Zingers in Fiction

[Twook00]

Ever read a sentence or passage and think, Wow, that's a remarkable sentence or passage. Could I have written that...? Most of my favorite books have these little gems here and there, and sometimes I wonder if they just pop into the author's head or come about during the editing process.

Like these for example:

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
― William Gibson, Neuromancer

Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding...
― William Gibson, Neuromancer

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies", said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.
― Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

Life is a disease: sexually transmitted, and invariably fatal.
― Neil Gaiman

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I appreciate these types of well thought out sentences and descriptions as well. I'd say how they are come across by an author are probably as varied as the ideas themselves.

Many times, when I have an idea or piece of dialogue I feel is especially poignant or profound, I will write it down and file it away until needed. Sometimes great ideas are hidden in very plain prose & can be made elegant during revision. I'm sure there are times when an author's brilliance takes part but moreover I'd suspect it is the work in revision that is the main source.

 

[MadMadys]

Those lines that you read then reread simply to experience them again are rare but lovely treasures.

 

[Steerpike]

Mervyn Peake, describing Mr. Flay as her stalks his enemy, the fat cook Abiatha Swelter:

"If ever man stalked man, Flay stalked Swelter. It is to be doubted whether, when compared with the angular motions of Mr. Flay, any man on earth could claim to stalk at all. He would have to do it with another word."

 

[Steerpike]

Also, Peake's description of the Twins (two older ladies) in Gormenghast. Not sure these are "zingers," but Peake's writing often makes one stop and enjoy the turn of phrase.

"So limp of brain that for them to conceive an idea is to risk a haemorrhage. So limp of body that their purple dresses appear no more indicative of housing nerves and sinews than when they hang suspended from their hooks."

And in keeping with the Peake theme, I also like the description of Dr. Prunesquallor's sister:

Vain as a child; thin as a stork's leg, and, in her black glasses, as blind as an owl in daylight. She misses her footing on the social ladder at least three times a week, only to start climbing again, wriggling her pelvis the while. She clasps her dead, white hands beneath her chin in the high hope of hiding the flatness of her chest.

To attempt to secure converts, for those of you who don't know Peake, from Time Magazine: '

'Fantasy and science fiction author Michael Moorcock, who contributes an introduction to [a book on Peake], says: "Peake is in the great tradition of idiosyncratic English writers. His poetry and fiction, like theirs is sui generis and, like his drawing and painting, reveals authentic genius." Comic-book writer Alan ( Watchmen, Lost Girls) Moore calls Peake "probably one of the finest writers in the English language," but says literary snobbery that considers fantasy a lesser art form has contributed to his neglect.'

 

[Twook00]

"If ever man stalked man, Flay stalked Swelter. It is to be doubted whether, when compared with the angular motions of Mr. Flay, any man on earth could claim to stalk at all. He would have to do it with another word."

I'm sure this is partly due to differences in style, but I just don't see myself thinking of something like that. Not without really trying. Occasionally, I'll have a clever idea or witty thought, but rarely when writing. Maybe I'm too focused on the mechanics. My brain's too busy worrying about how to say this thing without using an adverb.

Side note, I hear China Mieville has some good ones. I've been meaning to check him out.

 

[Steerpike]

I'm sure this is partly due to differences in style, but I just don't see myself thinking of something like that. Not without really trying. Occasionally, I'll have a clever idea or witty thought, but rarely when writing. Maybe I'm too focused on the mechanics. My brain's too busy worrying about how to say this thing without using an adverb.

Side note, I hear China Mieville has some good ones. I've been meaning to check him out.

Mieville is good, based on what I've read of him. Not in the same league as Peake, but quite good and I think there are some similarities there in tone and atmosphere.

 

[CupofJoe]

Something Vimes had learned as a young guard drifted up from memory. If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you're going to die. So they'll talk. They'll gloat.
They'll watch you squirm. They'll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar.
So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word.
- Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms

I've met some good people and some evil people and the good people are far more scary...

 

[Twook00]

I've met some good people and some evil people and the good people are far more scary...

Sad but true...

 

[Steerpike]

Sad but true...

Not hardly. Rather silly of you ask me, unless you've only met some very odd people in your life.

 

[Twook00]

Not hardly. Rather silly of you ask me, unless you've only met some very odd people in your life.

Ha! I should say "good"... in quotations. I honestly haven't met many evil people. After all...

It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.
― Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

 

[Steerpike]

Ha! I should say "good"... in quotations. I honestly haven't met many evil people. After all...

It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.
― Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

Yeah, I think if they proclaim to be 'good' but aren't, then the statement makes a lot more sense. If you're really considering them 'good' but they're worse than evil people, then you have your labels mixed up (using the word 'you' in general; not to refer to a specific person).

 

[Zero Angel]

Yeah, I'd say you're thinking of "good" people more as "righteous" people, which has a tendency to devolve into zealotry.

Anyway, in regards to the saying anyone else has ever stalked another they would have to use another word. This is kinda' just turning the old "There's not a word that can describe just how quintessence that 'thing' is." but being realistic. Because there are words that we use to describe those things, we just cheapen them by using them cheaply.

In fact, there is even a writing quote about how you should save the big words for when you need something big, because otherwise you will be needing to describe something truly big and not have the words for it.

I've encountered this with literally big things, because there are quite a lot of creatures and places that are much larger than the average hume in my world.

ANYWAY, I like your so-called "zingers" as well when I discover them in books.

Although I think of "zingers" as a snappy comeback...

But ENOUGH about semantics already
...since my entire post had been about semantics...

...​

...in case that wasn't clear.​

 

[Penpilot]

This isn't really a zinger. It's more low brow, but it cracks me up everytime. It's the opening sentence to his novel The Android's Dream.

Dirk Moeller didn’t know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out. -- John Scalzi

 

[Twook00]

ANYWAY, I like your so-called "zingers" as well when I discover them in books.

Although I think of "zingers" as a snappy comeback...

I was shooting for the first definition here:
1 : something causing or meant to cause interest, surprise, or shock
2 : a pointed witty remark or retort

It works, right?

 

[Twook00]

This isn't really a zinger. It's more low brow, but it cracks me up everytime. It's the opening sentence to his novel The Android's Dream.

John Scalzi cracks me up. Love that guy...

 

[Zero Angel]

I was shooting for the first definition here:
1 : something causing or meant to cause interest, surprise, or shock
2 : a pointed witty remark or retort

It works, right?

I had no idea the first definition was first. To me, the connotation of "zinger" is the second definition and I assumed that was its primary denotation as well. Thanks for the knowledge!