Talk:Otherland

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Contents 1 Temp in-progess version 2 Just me 3 It has been a while since I've read Otherland 4 Realistic? 5 What is this?

[edit] Temp in-progess version

I'm working on a more thorough version of this article on my scratchpad, see User:Hooloovoo/Otherland for the work in progress. --Hooloovoo 23:45, 2 Oct 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Just me

Is it just me or does the plotline of the .Hack series of anime/games/manga sopund awfully similar to Otherland's plot? --Kross 07:40, Apr 22, 2005 (UTC)

The chronology is wrong; besides, the idea of being trapped in a virtual world is positively antique. --maru 21:10, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I saw the resemblance, too. And what do you mean by "the chronology is wrong", exactly? Just wondering. The idea of being trapped in a virtual world "positively antique", though? Excuse me? I seriously doubt there was much science fiction involving computers before the 20th century, let alone ones advanced enough to have internet (which probably wasn't concieved of before the 20th century and certainly had little chance of having reached the public imagination before computers did) please correct me if I'm wrong. Themes get repeated a lot, but this one is comparitively new due to the proposed technology (you do say "virtual world" which implies advanced virtual reality computers, presumably extrapolated from the still-advancing digital computers of today, as opposed to analog machines) required. I'll freely admit that the idea of being a "stranger in a strange land" trapped and unable to escape probably has considerable precedent for hundreds if not thousands of years (I wouldn't know, I've never tried to research the oldest story in that vein before), but the twist of it being a computerized world can't possbily be older than the earliest research into the creation of the computing machines that led to today's modern computers. So agian - what on Earth do you mean by "postively antique"? I'm trying to assume good faith here, but that verges on sounding insulting to the entire subgenre of SF stories that make use of this theme (after all, antique computers are practically worthless except as objects of interest). I just hope this connotation is completely unintentional, is all I'm saying.

In any case, I was really surprised to see there WASN'T a mention of .hack//SIGN (the version of .hack I know of that includes that specific subplot of being trapped in the World) here, considering that usually articles for such things do list notable instances where they share themes with other popular stories - this would seem to fit the bill, and despite your dismissive tone, Maru, the fact is it is a comparitively rare subgenre, as even series that include virtual reality (see for instance Reality Check (manga)), which are only nowadays really getting popular it seems, don't always include the part about being trapped in it. Your tone says "don't even bother to mention it", but my head says "there's no reason not to mention it". Do you just not like .hack//SIGN? Well, I don't care much for the series either (it's too long and drawn out and frankly, bores me to tears, I gave up after only a few episodes), but the fact is I would still think it could and perhaps should be included as a brief mention because of the similar theme. After all, we do it for fairy tales and just about anything else. Runa27 21:35, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] It has been a while since I've read Otherland

But isn't Sam Fredericks' first name Salome? Not Samantha? I don't have the books on me to check, so I won't edit the article until I'm certain. --Talyma 02:06, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

I thought it was Sam, for what it is worth. It's been a while for me, too. --Maru (talk) 17:57, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

You're right Maru, the name is Sam for what it is worth. I'm pretty sure her full first name is Salome, not Samantha. I'll find out soon (reading the novels again atm). Amperehelion 04:57, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Realistic?

Removed the section, "that paints a realistic picture of what our society may look like in the near future" as it is simply PoV. The books are fantasy hence being realistic is an oxymoron. Candy 04:03, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

The books aren't fantasy, they're science fiction. ;o)

But you're right, it certainly is POV. Changing to "a credible or believable picture" might be more acceptable - and accurate. --dllu 22:05, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What is this?

At my local library, they seemingly have a series of 5 books, titled Otherland 1-5. "Universe on the Side", "The Other Land", "The City of Golden Shadows", "The River of Blue Fire" and "False Gods". All at around 200 pages. However, from what I read on other sites, the Otherland 1-4 detailed here are each 1000+ pages. It would seem these 5 books are just "The City of Golden Shadows", ie Otherland 1, split up into 5 volumes. So, am I correct in assuming that these 5 books are really just the first part of the Otherland quartology? And if so, how come book 4 in this quintology shares name with book 2 in the quartology? Confusing, no?

Source: https://www.genvej.gentofte.bibnet.dk/sites/XBS/pub/search.html# (Search for "Otherland") -85.24.87.178 (talk) 03:48, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, you must have found a very annoying hole in a system....The 3 otherland books I've so far read are around 500-700pages, and "Blue Fire" is one book.....and I've never heard of "False Gods"......who knows?.......(Beau)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Arothus (talk • contribs) 22:02, 5 June 2008 (UTC)