Editor Emeritus
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Location: Mass, USA
Tell us what you thought of the August 2009 issue
Editor Emeritus
Posts: 2528
Joined: December 31, 1969, 08:00:00 PM
Location: Mass, USA
Editor Emeritus
Posts: 805
Joined: December 31, 1969, 08:00:00 PM
Scifaiku (science fiction haiku) is a form of science fiction poetry first announced by Tom Brinck with his 1995 Scifaiku Manifesto. It is inspired by Japanese haiku, but explores science, science fiction, and other speculative fiction themes, such as fantasy and horror. They are based on the principles and form of haiku but can to deviate from its structure.
Scifaiku follow three major principles – minimalism, immediacy and human insight:
Scifaiku follows the haiku model, including its spirit of minimalism. While traditional Japanese haiku usually has 3 phrases of 5, 7, and 5 onji (sound symbols), haiku in English usually has seventeen or less syllables. Scifaiku is even more flexible and may be shorter or longer (allowing for longer technical terms, e.g. anisomorphism).
Immediacy is the use of direct sensory perceptions to give a sense of being in the moment. Concrete, rather than abstract terms are used. Metaphor and allegory are rarely explicit though sometimes implied.
Human insight comes from the idea that the purpose of much science fiction is to understand ourselves better through exploring possible futures or speculative realities.
Editor Emeritus
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Joined: December 31, 1969, 08:00:00 PM
Although, I have heard word (indirectly) from one of my on-line scifaiku-composing friends, a speculative and traditional haikuist of some note, that an updated scifaiku handbook is currently in the works.
davidsonhero wrote:Richard, you've obviously made yourself a student of the scifaiku as your skill and many published examples at Aphelion show. So again, I appreciate your comments.
Editor Emeritus
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Joined: December 31, 1969, 08:00:00 PM
Although, I should add that an artist also has to be able to learn and adapt with the changing times. The current of popular trends can, at times, dash an aging hulk of an immovable artist to bits!
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