Talk:Big Dumb Object

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[edit] Big Dumb Object?

The definition needs some work. Was surprised the Excession from the novel by Iain Banks was included in this list. Acknowledging the precedent, I added The Spin from Robert Charles Wilson's 2005 novel (both refer very current events to an initial historical impact). A Big Dumb Object needs clearer definition. I can imagine The Lazy Gun from Iain Banks’ Against a Dark Background being slotted in here too. The Lazy Gun isn't big per se, but is most certainly big enough to be added to this list. So is the number 42 (the universe is very big). So is the product Ubik, so is Heinlein's stranger, so is Ken Macleod's asteroid, so is Alistair Reynolds’ missing colonization ship. SF is riddled with Big Dumb Objects the way romance is riddled with love triangles. Too many to list, surely.

In short:

Current definition of Big Dumb Object refers to too much to mean anything.

[edit] Clean up required

Following on from the previous post, I would second the need for a tidy-up here. I followed a link here from MacGuffin, expecting to learn something, but instead was faced with a very long list of stuff that means absolutely nothing to me. Could someone please tidy up the definition, and maybe trim the list right down to a couple of examples, with an explanation as to how those fit the definition? StephenBuxton 16:54, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] TARDIS?

Would the TARDIS qualify? I'd say that, compared to ships in other TV franchises, such as the Enterprise, it's much more of the "immense size and/or power, causing amazement" variety -- in many ways, it has more in common with the stargates of Stargate than it has with traditional vessels. Thoughts? Jay (Histrion) (talk • contribs) 14:00, 30 January 2008 (UTC)