own power. So her illusions were, of course, useless against her.
^^^
I meant, of course, "...useless against HIM", i.e., her illusion
power would not work on Nemesis Kid.
David DeLaney
>On Mar 11, 4:35 pm, Elf M. Sternberg <e...@speakeasy.net> wrote:
>> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>> series.")
>There was a series by F. M. Busby with two of the main characters
>marrying and working together in the later books, but I cant remember
>the name.It was great, but I read it a long time ago.
That would almost certainly be the Rissa Kerguelen series, with Bran Tregare
as the featured husband: Young Rissa, Rissa and Tregare, The Long View, Star
Rebel, Rebel's Quest, The Alien Debt, Rebel's Seed, Zelde M'Tana.
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
James Nicoll
Generally NK's power picked whatever ability was needed to
defeat his opponent (with "run away from" counted as a subset of
"defeat"), not whatever would negate his enemy's power. Apparently it
couldn't recognize Projectra's use of illusions as a feint or adjust
once she began pounding NK.
--
http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll
http://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll (For all your "The problem with
defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)
Sea Wasp
Possibly; that's certainly one reasonable explanation. My perception
of NK's power (probably with much less knowledge than you have) was
that it was a POWER-countering power. And unlike KK's supernal talent
at combat which surpassed anything normal beings could manage,
Projectra was just a normal badass, so to speak -- a Punisher type --
who had only one power that NK's power could detect and work on. And
unfortunately for NK, he'd never HAD to train up much compared to
someone like Projectra.
(Legion books have always been fuzzy, to say the least, about what
qualifies as a "Power" and what doesn't)
James Nicoll
Sea Wasp <seawasp...@sgeObviousinc.com> wrote:
>
> Possibly; that's certainly one reasonable explanation. My perception
>of NK's power (probably with much less knowledge than you have) was
>that it was a POWER-countering power.
Except he could use it to take robots apart in combat.
I think the limitations (judging from how it got used) were
that he could only get physical powers [1] and that whatever he was
facing had to have a mind behind it for the power to work. This is
why he could trash a robot but not break out of a prison cell.
1: At least, I don't recall him ever gaining super-intelligence as an
adaptation. It would have been funny if he had and while he had it he
realized that he had wasted his entire life to date on account of being
an idiot.
Speaking of idiots with gross powers, Duplicate Boy probably could only
duplicate physical powers, too.
Howard Brazee
<tednolan>) wrote:
>>Whoops. Just thought of a reason to disqualify the Incredibles and the
>>Strongholds. Unless you count licensing spinoffs and the like, they're
>>not series characters. One movie each, so far.
>>
>>kdb
>>
>
>Which puzzles me and disappoints me. The best superhero movie ever made
>and all the _other_ stuff gets sequels.
When a story is done right - it doesn't *need* sequels.
Sea Wasp
When a story is done right, and there's anything left to DO, there
should BE sequels. Of equal quality.
There are some stories which may not leave much room for sequels;
superhero and/or super agent stories are definitely not in that category.
Wayne Throop
:: The best superhero movie ever made
:: and all the _other_ stuff gets sequels.
: Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
: When a story is done right - it doesn't *need* sequels.
Need has little to do with it. Lilo and Stitch, for example,
needed no sequels whatsoever. But it got 'em.
"What a waste. I can't do anything more to help you.
I'm not Wonder Woman, you know."
--- Principal Powers
Wayne Throop thr...@sheol.org http://sheol.org/throopw
Kurt Busiek
> :: t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
> :: The best superhero movie ever made
> :: and all the _other_ stuff gets sequels.
>
> : Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
> : When a story is done right - it doesn't *need* sequels.
>
> Need has little to do with it. Lilo and Stitch, for example,
> needed no sequels whatsoever. But it got 'em.
Technically, I suppose, "Jack-Jack Attack" is a sequel. And there's a
videogame, too.
Brad Bird has said he'd like to do a sequel, but Pixar isn't wild about
doing sequels unless they can do one that's really good (see: Toy Story
II), and he's not sure he could convince them. Which sounds like he
doesn't think he has a good enough story to tell.
If so, then I'm all for waiting 'til he does...
kdb
Mike Stone
> <sdli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
> >> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
> >> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
> >> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
> >> series.")
> >
Doc Smith did at least two, Richard and Doothy Seaton in the Skylark series,
and Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougall in the Lensmen.
--
Mike Stone - Peterborough, England
Always drink upriver from the herd (song title)
Sea Wasp
Part of the reason for no sequel from Pixar originally was that, at
the time of The Incredibles, relations between Pixar and Disney were
becoming VERY strained; they had a deal for X films, but sequels
didn't count towards that number (so, from the point of view of
earning out their contractual obligations, Toy Story II wasn't of any
use), and Disney was insisting on more rights/power than Pixar thought
they should have.
I think there's adequate fodder in the genres for a couple more
movies. Were I doing it, I wouldn't have Syndrome return until the
third movie, just to mix things up. (and yes, I can explain his survival)
Peter Bruells
[Hypothetical? "The Incredibles sequels]
>
> I think there's adequate fodder in the genres for a couple
> more movies. Were I doing it, I wouldn't have Syndrome return until
> the third movie, just to mix things up. (and yes, I can explain his
> survival)
He went into the cape force?
Kurt Busiek
> Kurt Busiek wrote:
>> On 2008-03-23 19:02:01 -0700, thr...@sheol.org (Wayne Throop) said:
>>
>>> :: t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
>>> :: The best superhero movie ever made
>>> :: and all the _other_ stuff gets sequels.
>>>
>>> : Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net>
>>> : When a story is done right - it doesn't *need* sequels.
>>>
>>> Need has little to do with it. Lilo and Stitch, for example,
>>> needed no sequels whatsoever. But it got 'em.
>>
>>
>> Technically, I suppose, "Jack-Jack Attack" is a sequel. And there's a
>> videogame, too.
>>
>> Brad Bird has said he'd like to do a sequel, but Pixar isn't wild about
>> doing sequels unless they can do one that's really good (see: Toy Story
>> II), and he's not sure he could convince them. Which sounds like he
>> doesn't think he has a good enough story to tell.
>>
>> If so, then I'm all for waiting 'til he does...
>
> Part of the reason for no sequel from Pixar originally was that, at
> the time of The Incredibles, relations between Pixar and Disney were
> becoming VERY strained; they had a deal for X films, but sequels didn't
> count towards that number (so, from the point of view of earning out
> their contractual obligations, Toy Story II wasn't of any use), and
> Disney was insisting on more rights/power than Pixar thought they
> should have.
Yeah, that was the case at the time, but it'snot why there's no sequel now.
> I think there's adequate fodder in the genres for a couple more movies.
> Were I doing it, I wouldn't have Syndrome return until the third movie,
> just to mix things up. (and yes, I can explain his survival)
Adequate fodder in the genre means more superhero adventures, and yeah,
as we've seen in countless superhero series, you can always have
another adventure.
Having another good adventure that says something about family and
feels like a step forward for the characters instead of just more
action is trickier. I'm sure tht can be done, too, but I'm all for
waiting for Bird's story rather than someone else's.
I mean, there's adequate fodder for follow-up adventures to THE LITTLE
MERMAID, but the ones they did sucked moose cheese through a straw.
Were it up to me, though, I wouldn't bring Syndrome back. He's so tied
in with the "if everyone's treated as special nobody is" theme that the
first story was built around; I'd rather see the next theme, not the
return of one that was already resolved well.
kdb
Lawrence Watt-Evans
wrote:
>Having another good adventure that says something about family and
>feels like a step forward for the characters instead of just more
>action is trickier. I'm sure tht can be done, too, but I'm all for
>waiting for Bird's story rather than someone else's.
>
>Were it up to me, though, I wouldn't bring Syndrome back. He's so tied
>in with the "if everyone's treated as special nobody is" theme that the
>first story was built around; I'd rather see the next theme, not the
>return of one that was already resolved well.
Seems to me that they've pretty much resolved the Incredibles'
marriage, so the next story should center more on the kids.
(Yes, I know the kids had their own stories in the first movie, and
very good stories they were, but Mr. Incredible's midlife crisis was
the core story.)
--
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com
The seventh issue of Helix is now at http://www.helixsf.com
Brion K. Lienhart
>> On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:14:57 -0400, "Steven L."
>> <sdli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>>> Are there any SF series (popularity not necessarily a criteria, but
>>>> I'd like something with marketability) which features a married
>>>> protagonist, one whose spouse plays a regular and major supporting
>>>> role throughout the series? (Diplomatic Immunity does not count as "a
>>>> series.")
>
>
>
> Doc Smith did at least two, Richard and Doothy Seaton in the Skylark series,
> and Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougall in the Lensmen.
Don't forget Martin & Dorothy Crane from Skylark. And ISTR that their
Japanese servant/assistant got married later on too. Kunark(?) and his
various wives also.
tphile
In that case, Kurt
why isn't Pixar and/or Bird working on Astro City The Movie?
Dammit, I want to see that one on a big screen.
If a Naked City can have a thousand stories to tell, surely they can
come up with a couple of good AC superhero ones?
tphile