NOVEL NEXT Chapter 652 - 410: The Future of Science Fiction_1
Chapter 652: Chapter 410: The Future of Science Fiction_1
After recognizing Harrison Clark, Leonard Lewis, the mixed-race young man of Pacifican descent, suddenly blushed behind his glasses.
“Are… Are you Mr. Harrison Clark?”
Harrison nodded expressionlessly, “Yes. What about it? Do you know me?”
“Oh my God! How could I not know you!”
Leonard suddenly covered his mouth, and began to weep with excitement, choking on his words, “I… I… I’m sorry, I’m too excited. Last month, my teacher and I were involved in some partial verification work on your Conjectures. I really… I really admire you! I’m sorry, I really can’t control my emotions. I never thought I could meet you here. I… I…”
Mr. Clark looked up to the sky.
He thought to himself.
Such a simple and lovely young man.
How could…
I’ve sinned!
Treated with such adoration by the author he plagiarized, who happened to be the most outstanding sci-fi writer of the past century, Mr. Clark felt a mix of emotions.
Wait a second?
This isn’t the first time.
Why am I still blushing?
Well, if one desires face, one inevitably has to work with some taboos in life.
It took Harrison a few extra seconds to adjust his mood due to the strings attached to taking help from others.
He patted the young man on the shoulder with great enthusiasm, “Calm down, don’t get too excited, I’m not much older than you.”
James Diaz coughed to remind Leonard to pay attention to his behavior.
Huff… huff…
It took Leonard about ten seconds of deep breathing to slowly calm his feelings, forcing an awkward smile, “I’m sorry.”
Compared to the confident and arrogant Rainer, Leonard was also a top student from the University of California, Berkeley, but he was much more modest and introvert, even a bit self-effacing and fond of apologizing.
Harrison knew why.
Leonard was smart, but his mixed Chinese-Russian heritage made him very awkward, and his personal traits were very distinctive, easily recognized by others at a glance.
Childhood memories of being ostracized had left a lasting shadow in his heart, making him reticent and preferring to express his thoughts in writing instead.
“Don’t worry,” Harrison waved his hand, “You don’t need to be so excited, and you don’t need to be self-deprecating. You can be a great person in the future. I’m nothing special either, just a nose and two eyes.”
This was a very polite encouragement from Harrison.
He was considering whether he could do anything to help Leonard, as a form of compensation.
It’s not like he can just give him money for no reason; that would make Harrison’s sexuality suspect.
But the inspiration for this sort of thing is hard to say, and Harrison didn’t know how to provide a complete inspiration to the other party for the time being.
Literary works are not like music.
The burst of inspiration from music is often a short-term idea that ignites long-term life experiences, then surges out like a volcanic eruption, which is why Carrie Thomas becomes stronger the more she’s copied.
Of course, it could also be because Carrie is a genius.
What Harrison took from Leonard, however, was a huge and complete “world” he had constructed over nearly two decades.
So, it’s difficult for Harrison to give him back another grand world.
Mr. Clark wasn’t good at creating stories, so he was pushing his limits.
“You’re so modest, Mr. Clark!”
“I should be.”
At this point, James could see that Harrison was taking this young man’s attitude very seriously, so he let Leonard, who was also familiar with the film set environment, guide Harrison.
He himself took the opportunity to slip away and devote his attention to the set being built.
James’s arrangement suited Harrison’s intention.
“Leonard, let’s exchange contact information.”
They hadn’t walked far before Harrison took the initiative to exchange numbers.
Leonard was flattered.
This young man was truly an outstanding student at Berkeley, with a broad knowledge base, and diligent and meticulous work. Facing important sets, he could basically explain James’s original intentions.
At first, Harrison was very interested in listening.
After all, he was going to invest in a movie himself, and learning more about the mindset of big-shot directors could help him be a good consultant later on.
But soon, Harrison gradually lost interest, because Leonard’s explanations were too detailed, and he happened to know about James’s film revenue and reputation, which could only be described as pretty good but nowhere near classic.
About an hour later, outside the shooting studio on the sandy beach, under a sun umbrella, Harrison sat in a chair with his legs crossed, while Leonard stood next to him awkwardly.
“Leonard, do you like sci-fi novels?”
“Of course, I do.”
“What’s your favorite?”
Leonard pondered for a moment, “‘King of Light,’ ‘Ringworld,’ ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’, and the ‘Foundation’ series.”
Harrison gave him a thumbs up, “Good taste. But have you noticed a problem?”
“What?”
“Many of the widely recognized classic long-form sci-fi novels were produced decades or even nearly a century ago. In recent years, although there have been some good sci-fi works, the number of classic long-form masterpieces can’t compare to the past. Why do you think this is? Is it because today’s readers hold old stories in high regard and show disdain for contemporary ones from the outset?”
Leonard looked a bit embarrassed, “I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand the meaning of ‘holding old stories in high regard.’ My Chinese level is quite basic.”
“It means that modern people always tend to praise old stories and look down on contemporary ones with a preconceived disdain, even if the quality of the works themselves aren’t much different.”