Which kind of Science Fiction do you prefer? Factory produce or custom jobs?
01/11/2003 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 

Let’s ask something pretty basic. Why do you read Science Fiction? A progression of this question is what do you get out of Science Fiction that keeps drawing you back to the genre? Both are vital questions.

Hello everyone

Let’s ask something pretty basic. Why do you read Science Fiction? A progression of this question is what do you get out of Science Fiction that keeps drawing you back to the genre? Both are vital questions. Although SF has some credibility today, the readership is still looked upon as being the oddballs of the community.

As a developing community, we might not wear the beanie hats but there’s a lot more confidence that we’re no longer alone with our interest. We might attract people because of an SF film or TV series hype but much of these are transitory who jump off when the next ‘big thing’ comes along. What makes us hang around?

Are you looking for adventure outside the standard genres? Considering how the majority of non-SF readers think Science Fiction is all about space rockets and aliens, it’s no wonder we’re still tainted so much. Come to that, why do so many professionals in the field rather see SF spell ‘Speculative Fiction’ believing it encompasses so much more than technology. Not really sure if the term will catch on after so much effort to remind people it’s Science Fiction though but it does illustrate the fear that SF is being seen as a one idea genre - something that I tend to reserve for the fantasy genre myself.

Mind you, there’s enough other SF material out there to disprove the point. It just hasn’t been promoted so well. Some publishers don’t even promote books under its generic name as if SF’s a dirty word. Whether that can be seen as a set-back or allowing some education for the readers to get use to SF as not being scary to be seen reading is debatable but it’ll take many generations to change as an attitude.

Are you looking for applied science or technology to see what and how it would shape our reality as well as getting an insight in layman’s language as to just what it’s about? Not many of the scientists who write SF today have Asimov’s or even Clarke’s touch in explaining and demonstrating science in layman terms. The percentage of SF stories that concentrates on using hard science against soft science or just adventure has changed drastically over the years.

Whether this is the fault of the writers, lack of science background writers or publishers is debatable let alone an underlying current and belief that SF is a victim of poor writing over the years. Considering that SF stayed in the pulps longer than any other genre mean writers’ output had to be greater than that of writers in other genres but it didn’t mean that there wasn’t any quality writing out there. If anything, the writing was driven by passion for the subject matter that hasn’t much rival in any other genre.

It might have occasionally come second in writing skills but in imagination is second to none for the range it can cover. These days, I tend to think it isn’t the lack of ideas but more to do with not doing enough with them that is currently bursting our bubble. A drastic change in attitude of both writers and readers who’ll try such books out will just as easily shore up this gap.

Do you think there’s more to it than that or a variation on all of the above? When I was growing up, my interest in SF developed and strengthened largely cos it caught my imagination and wouldn’t let go. It ensured an active interest in the sciences and enabled me to distinguish between good and poor use of science in stories.

There’s always been a theory that SF predominately attracted scientist-types although, at least from my own experience, the reverse appeared to be true as there were few fiction readers but a far greater diversity of interests. Not everyone with an interest in SF might want to become a scientist but it would be interesting to discover if your scientific or technological knowledge is better than most people in the street. Don’t forget to answer our survey question this month and we’ll play around with other specifics in the months to come.

Today, there’s a fair bet that new readers hooked on TV SF shows or films are looking for the same in the written word version. It’s hardly surprising that publishers have taken advantage of that fact with all the Tie-Ins that litter the High Street bookshop shelves. The problem tends to come from saturation that the books don’t lead into other areas of the genre. I think publishers are beginning to realise this but as a consequence they’re developing series of SF adventure books to keep readers hooked to come back for more than the single one-off novel.

This isn’t to say this is totally wrong but it still needs some latitude for all types. A comment that I made a couple years ago about doorstop books seems to have been swamping the shelves has at least seen, even if it’s only in re-release, of small page-count SF books. If that is to continue then it’s only by buying them that you’re going to indicate to publishers that you’re prepared to give non-serial SF books a chance to reach your shelves.

So why do you read Science Fiction? We don’t read it for all the same reasons as the examples above must clearly illustrate. It’s also a fair bet that I’m only touching the surface reasons above as well for some of you. It would also be fair to say that SF has something that other genres lack. The main problem though is remaining conservative in your tastes than looking away from your favourite authors.

If you’re not prepared to tackle other authors or subject matter within SF then we only have ourselves to blame if we end up with factory produce than rarefied custom gems. Sifting through the books to reveal such precious material is also what challenges us in our enjoyment of Science Fiction and plays a large part in our sharing with others in the same interest.

As a genre, Science Fiction is singularly unique. Which other genre, outside of our grey cousins fantasy and horror, has a world-wide voice that can be heard by the publishers as to what we felt about the books they release. To be informed on the subject, we have to read across the board if we’re to assess its strengths and weaknesses. We are bound to have our personal favourites and dislikes but diversity will always ensure that everyone will have something on the shelves we want to read.

Be happy. Be safe. Enjoy the rest of the website.

Thank you and good night

Geoff Willmetts

editor: SFCrowsnest.com

PS For those keeping up with my health. Anyone want a head cold? I’ve got several going spare together with an irritating cough and stuffy throat that gets me when I least expect it. Positive attitude keeps my head above water so to speak but it would be nice to have a respite.

(Less Serious) Thought For The Month # 1: During my first watching of ‘Matrix Unloaded’ a couple Friday nights ago I started to ponder. All the people in Zion are supposed to be people freed from the Matrix, right? OK, so bearing in mind all the technology around which is keeping their city going not to mention the submarines & the connections to link into the Matrix, there seems a singular absence of engineers or technical staff around to make sure everything keep working.

Even its leader confessed no one seemed to be interested in maintaining the equipment which is hardly the talk of engineers re-learning their craft.. A good way to spot all those rescued are Americans who think getting a TV remote working properly is to shake it. I'm almost beginning to suspect that Zion itself is just another shell in this artificial reality.

(Less Serious) Thought For The Month # 2: Congratulations to the Chinese for getting their astronaut into orbit. An interesting speculation arose that had they sent a husband and wife team up that they would have returned with a full family.

(Less Serious) Thought For The Month # 3: Jennifer Garner from TV’s ‘Alias’ is being used to promote a CIA recruitment video. Nothing wrong in itself but I doubt if reality will live up to her TV role unless it encourages an incentive for agents who really prefer field work to pen pushing.

(Less Serious) Thought For The Month # 4: As much as I like ‘Alias’, I can’t help but feel Sydney Bristow has things rather easy. I mean, she doesn’t have any problems plane-hopping to her destinations or getting the right wardrobe for her disguises without hours of being given her missions. In real life, no agent barges in and out with such impunity. All right, there’s a time scale on TV to only show the exciting bits so maybe it’s just me wanting to see the hard realities of espionage.

PS If you’ve survived this far in the editorial, let me reiterate something from the website newsletter. As you can see from the main page, we have one of the biggest SF/fantasy/horror monthly reviews columns on the Net. Our success has increased the number of books that comes in and our policy is to read everything before giving a review. We roadtest books so you have some idea of what you’re letting yourself in for when all you’ve got to go by is the cover and promotional blurb.

If you like reading books in the genre, think and can show you can write a decent review and, most importantly, live in the British Isles (sorry, expense, time and distance travelled prohibits elsewhere), contact me below for my ‘Reviews Flyer’ - put this in the subject ebox and we’ll see if you’ve got what it takes. We can’t pay you but a review for the price of a book has to be a good incentive. We have one of the most popular SF review columns on the Net. Think you’re up to writing a review??

PPS: For those keeping track, I’m still about 18 months (mid-October 2001 now if you’re still thinking I’m just repeating the same message every month) behind with going through the ebook samples. Thank you for your patience but let me know if you’ve sold elsewhere so I can reduce my pile or if you’ve changed address, especially e-mail address.

This isn’t much of a repeat, just to show you’re not forgotten. Those sending in samples, be prepared for a long wait and read the Guidelines elsewhere on this website. They are there to help you do some of the right things and reduce the number of times I’m repeating myself over silly grammatical errors.

It makes editing a lot easier if any editor has less work correcting poor English which should have been sorted out in the first place. There’s an old editorial adage, if you can’t aim for perfection why should an editor nurse-maid you to that state? If you’re a writer, then you should understand the words and grammar of the job you’re supposed to be writing or are you considering it as mundane and boring as any other job to get right.