Not Science Fiction
Filed Under: Speculative Fiction
Not Science Fiction
I have, of recent, become a total fanboy for SF Author Maureen McHugh. I loved her stories published in SciFiction, but the real tipping point for me has been her blogging. Today, she made a great post about Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union and her own label for the genre of fiction that has been labeled strenuously by the authors and publishers, Not Science Fiction.
I love this term for it’s double-sidedness. If you’re inclined, you can take the term literally. If SF scares you, then the term is a comfort. “There, there,” the publisher coos softly. “There is no Nerd Schmutz on this fine, fine book.” But if you like SF and you have a sense of humor about these genre wars, then you can take it to mean that you will like it as SF despite what anyone says. It’s like a secret handshake. I say we make it Official.
PS: I guess I should read this book, huh? With endorsements from McHugh and Moles, I can’t go wrong.
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