Knowledge

Profanity in science fiction

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states that there are no hard-and-fast rules for the use of profanity in SF stories, despite what may have been expected of writers in the past. The onus is squarely on the writer to determine how much profanity to use, to enquire as to each publisher's limits, and to think about the effect that the
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might find profane, and the notion that what non-humans and humans find to be profane may differ markedly. Card observes that human profanity encompasses words dealing with sexual intercourse and states that that tells one something about human beings. He proceeds to suggest that what aliens might
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opines that excessive profanity, as a part of naturalistic dialogue, "dulls much modern fiction and too many films" and states it to be a pitfall for novice writers, or for writers who never grow up, to fall into. He states that it is a "lazy copout that no longer frightens horses in the street,
435:: the ability to use profane dialogue, with words that would be immediately understood as synonymous with the real profanities that they stood in for, without falling foul of network censorship and broadcasting restrictions accompanying its original Sunday evening broadcast timeslot. 219:
merely annoys and ultimately bores an intelligent reader". He advises writers that "less is more", and that if it really is the right thing for a character to be "salty", it should be made clear to the reader why, observing as an example that in his science fiction novel
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find to be profane can be a useful tool for suggesting the alienness of a culture. The first example of this that he gives are alien cultures that have no trouble with words about sexual intercourse, but that find words to do with
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Battis has lot to say on Aeryn Sun's use of "frell" here, in terms of its status as a non-performative utterance, and the locutionary and perlocutionary power of the statement. For more detail, see pages 146 et seq. of Battis
250:), allow the show to use obscene and racialist dialogue that no real-life educated American adult would consider using the real-life equivalents of in polite company. She compares the racial hatred associated with the use of 571:, the people cannot directly curse there and any swear word is automatically being replaced with a similarly pronounced English word, whenever a person is trying to say it. Some of the most notable substitutions are: 256:(an utterance of which she states to have preceded and accompanied "every lynching of a black person in America") to the racial hatred of the Cylons, by the humans, that the use of such phrases as 98:
allowed the television series to get away with dialogue that would normally never have made it past broadcasting and network censorship. The words are respectively equivalent to
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as a "noble experiment" that "proved that euphemisms are often worse than the crudities that they replace", because they make the story look silly. In Card's opinion, such
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says "frell me dead!" as an exclamation of surprise, much as a real-world person would utter "well, fuck me!" or, indeed, "fuck me dead!" Battis also notes that
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in fiction in general, but has several unique aspects of its own, including the use of alien profanities (such as the alien expletive "shazbot!" from
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the profanity used by character Janice Tyne is a symptom of her fear and tension, caused by being burned out at age 27 and afraid of the future.
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do not work as profanities because they are not real, and are "just a futile attempt to give clean-cut stories some foul-mouthed action".
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use of profanity will have on the reader, both in perceiving the characters and in possibly being offended by the story as a whole.
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Card urges those writers who do decide to omit profanity from their stories to omit it completely. He regards the coinage of
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introduces multiple euphemistic wordplays on the real-world profanities. Since the show is set in the afterlife-analogue of
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series is "an indispensable part of the naturalistic tone that show strives to achieve", noting that it, and
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series. It has escaped, in both forms, from the series to a whole variety of other contexts, from a
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Wanda Raiford (2008). "Race, Robots, and the Law". In Donald M. Hassler; Clyde Wilcox (eds.).
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as being an alien loan-word originally meaning 'poison', but has been adopted by the game's
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indicates in the series. She also observes that several of the characters, including
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calls "pure genius", has also escaped its original context. Originally spelled
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replaces most of its characters' profanities with invented terms, mainly
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characterizes as "something truly amazing and subversive" and that
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briefly enjoyed popular usage outside of its television show.
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FutureSpeak: a fan's guide to the language of science fiction
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Profanity in SF also encompasses the idea of things that
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Similarly, invented expletives are used throughout the
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Wanda Raiford observes that the use of the nonce word
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mutters it, through other television shows including
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Also, 704: 702: 700: 698: 668: 666: 372:is the worst profanity in the galaxy. 458:novels before then, most notably the 7: 450:, in order to make it, literally, a 368:at one point mentions that the word 365:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 158:is liberally peppered with the word 308:franchise. This word is described 50:In his advice to other SF writers, 775:. Allen & Unwin. p. 175. 438:The producers re-spelled the word 354:is considered to be as obscene as 132:used a similar strategy, by using 25: 423:, for much the same reasons that 176:was introduced in the 1978 novel 32:(SF) shares all of the issues of 1290: 1289: 853:The Portable Writer's Conference 681:. Greenwood Press. p. 132. 118:in the series. In the episode " 903:, Enterprise Episodes, Season 2 825:"The F-word in Sci-Fi TV shows" 302:, the expletive popular in the 1228:Hypoalgesic effect of swearing 957:McCluskey, Jack (2020-01-29). 740:Roberta Rogow (1991). "TANJ". 454:; the word appears in several 148:, a phrase usually considered 62:("There Ain't No Justice") by 1: 928:. Hearst Communications Inc. 1262:Profanity in science fiction 918:Chris Talbott (2008-09-02). 673:Conley, Tim; Cain, Stephen; 550:. Other common insults are 295:Star Wars: Republic Commando 30:Profanity in science fiction 803:. I.B.Tauris. p. 145. 561:The 2016 comedic TV series 1347: 986:Minced oaths in literature 746:. Paragon House. pp.  646: 540:(possibly a truncation of 528:science fiction television 520:, to everyday spoken use. 179:Splinter of the Mind's Eye 1285: 1256:Profane Swearing Act 1694 200:, and the Corelian curse 197:Tales from Jabba's Palace 182:and subsequently used in 152:. Likewise, dialogue in 925:San Francisco Chronicle 829:forums.whirlpool.net.au 274:Star Trek: New Frontier 266:frakking toaster lovers 1331:Science fiction themes 1036:American Sign Language 855:. Quill Driver Books. 801:Investigating Farscape 611:, and the derivatives 413:were coined by writer 1208:Expletive attributive 771:Ruth Wajnryb (2005). 343:Star Trek: Enterprise 327:Fictional profanities 144:as a replacement for 110:and are used as both 1277:List of ethnic slurs 1213:Expletive infixation 468:cartoon strip where 446:Battlestar Galactica 420:Battlestar Galactica 386:Battlestar Galactica 380:As mentioned above, 292:The 2005 video game 235:Battlestar Galactica 155:Battlestar Galactica 70:simply do not work. 799:Jes Battis (2007). 546:) and its compound 499:The Big Bang Theory 1267:Scunthorpe problem 901:Ex Astris Scientia 773:Language Most Foul 675:Le Guin, Ursula K. 352:property ownership 1303: 1302: 1272:Seven dirty words 1177:Expletive deleted 887:978-1-57003-736-8 862:978-1-884956-57-7 810:978-1-84511-342-1 782:978-1-74114-776-6 757:978-1-55778-477-3 723:978-1-58297-103-2 688:978-0-313-33188-6 376:In other contexts 323:more believable. 271:In the series of 258:frakking toasters 170:expanded universe 16:(Redirected from 1338: 1293: 1292: 1250:Pardon my French 1223:Four-letter word 1101:Mandarin Chinese 1015: 1008: 1001: 992: 973: 972: 970: 969: 954: 948: 947: 940: 934: 933: 930:Associated Press 915: 904: 898: 892: 891: 873: 867: 866: 845: 839: 838: 836: 835: 821: 815: 814: 796: 787: 786: 768: 762: 761: 737: 728: 727: 710:Orson Scott Card 706: 693: 692: 670: 650: 518:Chasing Darkness 452:four-letter word 431:were coined for 409:, it along with 390: 134:Mandarin Chinese 122:", for example, 52:Orson Scott Card 39:Mork & Mindy 21: 1346: 1345: 1341: 1340: 1339: 1337: 1336: 1335: 1326:Self-censorship 1306: 1305: 1304: 1299: 1281: 1196: 1172:Broadcast delay 1155: 1024: 1019: 982: 977: 976: 967: 965: 956: 955: 951: 942: 941: 937: 917: 916: 907: 899: 895: 888: 875: 874: 870: 863: 847: 846: 842: 833: 831: 823: 822: 818: 811: 798: 797: 790: 783: 770: 769: 765: 758: 739: 738: 731: 724: 708: 707: 696: 689: 672: 671: 664: 659: 644: 641: 388: 378: 340:to be profane. 329: 120:Suns and Lovers 48: 46:Extent of usage 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1344: 1342: 1334: 1333: 1328: 1323: 1318: 1308: 1307: 1301: 1300: 1298: 1297: 1286: 1283: 1282: 1280: 1279: 1274: 1269: 1264: 1259: 1252: 1247: 1242: 1237: 1230: 1225: 1220: 1218:Fighting words 1215: 1210: 1204: 1202: 1198: 1197: 1195: 1194: 1189: 1184: 1179: 1174: 1169: 1163: 1161: 1157: 1156: 1154: 1153: 1148: 1143: 1138: 1133: 1128: 1123: 1118: 1113: 1108: 1103: 1098: 1093: 1088: 1083: 1078: 1073: 1068: 1063: 1058: 1053: 1048: 1043: 1038: 1032: 1030: 1026: 1025: 1020: 1018: 1017: 1010: 1003: 995: 989: 988: 981: 978: 975: 974: 949: 935: 905: 893: 886: 868: 861: 840: 816: 809: 788: 781: 763: 756: 729: 722: 694: 687: 661: 660: 658: 655: 654: 653: 640: 637: 564:The Good Place 415:Glen A. Larson 397:, a word that 377: 374: 333:alien cultures 328: 325: 314:special forces 244:racial epithet 209:Dark Empire II 47: 44: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1343: 1332: 1329: 1327: 1324: 1322: 1319: 1317: 1314: 1313: 1311: 1296: 1288: 1287: 1284: 1278: 1275: 1273: 1270: 1268: 1265: 1263: 1260: 1258: 1257: 1253: 1251: 1248: 1246: 1243: 1241: 1240:Maledictology 1238: 1236: 1235: 1231: 1229: 1226: 1224: 1221: 1219: 1216: 1214: 1211: 1209: 1206: 1205: 1203: 1199: 1193: 1190: 1188: 1185: 1183: 1180: 1178: 1175: 1173: 1170: 1168: 1165: 1164: 1162: 1158: 1152: 1149: 1147: 1144: 1142: 1139: 1137: 1134: 1132: 1129: 1127: 1124: 1122: 1121:Quebec French 1119: 1117: 1114: 1112: 1109: 1107: 1104: 1102: 1099: 1097: 1094: 1092: 1089: 1087: 1084: 1082: 1079: 1077: 1074: 1072: 1069: 1067: 1064: 1062: 1059: 1057: 1054: 1052: 1049: 1047: 1044: 1042: 1039: 1037: 1034: 1033: 1031: 1027: 1023: 1016: 1011: 1009: 1004: 1002: 997: 996: 993: 987: 984: 983: 979: 964: 960: 953: 950: 945: 939: 936: 931: 927: 926: 921: 914: 912: 910: 906: 902: 897: 894: 889: 883: 879: 872: 869: 864: 858: 854: 850: 844: 841: 830: 826: 820: 817: 812: 806: 802: 795: 793: 789: 784: 778: 774: 767: 764: 759: 753: 749: 745: 744: 736: 734: 730: 725: 719: 715: 711: 705: 703: 701: 699: 695: 690: 684: 680: 676: 669: 667: 663: 656: 649: 648: 643: 642: 638: 636: 634: 630: 626: 625: 620: 616: 615: 610: 606: 605: 600: 596: 595: 590: 586: 585: 580: 576: 575: 570: 566: 565: 559: 557: 553: 549: 545: 544: 539: 535: 534: 529: 526: 521: 519: 515: 511: 507: 506: 501: 500: 495: 494: 489: 488: 487:Veronica Mars 483: 482: 477: 476: 471: 467: 466: 461: 457: 456:Black Library 453: 449: 447: 441: 436: 434: 430: 426: 422: 421: 417:for the 1978 416: 412: 408: 404: 400: 396: 395: 387: 383: 375: 373: 371: 367: 366: 361: 360:Douglas Adams 357: 353: 349: 345: 344: 339: 334: 326: 324: 322: 318: 315: 311: 307: 306: 301: 297: 296: 290: 288: 284: 280: 276: 275: 269: 267: 263: 259: 255: 254: 249: 245: 241: 237: 236: 231: 230: 224: 222: 217: 213: 211: 210: 205: 204: 199: 198: 193: 189: 185: 181: 180: 175: 171: 169: 163: 161: 157: 156: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 130: 125: 121: 117: 113: 112:interjections 109: 108: 103: 102: 97: 96: 91: 87: 82: 80: 76: 71: 69: 65: 61: 56: 53: 45: 43: 41: 40: 35: 31: 27: 19: 1261: 1254: 1232: 1167:Bleep censor 966:. Retrieved 962: 952: 938: 923: 896: 877: 871: 852: 849:Parke Godwin 843: 832:. Retrieved 828: 819: 800: 772: 766: 742: 713: 678: 645: 628: 622: 619:motherforker 618: 614:motherfucker 612: 608: 602: 598: 592: 588: 582: 578: 572: 562: 560: 555: 551: 547: 541: 537: 531: 522: 517: 510:Robert Crais 503: 497: 491: 485: 479: 473: 463: 460:Ciaphas Cain 445: 439: 437: 432: 428: 424: 418: 410: 406: 399:Lee Goldberg 393: 385: 381: 379: 363: 341: 337: 332: 330: 317:protagonists 303: 299: 293: 291: 286: 282: 272: 270: 265: 262:Gaius Baltar 257: 251: 239: 233: 227: 225: 221:Limbo Search 220: 216:Parke Godwin 214: 207: 201: 195: 191: 187: 183: 177: 173: 167: 164: 159: 153: 145: 141: 127: 105: 99: 93: 89: 85: 83: 78: 74: 72: 59: 57: 49: 37: 29: 28: 26: 1245:Minced oath 1029:By language 633:autocorrect 481:Gossip Girl 403:Scott Adams 310:in-universe 279:Peter David 150:blasphemous 68:nonce words 64:Larry Niven 1321:Euphemisms 1310:Categories 1192:Wordfilter 1116:Portuguese 1071:Hindi-Urdu 968:2023-11-23 963:The Ringer 834:2010-09-14 657:References 514:Elvis Cole 475:The Office 411:felgercarb 298:also used 277:novels by 162:('fuck'). 1316:Profanity 1234:Maledicta 1187:Swear jar 1106:Norwegian 1051:Esperanto 1041:Cantonese 1022:Profanity 639:Footnotes 635:feature. 629:bullshirt 548:smeg-head 533:Red Dwarf 444:the 2004 356:pederasty 321:commandos 305:Star Wars 203:sithspawn 188:Star Wars 184:Star Wars 168:Star Wars 138:Cantonese 124:Aeryn Sun 34:profanity 1295:Category 1126:Romanian 1086:Japanese 1061:Georgian 980:See also 712:(2001). 677:(2006). 624:bullshit 433:Farscape 348:Vox Sola 232:in both 146:god damn 95:Farscape 1182:Grawlix 1160:Devices 1151:Tagalog 1146:Swedish 1141:Spanish 1136:Sinhala 1131:Russian 1081:Italian 1076:Hokkien 1056:Finnish 609:ashhole 604:asshole 556:gimboid 530:series 525:BBC Two 493:30 Rock 470:Dilbert 465:Dilbert 382:shazbot 370:Belgium 300:fierfek 240:toaster 192:fierfek 129:Firefly 1111:Polish 1091:Korean 1066:German 884:  859:  807:  779:  754:  720:  685:  647:^frell 569:heaven 543:smegma 516:novel 508:, and 505:Scrubs 502:, and 448:series 338:eating 283:grozit 264:, are 253:nigger 248:Cylons 142:gorram 1201:Other 1096:Latin 1046:Dutch 652:2007. 599:bench 594:bitch 589:shirt 425:frell 407:frack 389:' 174:stang 116:nouns 86:frell 79:flarn 18:Flarn 882:ISBN 857:ISBN 805:ISBN 777:ISBN 752:ISBN 718:ISBN 683:ISBN 621:and 584:shit 579:fork 574:fuck 554:and 552:goit 538:smeg 523:The 442:for 440:frak 429:dren 427:and 394:frak 287:shit 246:for 229:frak 160:frak 136:and 114:and 107:shit 104:and 101:fuck 90:dren 88:and 75:tanj 60:tanj 748:342 362:'s 242:(a 92:in 77:or 1312:: 961:. 922:. 908:^ 827:. 791:^ 750:. 732:^ 697:^ 665:^ 627:→ 617:→ 607:→ 601:, 597:→ 591:, 587:→ 581:, 577:→ 558:. 512:' 496:, 490:, 484:, 478:, 391:s 358:. 289:. 268:. 212:. 1014:e 1007:t 1000:v 971:. 946:. 932:. 890:. 865:. 837:. 813:. 785:. 760:. 726:. 691:. 20:)

Index

Flarn
profanity
Mork & Mindy
Orson Scott Card
Larry Niven
nonce words
Farscape
fuck
shit
interjections
nouns
Suns and Lovers
Aeryn Sun
Firefly
Mandarin Chinese
Cantonese
blasphemous
Battlestar Galactica
Star Wars expanded universe
Splinter of the Mind's Eye
Tales from Jabba's Palace
sithspawn
Dark Empire II
Parke Godwin
frak
Battlestar Galactica
racial epithet
Cylons
nigger
Gaius Baltar

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