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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hemlock Stones" data-source="post: 2931900" data-attributes="member: 19278">Pulp And Its Varied IdentitiesGREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!I am stunned and rather pleasured by the debate this posting has caused!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool    :cool:"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" /> First, I would like to use a term that has been overlooked in this discussion. Formula. Lester Dent ages ago created a simple yet powerful literary formula for creating stories that escalated in conflict with a main character(s) and the antagonist. Varied elements, complications, to the resolution of the story were introduced with each one being more difficult than the previous. Often the intention was for the villain(s) to use a unique means to kill, take over the world, etc. This is where the weird science aspects of pulp comes into play. Previous posters mentioned one of the notorious elements of pulp was its over-the-top use of action. If you want ridiculous over-the-top action, thats Mission Impossible, from the movies, not pulp.The best example of pulp cinema without question is Raiders of the Lost Ark. Everything taking place follows the Lester Dent formula. What's more, it works, it's entertaining and excellent cinema.I think that the whole approach for Eberron is nice. Its different from your classical fantasy game. I still don't see a direct heritage to the pulps. The Lester Dent formula can be applied to any genre, science fiction, sci-fi, horror, role playing games and even fantasy. Wizards of the Coast has been a disappointment with things like d20 Past. It should have been so much more. I hate to think that the cost of adding another 50-80 pages of content made the project too expensive. That's where the beauty of the Lester Dent formula is. Simple, straight-to-the-point action. One of the most elegant variations on pulp is the serial drama. Instead of immediate resolution, the whole cliff hanger ploy leaves you wanting more. Perfect structure for a role playing game. Lastly, I saw noir mentioned several times in different posts. Noir is a unique cinematic element popularized by creative filmmakers on limited budgets. Everything was structured to be visually emotional and powerful yet deep and forboding. Some of the best cinema in the genre of noir follow the Lester Dent formula.Alan</blockquote>

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