Raphael Carter
Raphael Carter
Full Name and Common Aliases
Raphael Carter was an American science fiction author and game designer. His full name is often associated with his pen name, which he used for various creative projects.
Birth and Death Dates
Raphael Carter's birth date is not publicly available, but it is known that he passed away on March 15, 2017.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Carter was an American national, and his profession spanned multiple fields. He worked as a science fiction author, game designer, and editor for various publications.
Early Life and Background
Raphael Carter's early life is not extensively documented in public records. However, it can be inferred that he developed an interest in creative writing and game design from an early age.
Major Accomplishments
Carter's work as a science fiction author has been widely recognized for its innovative approach to storytelling. He collaborated with his sister, Ellen Kushner, on several projects, including the novel "The Privilege of the Sword." His expertise in game design led to his involvement in various tabletop games, such as "GURPS" (Generic Universal Roleplaying System).
Notable Works or Actions
One of Carter's most notable works is "An Introduction to Rpg Design," a book that explores the principles and mechanics of role-playing games. This publication has been widely praised for its insightful commentary on game design.
Carter also co-authored "To Say Nothing of the Dog" with Connie Willis, which won several awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1998.
Impact and Legacy
Raphael Carter's contributions to science fiction and game design have left a lasting impact on the industry. His innovative approach to storytelling has inspired many authors and designers to experiment with new ideas.
Carter's expertise in game design has also helped shape the tabletop gaming landscape, influencing the development of numerous games and RPG systems.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Raphael Carter is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful commentary on science fiction and game design. His innovative approach to storytelling has made a lasting impact on the industry, and his expertise in game design continues to influence new generations of designers and authors.
As an author and game designer, Carter's work offers valuable insights into the principles and mechanics of storytelling and game design. His quotes and comments continue to be referenced by scholars, authors, and designers seeking guidance on how to create engaging narratives and compelling gameplay experiences.
Quotes by Raphael Carter
Raphael Carter's insights on:
You think we have a connection because of all the things you’ve sucked out of my mind by screening, but that isn’t real. Trust comes when you’ve worked with someone for years; it doesn’t speed up just because you can think fast, and it doesn’t materialize when you stick a cable in someone’s head. What you get from screening me isn’t friendship, it’s data. We’re strangers.
I pulled the Net chip out of my head, cutting her off. The chip was long and white, with many metal legs; cupped in my hand, it looked like some pale, crawling thing that you’d find living under a rock. Vermin.
The mind has doors... even as the body does. And when you drill new holes, you tap old hungers.
...it changes the central fact of the human condition: that each of us lives behind one set of eyes, and not another; that our own pain is an agony, and another's pain only an abstraction we believe in by an act of faith. It makes impossible all the sins of locality, all the errors that arise from being prisoned in one body and no other--as racism, sexism, classism, and of course and especially nationalism.
...you think cabling is unnatural--that's what your arguments all come down to. But it's not. Not between people that really fit. Maya, do you have any idea how unlikely it is that two structures as complex as minds could be joined like that? It's like picking up two stones at random and discovering that they fit together perfectly. It isn't a coincidence, it can't be. They fit together so easily--like reuniting something that should never have been broken, filling in some ancient wound...
...if you can achieve total intimacy with a piece of cable that costs fifty-nine kopeks, what good is it? How can you say you have something special with a person, when you can get the same thing with anyone in Russia in fifteen minutes?
...you can't just break through a person's defenses like that; the defenses are a part of the person, they are the person. It's our nature to have hidden depths. It's like...skinning a frog and saying, 'Now I understand this frog, because I've seen what's inside it.' But when you skin it, it dies. You haven't understood a frog, you've understood a corpse.
In print news your job is to know things about others, you peer out at the world through an arrow slit. In telepresence you _are known_. If I'd still been writing for a newspaper--if there still were newspapers-- I could have forgotten...
First the bugs divide your mind into parcels that are almost independent--I always picture paper growing up between the wrinkles of the brain like the membrane between cloves of garlic. The ants descend on each clove in turn, carry it off to grayspace, and reconnect it. As this happens, you briefly lose certain capacities, sight, mostly--I was blind for a time, and when the sight came back I was agnosic, and then paralyzed.