Question about cyberpunk slang and handling

[Rets Nimle]

I'm working on a story set in the Shadowrun universe, now for people who most likely aren't familiar with the universe, it's cyberpunk meets fantasy. Virtual realities are real, but so are magic, trolls, elves and dragons.

The universe already have an extensive collection of slang, and I intend to use it, no problem in that. However, how should I go about giving the true meaning to people who are not familiar with the universe?

There being hundreds of small meanings and phrasing. For example a Mechanic is not someone who repairs vehicles, which would be a Motorhead, but instead someone who kills runners who's been on a mission, and makes sure there is no trace of that mission.

The solution I'm considering is making these words italic, and providing a link to a glossary with Shadowslang, where it's easy to look up the word. However, I would like you guys' input on how to do this.

I mean, when the word geek suddenly means to kill someone, it could confuse a few people :)

[aub...@live.com]

I had the same kind of problem when I wrote Westerns filled with dialect. I tried to solve that problem with a glossary, but I think that did not do well. After a number of complaints and few readers, I gave up on the glossary and also gave up on much dialect. Now, if it's really necessary, I provide a translation immediately following the word in question and put the translation inside parentheses.

All I can add is to wish you good luck.

-- aubie56

[Deadly Ernest]

Damn Google gulp ate my reply.

Yes, you do need to give the meaning or people will stop reading it and not read your other stories, or they'll mark it down because they don't understand it. You can give a glossary, or the first time you use a word you can include the definition in brackets after it - the same way you do with an acronym etc. Smeg it (common swear phrase), if they don't get it after that.

Ernest

[Crumbly Writer]

Glossaries don't work for the same reason that prologues and section breaks and character lists don't, simply because most people can't be bothered reading things they decide aren't necessary. My rule on prologues is to supply additional information, but add nothing required to understand the story. However, I've also broken that rule a few times. Putting the definition in brackets sorta helps, but it's an awkward construct and will stop someone reading cold (since it's outside the natural narration of the story).

Probably the best (of all the poor options) is to include the definition into the dialogue. If you have an outsider, have him ask funny questions: "You're going to 'geek' Freddie? He's already a gook. Does that mean he'll become even geekier?" After you character does that a few time, someone will take pity on him and explain words whenever they see him furrowing his brows ("By Mechanic, we mean someone who cleans up the mess left over of a mission--usually by removing the participants." "Oh! I'd never have guessed that definition."). It can be a difficult getting used to doing that, but if handled well, and add a steady stream of humor into an otherwise serious drama.

I used that for a story where the main character was involved with an alien race. Since they couldn't communicate, and there was a lot of 'back story', I had him talk to himself so HE'd reveal what was going on by mumbling to himself. (It worked better than it sounds.)

[Deadly Ernest]

CW,

My experience has been a glossary or cast list works IF you list it as such and put it at the front. The readers won't read it up front, but will refer to it when they feel the need to. But then, some readers don't read everything on the page they're reading, anyway.

Ernest

[Mad Nige]

If you're posting in HTML, try using the HTML abbreviation tag, e.g.:

Can I get this <abbr title="as soon as possible">ASAP</abbr>?

-- this would show ASAP in the text, with a dotted underline, and when the reader hovers the mouse over it, they get a tooltip showing "as soon as possible"

This could be less intrusive than forcing the definition into the text at each first use, and could be repeated for the first use in each chapter without being annoyingly repetitive

[aub...@live.com]

Mad Nige,

This is a great idea, but will it work on SOL?

-- aubie56

[Switch Blayde]

I have no idea, but when it's a foreign language word the convention is to put it in italics. So italics might work, but that doesn't help with the definition.

Switch
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---

Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:08:52 -0700
From: retsni...@gmail.com
To: storie...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Question about cyberpunk slang and handling

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[Crumbly Writer]

Based on my experience, 20 to 25% of readers won't utilize those 'informational chapters' (cast lists, glossaries, prologues, etc.). However, my readers are used to my writing my now, and realize how important the prologue is, so my numbers are probably higher than they are in most cases.

I think the problem began over confusion between a prologue (where you explain details of the story) and a preface (where you describe what the writing of the story involved). Thus, when readers see a prologue, they think "I don't need to read that crap!".

Generally, certain genres allow to the use of certain tools (sci-fi almost expects prologues and epilogues, while historical fiction almost requires glossaries and timelines). Given that, I'd expect the real numbers (of those who won't read the informational chapters) to be closer to 30 to 40%. If you put a glossary in romance novel, don't expect many readers to get it.

Another approach I've seen is to include the glossary at the end of the chapter (or in printed books, supplying them in footnotes at the bottom of the page). That way, the reader doesn't have to open another window just to figure out what's going on. However, that's complicated online and in ebooks by independent pagination (i.e. page numbers vary by device, rather than on the story). That plays into another problem, where many readers don't trust anything that takes them out of the story (ex. active links that may take them to a malicious webpage).

But, I'd agree, if you think the story/genre will support it, I'd put the information chapters at the start of the story (on a webpage) or in an appendix that they can jump to easily at the end of an ebook or print book.


Mad Nige, thanks for that detail. I'd never used that html feature. I think I'll try it in the future, though I'll probably include it as an alternative, since certain websites (cough, cough, SOL) and print books don't support it.

[Tim Merrigan]

On 2015-08-27 10:08, Rets Nimle wrote:

I'm working on a story set in the Shadowrun universe, now for people who most likely aren't familiar with the universe, it's cyberpunk meets fantasy. Virtual realities are real, but so are magic, trolls, elves and dragons.

Hasn't that been done in a dead tree series set in Seattle.

The universe already have an extensive collection of slang, and I intend to use it, no problem in that. However, how should I go about giving the true meaning to people who are not familiar with the universe?

Cyberpunk has been around since the 1980s, at least, I suspect more people are familiar with the slang than you might think, though for many of them might think it archaic.

There being hundreds of small meanings and phrasing. For example a Mechanic is not someone who repairs vehicles, which would be a Motorhead, but instead someone who kills runners who's been on a mission, and makes sure there is no trace of that mission.

That sounds like it's an extension of "mechanic" as a euphemism for a hit man.  (See the 1972 Charles Bronson film "The Mechanic" remade in 2011 with Jason Statham.)

[Tim Merrigan]

In your example:  "Smeg (semen) it (common swear phrase)"

BTW what are your names for the following:

(parenthases), {braces}, [brackets], "quotation marks (quotes)", 'single quotation marks'?

I ask because you say "brackets" in your text, then use parentheses in your example.

[Deadly Ernest]

actually, Tim, I was using Smeg as a replacement for shit or fuck etc as used in Red Dwarf and has no relationship for semen. Also, that linkage in your post is the first I've seen of that, so either it's a regional usage or I don't read the right stories.

[Dickson McCunn]

I had always assumed that smeg as used in Red Dwarf was an abreviation of smegma. A writer's joke using an invented 'dirty' word which is derived from a real word that many people would consider 'dirty'.

[Deadly Ernest]

They actually spoke about it in an interview once, see this link at wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Red_Dwarf_concepts#Smeg

[Rets Nimle]

Thanks for all your replies.

I guess, I'll end up doing a chapter which is just a glossary, and then in each chapter I'll make a small blurb which contains any new words and their definition. Most likely throwing it in the start of the chapter, not the bottom.

@Tim: Yes there's been plenty of trees giving their lives for Shadowrun novels, it's after all a commercial Universe that has been around since '89. I reckon there is 60+ publicized books out there carrying the Shadowrun trademark. Hell there are new ones written every year.

And yes, cyberpunk has been around for a long time, and while a lot of the slang they use are comparable, I would not expect all who might take a look at my story to know everything. Especially if I post it on SOL, where an important slang; Johnson or Mr. Johnson will most likely take a whole other meaning for the reader.

@Crumbly: While your idea about such a character would work very well in some situation, I can unfortunately not use it early on in my story, since the protagonist is alone. And mumbling explanation of words that the character already knows would not really work.

@Tim & @Ernest on the smeg discussion: Thanks for just illustrating the need for a glossary, even if some people might not read it :)

If anyone is interested, here is a fairly complete list of Shadowslang (Be aware, there is no search box, so use your browser's Find function): http://www.intercom.net/user/logan1/glossary.htm