Oolite Bulletins

We have problems finding books that engage our boy sufficiently to keep his interest.
He's got really into Oolite and I was wondering if Status Quo and the other Oolite related novellas would be suitable for someone of his age. I haven't had time to read them myself, too busy playing Oolite when time allows
Are the novellas suitably child friendly?

Thanks

Macleesh

I haven't read them either, but the sort of people using BBC micro's would certainly include 10 yr olds, i.e. the target audience for Status Quo was around that age.
We played Elite incessantly
Never read anything
Took about two years to realise you could press the "f" buttons twice

I'd say they're both child suitable. Violence is limited to the ship to ship violence you see in the game. From memoray I don't think anyone dies except with their ship. There's some pointing of blasters at each other, but no graphic violence. There are some romantic aub-plots, but no sex sceans! The laungage contains lots of sci-fi concepts (natually) but the same sort of stuff you get in game. You don't need a science education to follow it or anything.

LittleBear wrote:

I'd say they're both child suitable. Violence is limited to the ship to ship violence you see in the game.

...and that even to the point that the main character feels guilty for shooting down all those pirates!

Screet

I'd agree with LittleBear, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't be readable by a 10-year-old. Same goes for The Dark Wheel, too.

I've just remembered a series of kids' science fiction books I used to read called "Dragonfall 5". It's not Oolite-related by any means but they're the adventures of a family that flies about in a clapped-out merchant spaceship. I have reasonably fond memories of them, but they're probably only available second-hand now.

NOT rise of the kirin. It has some horror in it. There is little swearing, but I did write some Steven King chapters into it. Horror of body invasion being one of them. I am however working on a vector trading map of galaxy 1. It might be fun for him to chart ships progress on more child friendly oolite fan-fics. I'll post it when I'm done (about a week).

As a parent myself I'd get your computer to read them to you. That way you can be working whilst your reviewing something you may allow your child to listen to. Parents are (unfortunately to a lesser extent these days) gatekeepers of content.

There is some physical violence in mutablis. (establishing the villans villany). The subject matter covers revenge. So there are some wider themes that you need to be aware of. It's like computer games, always worth giving it the once over.

Macleesh wrote:

We have problems finding books that engage our boy sufficiently to keep his interest.

Unless your child is quite advanced for their age, perhaps easing them gently into the reading thing is a better idea. Comic books may hold a child’s interest more.

Around the time Elite came out I loved to read the Starblazer comics. They were self-contained science fiction graphic novels that came out two every month. I’m sure they have long since ceased to be published but a look on eBay will show plenty for sale for pennies. Around that time White Dwarf rpg magazine ran a Traveller comic strip which may also have appeared as a graphic novel. If so, again look on eBay. The Traveller and Elite universe are very similar as one inspired the other(which came first I cant remember).

Maybe there are equivalent publications around today.

Timothy Zahn wrote an awesome series targetted at twelve-year olds called Dragonback. Incidentally, it's sci-fi!

LittleBear wrote:

I'd say they're both child suitable. Violence is limited to the ship to ship violence you see in the game. From memoray I don't think anyone dies except with their ship. There's some pointing of blasters at each other, but no graphic violence. There are some romantic aub-plots, but no sex sceans! The laungage contains lots of sci-fi concepts (natually) but the same sort of stuff you get in game. You don't need a science education to follow it or anything.

Speaking as the author.. ...I think Status Quo is perfectly suitable. The sequel Mutabilis is a bit darker, more complex and does have a minor amount of physical violence (two altercations with a knife) and a death as a result, but it's not particularly graphic.

In Status Quo the characters are pretty much playing second fiddle to the ships and technology; in Mutabilis the theme is much more character centric and around revenge, betrayal and obsession.

Both are 100% based on locations and events you may encounter in game though. I'd see if he enjoy Status Quo as a starting point.

I'd be interested to hear what he thinks of them!

All the best,

Cheers,

Drew.

ps... Dragonfall 5 - I remember that!!!

It's the centerfold that may not be suitable. Miss Lobstoid October of Playpet magazine may scare kids into becoming rock hermits at an early age. It's not the claws so much as the long whiskers.

Define 'suitable for 10 yearold'?


Personally I feel a child should be able to learn freely, while parents are there to explain stuff that does not make sense and help it to think for itself. Somebody else may feel otherwise.

IMO anything goes except religious, racist and otherwise offensive stuff.

I havent got children of my own, but have been one some time ago...
I remember being interested in sexuality at the age of nine and my parents gave me all the information I asked for (though from dated books). I did not use this info 'till early adulthood. Today all the media are sexualized, (though violence in cartoons seems less nowadays) so there is even more reason to inform your child about what is fact and what is just erotic fantasy early on.

on reading:
Sarcasm is an aquired sense, so often lost on the young.
Make sure this form of humour is understood.
Imagine the horror of your child taking the spoofs in Southpark (on US social/religious injustices) seriously for example!
Understanding concepts of indirect humour may be an indication mental development, dunno, I'm no psychologist.


A point for games being didactic:
As a non-native english speaker, playing elite led to me look up some word in the dictionaries at home.
"right on!" was impossible to find, but the gist was clear.


In short: have faith in your youngone's abilities and make sure to let no question be weird.
I hope your boy grows into a smart little scientist or creative scifi craftsman, wherever his talents push him.


YT, Arexack

ps. Children take answers from parents (and teachers etc!) as truth, so be sure to answer truthfully and not invent explanations on the fly. This trust can be shattered as easily as belief in santaclaus. Then again, realizing your parents are human and don't know everything may be an essential step of growing up. Nowadays with wikipedia, et al. any info can be easilly found anyway.
I certainly plan to inure my children to 'facts' before they go to preschool, so that no overly zealous teacher will succeed in brainwashing him/her. :shakes fist:

pps Sorry if I exceeded the scope of this thread. I'm in conflict with my 'better half' about teaching religion to our potential spawn at the moment.

Arexack_Heretic wrote:

Define 'suitable for 10 yearold'?


Personally I feel a child should be able to learn freely, while parents are there to explain stuff that does not make sense and help it to think for itself. Somebody else may feel otherwise.

IMO anything goes except religious, racist and otherwise offensive stuff.

I havent got children of my own, but have been one some time ago...
I remember being interested in sexuality at the age of nine and my parents gave me all the information I asked for (though from dated books). I did not use this info 'till early adulthood. Today all the media are sexualized, (though violence in cartoons seems less nowadays) so there is even more reason to inform your child about what is fact and what is just erotic fantasy early on.

on reading:
Sarcasm is an aquired sense, so often lost on the young.
Make sure this form of humour is understood.
Imagine the horror of your child taking the spoofs in Southpark (on US social/religious injustices) seriously for example!
Understanding concepts of indirect humour may be an indication mental development, dunno, I'm no psychologist.


A point for games being didactic:
As a non-native english speaker, playing elite led to me look up some word in the dictionaries at home.
"right on!" was impossible to find, but the gist was clear.


In short: have faith in your youngone's abilities and make sure to let no question be weird.
I hope your boy grows into a smart little scientist or creative scifi craftsman, wherever his talents push him.


YT, Arexack

ps. Children take answers from parents (and teachers etc!) as truth, so be sure to answer truthfully and not invent explanations on the fly. This trust can be shattered as easily as belief in santaclaus. Then again, realizing your parents are human and don't know everything may be an essential step of growing up. Nowadays with wikipedia, et al. any info can be easilly found anyway.
I certainly plan to inure my children to 'facts' before they go to preschool, so that no overly zealous teacher will succeed in brainwashing him/her. :shakes fist:

pps Sorry if I exceeded the scope of this thread. I'm in conflict with my 'better half' about teaching religion to our potential spawn at the moment.

Good post. Even if I felt it was Jack Black who was writing it.

Children should be led, not pushed to their own conclusions about anything. Literature, games, even religion. Let them do what THEY want, not what YOU want, within loose boundaries and you will help grow a happy person.

Anyway, as the man said, off topic so no offence if this post is deleted.

When I was about 10ish I was right into Tom Swift books, there are 5 series as time changes. I don't think a kid of these times would be into the first couple of series as they were writen yunkers ago and have very little reference to things today.
The 3rd series on tend to have a lot of sifi and are mostly based in space.
Must have been good books, still remember them with great fondness all these decades on.
Right enough back then there was no Oolite.. No Elite.. Come to think of it there was no such thing as a PC either.

All you need to know about Tom Swift;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift# ... 54-1971.29