[ANSTHRLD] Looking for Info on Branches
Tim McDaniel
tmcd at panix.com
Wed Sep 12 15:49:05 PDT 2007
On Wed, 12 Sep 2007, Robert Wade <logiosophia at yahoo.com> wrote:
> tmcd at panix.com:
>> Note "Collegium": as you know, Bob, colleges can go dormant without
>> disbanding.
>
> Rhiannon, the one with the good memory, is Debbie. Tostig, the one
> who went dormant, is Bob. Have never been mistaken for my better
> half before. Thanks for the compliment.
Um, actually, I'd forgotten you were Bob (or Robert).
"As you know, Bob" is a phrase out of SF literary criticism.
<http://www.sfwa.org/writing/turkeycity.html> defines it:
A pernicious form of info-dump through dialogue, in which
characters tell each other things they already know, for the sake
of getting the reader up-to-speed. This very common technique is
also known as "Rod and Don dialogue" (attr. Damon Knight) or "maid
and butler dialogue" (attr Algis Budrys).
Daniel de Lindo Colonia
--
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com
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