SPECULATIVE FICTION AS LITERATURE
Welcome to the tenth issue of View from the Parapet and the third to appear in Exodus. Today's Parapet takes on what I consider to be the greatest problem facing SF and Fantasy today. I would like to talk about literature.
Literature, you say? As in books? What does that have to do with speculative fiction? The problem is, if you listen to the experts, it has nothing to do with it.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a science fiction (hereafter referred to as SF) and Fantasy fan. I enjoy the genre in all of its forms, whether produced for television, the big screen or published in magazines and books. As I am not an indescrimanant man, I realize a certain percentage of the genre is drivel, but the rest of it is so good, I don't care.
Over the years I have read many excellent SF and Fantasy books. Many I have mentioned in previous articles. Some are just action/adventures stories, but the large majority are timeless, deep works of literature, that should be required reading somewhere. SF and Fantasy teaches valuable lessons in a number of areas. Still, I can understand why so much of society has missed the point.
Most people never look past the surface of things. Show someone a caterpillar, they will invariably see a caterpillar. I, on the other hand, see a baby butterfly. Why? Because speculative fiction has taught me to look deeper.
Below are just a few of the books that I consider must read. Keep in mind that some of these are out of print and finding them would be not entirely unlike searching for the holy grail.
Tower of Glass by Robert Silverberg
This is an interesting treatise that dealt the with issue of android rights, long before Star Trek the Next Generation took it on. Very thought provoking.
City by Clifford Simak
An ingenious book dealing with the far future, when dogs rule the world. The text is a written version of the oral history of dogs, the stories they tell late at night about men and cities and wars. One of the classic SF books of all time.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
You should have no trouble finding this one. Among Heinlein's best, this book follows the adventures of Michael Valentine Smith, a human raised by Martians. It doesn't matter that many Martian teachings resemble eastern philosophy. What does matter is that Martian philosophy is so compelling that the book spawned a new religion. If you don't believe me, look up the Church of All Worlds some day.
Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett
Perhaps not as deep as the others on my list, this book is one of the finest cross-genre books I've ever read. It's a fantasy novel and a locked room murder mystery in one. The only thing that I'm willing to say about it that will not give the plot away is this; The butler didn't do it.
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Yes, I know, I harp on this. But they really are my favorite books of all time, particularly the first five. While some might argue that the writing style is not all it could be (I disagree with them by the way) the Chronicles of Amber does have a rather large cult following. The first of the series, Nine Princes in Amber is a wonderful introduction to the world. This book is still readily available so try it and if you like it, the next four are The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, The Hand of Oberon and The Courts of Chaos. These five books together encompass the first series. Zelazny wrote a second five books as well, long after the original set that I quite enjoyed, but it never did for me what the first five did. If you love great characters and twisted plots, the Amber books are for you.
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
As the most famous epic fantasy tale of all time, I shouldn't even have to list this trilogy. The Lord of the Rings is the granddaddy of them all. Dungeons and Dragons owes it existence to this trio of books as do, I suppose, numerous other series and role playing games.
While the Hobbit was an entertaining little book, it was written for children. On the other hand, Lord of the Rings is a masterful example of what a real writer can do with a fantasy world. If you haven't read it, you can't imagine what you're missing.
The Eternity Brigade by Stephen Goldin
One of the greatest SF books of all time, though not an easy one to find by any means. It chronicles the life of a perpetual soldier, placed in suspended animation awaiting the next war. In an e-mail to me, Stephen Goldin said this was one of his personal favorites, though it wasn't as popular as it might be because so many people were uncomfortable with it. On the other hand, when he did receive fan mail, this was the book most likely to elicit a strong response.
West of Eden by Harry Harrison
A fabulous book that explores an alternate history where dinosaurs never died out, but instead evolved into a sentient species. Mankind is there as well, but in a somewhat primitive stage of development. What I really loved about the book was that the dinosaurs (called the Yilane) developed a technology completely different from our twentieth century technology, though no less advanced. Their science centered around biochemistry and genetics rather than electronics. You have to read it to believe it.
The Soul Rider Series by Jack Chalker
This is a fascinating series that starts off as fantasy and slowly becomes SF. As far as I'm concerned, it's Chalker's best, though it does have a bit of strong sexual content, so if you have a problem with that sort of thing, avoid it. For the rest of you, brace yourself for the ride of your life.
These books are just a few of my all time favorites. I've listed them because they are well written, thought provoking and should be placed on the same lists as Moby Dick and A Scarlet Letter. They won't be. They're speculative fiction.
I've spent a lot of time wondering why this genre has been so put upon by the public at large. I think I have isolated two reasons.
The first is believability. I have talked with several friends that weren't fans and they feel that it's easier to read a book they can accept. Apparently, their imaginations can't stretch to encompass what some day might be. Or they couldn't suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy something that simply couldn't happen (as if there was such a thing).
The other burr on the foot of speculative fiction is this. For many years, there was a lot of really bad SF and it has to some degree placed the stamp of space opera on all SF, even the best of it. Once you put a spaceship or alien into a story, it becomes a "B" movie in the eyes of much of the public. This type of prejudicial reaction is common. If all you watch is soap operas, you might think that all romances were equally melodramatic. Now that I think about it, I'm certain that all genre literature probably has great writers and great books. Westerns, romances, mysteries... all of them. It just a matter of weeding through the tripe to get to the substance. If you're a fan, it's worth the trouble. If you are not, why bother?
People will continue to read the books that are thrust upon them. This means bestsellers. This means mainstream. I don't believe that speculative fiction fans can expect the public to embrace the literature we love, unless someone takes the time to educate them.
Jurassic Park is an excellent example. The fact that it was SF didn't stop it from being immensely popular, to the point where it became a mainstream novel. Apparently the public is willing to accept speculative fiction, as long as space and aliens are kept out of it.
The one exception to the speculative fiction rule, seems to be horror. Stephen King, Clive Barker and Dean Koontz have all found a place in the mainstream. I'm not certain of the reason for this, but I have a theory. Horror requires less thought from the reader than most SF and Fantasy. This doesn't apply to all horror, but it does to a good percentage of it. And, of course, Clive Barker did write Imajica and Weave World, both of which are excellent fantasy books. I wouldn't be surprised if his straight horror sold better.
Over the last twenty years, the number of SF/Fantasy magazines have dwindled until only a handful are left. The web, fortunately, has to some degree helped to pick up the slack. This is because you can publish a webzine with a whole lot less capitol than a print zine. As you might expect, the average webzine will be of a lesser quality than the average print zine. Not that there aren't some excellent webzines (Exodus, of course, is one of them). It's just that by percentage, there are less than I'd like to see.
What can you do if you want to continue to see excellent SF and fantasy tales, both in print and on the web? You can support the zines that you like best. In some cases, that means subscribing, in others it means reading it whenever it comes out and then taking the time to e-mail the editors and authors. Let them know how much their dedication and hard work means to you. I do it.
When I read a story that I really like, I send the author a thank you note. He deserves that much for taking the time out to entertain me. Writing is hard work. It requires dedication. It requires sacrifice. And unless you're one of the few stars, you will get very little monetary compensation for your trouble. The truth is, writers write because that have to. They don't have to submit however and it may just be your encouraging letter that keeps them going.
The same may be said about producing a magazine. Editors often make less than writers and work just as many hours. Taking a moment to thank the editor of your favorite magazine, might mean that he will continue to feel good about putting in those long hours and might just produce a better product.
Whatever the case, if you find an author or magazine or ezine that you love, don't just read it. Support it. E-mail an author today. Subscribe to a magazine. Buy a book. Send fan mail. Join a mailing list or fan club. Attend a convention. These are the sorts of things that keep speculative fiction going.
Genre fiction is taking a major hit in the professional markets, but if we all take just a little extra time, it may still be there for our children to enjoy.
Webpage & Graphics by Samandi Adams
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 ~ All Rights Reserved
The Eternity Brigade by Stephen Goldin
SPECULATIVE FICTION AS LITERATURE
Welcome to the tenth issue of View from the Parapet and the third to appear in Exodus. Today's Parapet takes on what I consider to be the greatest problem facing SF and Fantasy today. I would like to talk about literature.
Literature, you say? As in books? What does that have to do with speculative fiction? The problem is, if you listen to the experts, it has nothing to do with it.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a science fiction (hereafter referred to as SF) and Fantasy fan. I enjoy the genre in all of its forms, whether produced for television, the big screen or published in magazines and books. As I am not an indescrimanant man, I realize a certain percentage of the genre is drivel, but the rest of it is so good, I don't care.
Over the years I have read many excellent SF and Fantasy books. Many I have mentioned in previous articles. Some are just action/adventures stories, but the large majority are timeless, deep works of literature, that should be required reading somewhere. SF and Fantasy teaches valuable lessons in a number of areas. Still, I can understand why so much of society has missed the point.
Most people never look past the surface of things. Show someone a caterpillar, they will invariably see a caterpillar. I, on the other hand, see a baby butterfly. Why? Because speculative fiction has taught me to look deeper.
Below are just a few of the books that I consider must read. Keep in mind that some of these are out of print and finding them would be not entirely unlike searching for the holy grail.
Tower of Glass by Robert Silverberg
These books are just a few of my all time favorites. I've listed them because they are well written, thought provoking and should be placed on the same lists as Moby Dick and A Scarlet Letter. They won't be. They're speculative fiction.
I've spent a lot of time wondering why this genre has been so put upon by the public at large. I think I have isolated two reasons.
The first is believability. I have talked with several friends that weren't fans and they feel that it's easier to read a book they can accept. Apparently, their imaginations can't stretch to encompass what some day might be. Or they couldn't suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy something that simply couldn't happen (as if there was such a thing).
The other burr on the foot of speculative fiction is this. For many years, there was a lot of really bad SF and it has to some degree placed the stamp of space opera on all SF, even the best of it. Once you put a spaceship or alien into a story, it becomes a "B" movie in the eyes of much of the public. This type of prejudicial reaction is common. If all you watch is soap operas, you might think that all romances were equally melodramatic. Now that I think about it, I'm certain that all genre literature probably has great writers and great books. Westerns, romances, mysteries... all of them. It just a matter of weeding through the tripe to get to the substance. If you're a fan, it's worth the trouble. If you are not, why bother?
People will continue to read the books that are thrust upon them. This means bestsellers. This means mainstream. I don't believe that speculative fiction fans can expect the public to embrace the literature we love, unless someone takes the time to educate them.
Jurassic Park is an excellent example. The fact that it was SF didn't stop it from being immensely popular, to the point where it became a mainstream novel. Apparently the public is willing to accept speculative fiction, as long as space and aliens are kept out of it.
The one exception to the speculative fiction rule, seems to be horror. Stephen King, Clive Barker and Dean Koontz have all found a place in the mainstream. I'm not certain of the reason for this, but I have a theory. Horror requires less thought from the reader than most SF and Fantasy. This doesn't apply to all horror, but it does to a good percentage of it. And, of course, Clive Barker did write Imajica and Weave World, both of which are excellent fantasy books. I wouldn't be surprised if his straight horror sold better.
Over the last twenty years, the number of SF/Fantasy magazines have dwindled until only a handful are left. The web, fortunately, has to some degree helped to pick up the slack. This is because you can publish a webzine with a whole lot less capitol than a print zine. As you might expect, the average webzine will be of a lesser quality than the average print zine. Not that there aren't some excellent webzines (Exodus, of course, is one of them). It's just that by percentage, there are less than I'd like to see.
What can you do if you want to continue to see excellent SF and fantasy tales, both in print and on the web? You can support the zines that you like best. In some cases, that means subscribing, in others it means reading it whenever it comes out and then taking the time to e-mail the editors and authors. Let them know how much their dedication and hard work means to you. I do it.
When I read a story that I really like, I send the author a thank you note. He deserves that much for taking the time out to entertain me. Writing is hard work. It requires dedication. It requires sacrifice. And unless you're one of the few stars, you will get very little monetary compensation for your trouble. The truth is, writers write because that have to. They don't have to submit however and it may just be your encouraging letter that keeps them going.
The same may be said about producing a magazine. Editors often make less than writers and work just as many hours. Taking a moment to thank the editor of your favorite magazine, might mean that he will continue to feel good about putting in those long hours and might just produce a better product.
Whatever the case, if you find an author or magazine or ezine that you love, don't just read it. Support it. E-mail an author today. Subscribe to a magazine. Buy a book. Send fan mail. Join a mailing list or fan club. Attend a convention. These are the sorts of things that keep speculative fiction going.
Genre fiction is taking a major hit in the professional markets, but if we all take just a little extra time, it may still be there for our children to enjoy.
Webpage & Graphics by Samandi Adams
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 ~ All Rights Reserved