Topical References?

[sXe_Jinxeh]

I'm working on a piece right now and my brain has begun to pose a question. The protagonist is a movie buff. Now, because of this, I question the use of topical references. Are such things okay to use? Or do they make the piece seem cheap and poorly done?

[Zombified]

If you mean mentioning movies and pop culture in the story, no, it makes the story great.

Brian Keene, my favorite author name drops bands and movies in his work all the time. It adds to the futility of his post apocalyptic worlds, and if not there, it makes his work seem much more real.

Your characters like stuff that we do, that makes them easier to relate to.

I say go for it.

Hell, I even do it!

[sXe_Jinxeh]

Thanks, that was exactly the kind of answer I was looking for!

That's all I needed to know.

[Shaun]

It also depends on WHEN your story is placed. For example, if you're writing a story set in 1910, you wouldn't want to name drop Nirvana, for obvious reasons. There are similar things to be said about name dropping older artists in far future worlds, or name dropping stuff that will be next to impossible to remember or understand.

[Jack]

Well for me, alot of my work is set in the past like the 1920's or the medievel times and a large amount of it is based within a completely different fictional universe. In these cases, references to modern day media material are a no-go to keep it realisitc. However, in one of my novels called 'The Anderson Chronicles: The Bridge' there are refercnes to modern media which i think adds to the realism. ( Its set 500 years in the future and there is a reference ot Arnold Shwarzeneger) ;)


Hope tht helps