A metaphor is a word or phrase used in a way that looks like a direct equivalence but is actually an analogy. For example, "He was a snake of a guy," appears to say that this man truly was a snake; however, we recognize that it's just an analogy, not an actual statement of fact. Similar metaphors include, "Oh, you're an angel," and "Death is just around the corner."
In science fiction and fantasy, however, these might not be metaphors at all. A man might genuinely be a snake, complete with scales and forked tongue. The person you're talking with might truly be an angel, strumming a harp, flapping a big pair of wings. The literal embodiment of Death might be standing around the corner, grabbing a quick cigarette before he goes back to gathering souls.
In our genre, anything is possible. A sentence that's just a metaphor in a different kind of story could be a statement of fact in SF&F.
This means that writers in our genre have to be careful of metaphors, especially in the first few pages of a story. Until readers get a feel for what is and isn't possible in the story, they can't tell metaphor from fact. Using a metaphor too early can confuse the hell out of your audience, and give them utterly wrong ideas about what you're saying.
As an example, I once read a story that used the
term "caterpillar-bus" for one of those buses that's hinged
to
bend in the middle. I swear for half the story, I thought
this was a world that bioengineered insect larva for use in
public transit. With that one thing putting me off, I
misinterpreted the whole damned story. (Mind you, I think
my interpretation was more interesting...)
| Avoid metaphors in the early pages of a story, just so you don't give the wrong first impression. Setting the stage is hard enough without your own metaphors working against you. |
Copyright © 2001, James Alan Gardner