Firefly kudos in New Scientist

POSTED BY: hughff
UPDATED: Sunday, April 6, 2008 16:03
VIEWED: 2915
PAGE 1 of 1

HUGHFF

Friday, April 4, 2008 1:49 AM

In the March 29 2008 issue of New Scientist, there's a 3000 word article on how English is evolving. (It's not available online.) From a professional standpoint I found it interesting and illuminating without being ground-breaking.

From a browncoat point of view, I loved it. There's a drop-out item called "The ghosts of English future" on the last page. This acknowledges a number of sf writers who've made suggestions about future English. The usual suspects are there (Wells, Huxley, Orwell, Burgess, Hoban) along with a couple of others to show diversity (Kornbluth, David Mitchell.) Then there's this "little" sentence.

Quote:

But perhaps the realism prize should go to Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the director of the cult TV show Firefly, a space western set 510 years in the future where everyone speaks a slangy form of English - and perfect Mandarin Chinese.

I could quibble about at least three claims in that sentence but that would only take some of the shininess off it. And it's very shiny indeed.

www.cpfc.org - my life

FLORALBUNNY

Friday, April 4, 2008 2:32 AM

Shiny, indeed!
Thanks for this, hughff. I need to find the hard copy somewhere. I've been around long enough by now to notice changes in the language and am interested in what "real" students of the issue have to say about it.

bun
Frisky Browncoat
me and him went into reaver space

OUT2THEBLACK

Friday, April 4, 2008 3:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by hughff:
In the March 29 2008 issue of New Scientist, there's a 3000 word article on how English is evolving. (It's not available online.) From a professional standpoint I found it interesting and illuminating without being ground-breaking.

Aw , Crikey ! NOT available Online ? You've gotta be kidding me !

They've got Rutting Monkeys fer cryin' out loud , but no FIREFLY ?

What's wrong with these RUTTING SCIENTISTS ? They've got their priorities seriously Out Of Order...

Wacky Fun ! Though perhaps NSFW !
(Not safe for Work)

I especially like the swanky , though cliche'd , music , that accompanies the video !

HUGHFF

Friday, April 4, 2008 4:58 AM

I'm not being entirely honest. The start of the article is here:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726491.300-how-global-success-
is-changing-english-forever.html
but you have to subscribe to read the whole thing.

It's cheaper just to pop down to the library.

www.cpfc.org - my life

ANNUETTE

Sunday, April 6, 2008 12:08 PM

I have the paper if anyone wants a copy? I subscibe to it.

CAPTAINCOUPI

Sunday, April 6, 2008 4:03 PM

I e-mailed Michael Erard, the author a few days ago to say thanks for the mention and to invite him over to chat at the Uni-HD boards if he wanted. Got a reply too:

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the really great note! I'll definitely drop by. Encourage the Browncoats to write a note to the New Scientist with your appreciation.

best,
Michael

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