Do Y0u SciFi?
Science fiction is one of my favorite genres to read. I started as a kid with a book called “Robby the Robot” and it just went from there. I now have a room full of science fiction books and magazines, plus some videos and DVDs of a few of my favorite movies.
When I was a kid, I was discouraged from reading it not because science fiction was pulp fiction. No, that’s a conceit from an earlier age than mine. My formative years were during some of the most exciting NASA missions, and I figured that SF was leading the way and so was NASA. No, I was discouraged by teachers who felt that science fiction (and indeed, science) wasn’t meant for girls. I was kind of stubborn though, and I read what I wanted to. Nowadays such twaddle as “science isn’t for girls” and “girls can’t do math” is nonsense peddled by people who want to constrain half the human race to some kind of religio-political role that doesn’t fit.
But I digress. My favorite science fiction nowadays is a wide spread of classic old masters (Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke (in that order) and newer writers such as Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Sawyer, Lois McMaster Bujold, and many others. They have delighted me with many a techno-tale, all the while keeping the visions of the cosmos alive for me. Science fiction is, principally, fiction that has a strong science bent. It’s what turned me on to science, along with the stargazing I did as a kid. I think there’s a very strong correlation between enjoying SF (as it’s properly shortened to) and an interest in science. And, it doesn’t matter if you’re reading it or seeing it on TV or in the movies, although just as there some pretty awful books, there are also some pretty awful attempts at SF in the movies and on TV. Many variations on Star Trek are quite good and they played a part in my formative years, too. (Yes, I’m a Trekkie.)
Lately I’ve started to dabble in writing my own science fiction. I mentioned it sheepishly to Robert Sawyer (an old friend) and he said, “Well, get it out there!” And so, I’m looking to astronomy to inspire me (as it has for so many others), and I’m seeing many cool things to write about. Will I do good? Only time will tell. But, science fiction is as wide open as the universe. If you haven’t tried any, or think that it’s all Star Trek or Babylon Five (and those are great works!), you have a great and wonderful journey ahead of you. And maybe I’ll figure in that trip someday.
In the meantime, check out the science fiction universe at your local booksellers (brick-and-morter or online). And, if you want pointers, drop me a comment here and I’ll do my best to suggest some great SF.