On Legitimacy, Academia, and the Hugos (or, Someone Needs to Take a Class)
If you’ve been following the Hugo Awards fiasco, you might have come across Philip Sandifer’s fascinating analysis of Theodore Beale / Vox Day, his followers, and the Hugos. Sandifer has since become a minor target within the Sad / Rabid Puppies discussion, but not so much for what he actually said as for who he declares himself to be: an educated man. Why would this matter in a conversation about the Hugo Awards? What is so offensive about being a PhD in English (or any other individual with a PhD in the humanities)? As someone who is roughly a year away from acquiring a PhD in English, I find this blatant anti-academic stance rather perplexing if isolated to the science fiction and fantasy world. After all, so many of our greatest writers were academics — mostly in the sciences, but occasionally in the humanities. But once I think about the wider culture — in this case, U.S. culture — it becomes abundantly clear: it’s anti-intellectual posturing. The U.S. has always had a strong anti-intellectual perspective, but in recent years that has reached alarming levels, with mountains of outright derision lobbed at those who are identified as intellectuals — especially academics in the humanities. And as an academic, I still struggle with how to respond to this derisive viewpoint. How do you convince people who already view intellectuals (and academia) with contempt that there is value to be had among the intellectuals (and academics)? That’s a question to answer another time. All of this leads me to R. Scott Bakker’s recent post on the Hugos. In particular, I’m interested in Bakker’s conclusion, since the majority of his post has little to do with academia, except insofar as he demonstrates a significant dislike for us (we’re fools and clowns, apparently, for believing we can teach critical thinking). That dislike also seems to extend to Sandifer, though I’ll admit that it’s difficult to parse posturing or rejection of ideas from actual dislike (and, hell, they may not be that different anyway). Sandifer is a necessary starting point here, because what Sandifer argues about the effects of the Sad / Rabid Puppies (and Beale in particular) on the Hugo Awards can be boiled down to “damaging the Hugo Awards” and “damaging the value of fandom by infected it with bile.” To this argument, Bakker eventually concludes the following: And let’s suppose that the real problem facing the arts community lies in the impact of technology on cultural and political groupishness, on the way the internet and preference-parsing algorithms continue to ratchet buyers and sellers into ever more intricately tuned relationships. Let’s suppose, just for instance, that so-called literary works no longer reach dissenting audiences, and so only serve to reinforce the values of readers… That precious few of us are being challenged anymore—at least not by writing. The communicative habitat of the human being is changing more radically than at any time in history, period. The old modes of literary dissemination are dead or dying, and with them all the simplistic assumptions of our literary past. If writing that matters is writing that challenges, the writing that matters most has to be writing that avoids the ‘preference funnel,’ writing that falls into the hands of those who can be outraged. The only writing that matters, in other words, is writing that manages to span significant ingroup boundaries. If this is the case, then Beale has merely shown us that science fiction and fantasy actually matter, that as a writer, your voice can still reach people who can (and likely will) be offended… as well as swayed, unsettled, or any of the things Humanities clowns claim writing should do. There are a number of problems here. First, Bakker assumes (or wants us to assume) that the so called “literary works” aren’t reaching audiences. This is easy to refute by looking at the mountains of so called “literary writers” whose works appear on bestseller lists or are invited to give talks in performance halls fit for a thousand or more people. The challenging works of the “literary” form are already reaching audiences. Salman Rushdie, David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, Jennifer Egan, Karen Russell, and on and on and on and on. This is, after all, what we are concerned with, no? Challenges to our literary and personal sensibilities. Within science fiction and fantasy, that becomes much more difficult to measure. What constitutes “reaching an audience”? Bestseller lists? OK. If so, then we might as well assume that sf/f is utterly stagnant, since its most compelling and memorable work isn’t hitting those lists, which is a problem too complicated to explore here. I am, of course, setting aside the reality that “literary” doesn’t exist in any realistic grouping. As a genre, it is even less well-defined than science fiction, which at least has identifiable traditions. What I will say is this: while Bakker seems to view people like me as clowns, we do have a significant hand in what continues to be discussed as “significant” in the sf/f field. What I teach when I teach a science fiction class influences what thousands of everyday people think of when they think “science fiction and fantasy.” There are thousands and thousands of teachers just like me, and thanks to a massive shift in public and academic interests, we’re now teaching sf/f more than we used to. And what I teach isn’t going to be the repetitive, stagnant sf/f of today. Why would I teach an sf/f adventure novel from 2005 which offers nothing new when I can teach its more compelling predecessor from 1895? When I teach my space opera course in the fall, I’m not going to teach contemporary works which read like E. E. “Doc” Smith. I’m going to teach Smith. I’m not going to teach Heinlein pastiches. I’m going to teach Heinlein. And when it comes to the contemporary writers I want to explore, it will be Ann Leckie, Yoon Ha Lee, Tobias Buckell, and so
Why I Don’t Shop at Chain Bookstores (Often)
I live in a town which has very little in the way of independent bookstores. There’s one very tiny feminist bookshop, which is nifty, and a handful of comic shops, but there’s little else. If I want to shop somewhere that isn’t a chain, department store, or Internet store, I have to wait for one of the two massive Friends of the Library events (one in the fall; one in the spring), which is always a zoo and hardly conducive to calm browsing. Basically, I have few options. None of this would be a problem if I still had access to a Borders or a good independent bookstore. Back in the old days of living in Santa Cruz (pre-2009), Borders was my go-to-chain. It had a decent enough selection and little of the stresses that other chains often created. Their membership club was free (and for a time offered “points” for purchases, which you could add up to discounts later on), too. It wasn’t the only bookstore I went to, of course. There was a great used bookstore in the part of town (called Logo’s) and a wonderful independent bookshop with superb selection. Basically, downtown Santa Cruz was the ultimate bookshopping spot for me. Gainesville has none of that. The Barnes & Noble shop closed down. I don’t know if we ever had a Borders, but there certainly hasn’t been one here since at least 2009 (and now there never will be). The only good independent bookshop closed down years ago because the University of Florida bookstore did everything it could to cannibalize its sales (not just conjecture; it did — ok, it’s conjecture…). Gainesville has two Books-a-Millions, which are poor excuses for bookstores, generally speaking. When it had a B&N, things weren’t much better (except that I could talk to a real person if I had questions about my Nook/Nook HD+). What’s the problem with places like BaM, B&N, etc.? In the current bookshopping climate, chains offer the least pleasurable experience. Since they’re desperately fighting off the online marketplace, many of these chains have put more effort into pushing things that aren’t books on customers. Books-a-Million, for example, puts far more effort into trying to sell people their $25/yr memberships than it does in curating a good selection of books. Their science fiction and fantasy section, for example, is lackluster on average (one of the stores in town might as well stop carrying sf/f, since their selection is just shy of pointless). When I do shop there, I’m always measuring the desire for a book against my desire not to have to tell that poor cashier that I don’t want to join the club or do X or whatever to get some added discount. I’m always trying to avoid the guilty shopping experience. That’s a horrible thing to feel when I’m at the bookstore. I want to feel excited about that new book, not uneasy because I know I have deal with the hard sell. There’s a reason I do so much of my bookshopping online. I get all the selection I could possibly want and none of the uncomfortable feelings. Why leave the house for anything less? All of this was highlighted further by today’s experience at Books-a-Million. When I went up to the counter, I noticed that this particular BaM sold comics at the register. I knew they sold graphic novels, but I had somehow forgotten or missed that they also sold comic books. Being a new comic book convert, I had to say something. And what did the cashier say? He said “hey, there’s actually a whole section of comics if you’d like me to show them to you.” I hesitated, because I knew the hard sell was coming. He was going to push that damned membership on me again: “And if you join our super duper club, you’ll save $0.37 on a comic book! Come on, you know you want to!” If I said know, he’d push again. And again. And then he’d give that look they all give because somehow that membership is tied to their job security… But that’s not what happened. He gave me an enthusiastic smile and showed me those comics. I ended up grabbing the first volume of Black Science, which he apparently loved enough to give me a high five. (This same fellow made several recommendations to another customer, who then bought those books.) This experience is so uncommon at Books-a-Million that it stood out. Here was a guy actually showing customers things they might like. He was doing his job as a bookseller, not as some guy working for a chain trying to upsell their non-book-specific bobbles. This has never happened to me at a Books-a-Million. Or any chain for that matter. The chains are always about general sales, not recommendations. They’re about shoving non-book product on the consumer, not helping them find new things to read. They’re about everything other than selling books (except in the most basic sense of the phrase, since they are bookstores). So when a cashier at such a place goes off script, I can’t help but notice. Because this is the kind of behavior I expect at Powell’s or Santa Cruz Bookstore. There’s a reason the chain bookstores are struggling. They don’t offer this kind of service as a default. They don’t give us a reason as consumers to continue to go through their doors, particularly if we’re regular book shoppers. Because for chains, it’s not about treating customers as individuals who want to read, but about treating customers as walking wallets you have to prod and tweak to open up. There’s a reason I always go to Powell’s when I visit home: I get the personal experience I want. And Powell’s is enormous. Thousands and thousands of customers shop there. And every time, I get that personal experience. Period. It doesn’t matter if I’m there to buy 50 books or one. I don’t pretend for a second that “personal experience”
Non-US SF/F Fandom Survey: Perspectives on the Hugo Awards
As you might have heard, I’ve been working on a survey for non-US sf/f fans to get their perspective on the Hugo Awards (as the title suggests). That survey went live yesterday. If you are a non-US sf/f fan, please consider taking the survey to give your thoughts! Thanks!
The Future Blogging Game Plan Thing: Opinions Welcome
As I mentioned on Twitter the other day, I’ve started putting together a new structure for my online writing. Today, I offer up one possible restructuring effort. Your opinions are always welcome, even if you fundamentally disagree with the whole endeavor. On a side note: I do plan to move this blog to its own website soon (to coincide with my own personal site). I don’t know if I will keep the World in the Satin Bag name, though I probably should. Here is the structure I’m considering: WISB would shift to an sf/f commentary and writing blog; most of what I’d offer here would be my semi-academic discussions, views on what’s happening in sf/f, views on sf/f, and general nonsense about my sad little writing career (which is frankly what this blog has mostly been anyway). Basically, this blog ceases to be a review blog and becomes more of a discussion blog that provides much of the same stuff I’ve always provided, but with a little more focus. All book reviews would move to The Skiffy and Fanty Show blog OR to review sites (Strange Horizons, etc.; I already have a review coming out through them soon) Totally Pretentious would become my “movie discussion” arena, since it’s a movie podcast and blog. This would include three specific elements:a) the podcast (more on that later)b) Retro Nostalgia: it will become a feature where I review an sf/f movie released 10/20/30/40/50+ years from a specific week or month (example: Ladyhawke was released in April 1985). I’ll just go back and forth through time by divisions of 10 :)!c) The 6 Continents Director Circle: a terrible title for a feature in which I explore the work of a single director, moving from continent to continent. This may come in the form of reviews or essays about the breadth of their work (from the perspective of a budding film critic and film scholar). I’m told by David Annandale that we might also include this as part of the podcast at a future point (more on that later). This would mean restructuring my Patreon so it focuses on the specific things I’m offering (the columns at TP and reviews at S&F). It would also mean effectively killing many of my current columns in favor for a smaller number of specific ones, which may or may not be the path I should take (or the expectation of readers). You are free to disagree if you really love something I do on WISB. Hell, you can disagree with this entire post if you so choose. It was also suggested to me that I should perhaps put more focus into my podcasting anyway, since that’s where I’m better known. And it’s true that I really love podcasting and would love to do more of it. I’m not sure how to incorporate that into the structure, though. Thoughts? My biggest concern with the new structure is this: it seems to diversify my writing across multiple spaces, which seems counter-intuitive to the project of focus. Is that just in my head, or is that fairly accurate? Should I just focus the columns on this blog and simply repeat a weekly “formula” on a consistent basis (three columns a week on MWF; every week…always)? Would that be more effective? Would that be better for my existing readership? Alright. The comments are all yours.
Shaun’s Terrible Book Covers: With Great Power by @_terri_jones
In case you missed it on Twitter, I playfully suggested that I would draw the cover art for someone’s book if they sent me a description for a scene. And I promised the art would be bad, because I’m no artist. One brave victim responded to my call: Terri Jones. And this is what I came out with: You can click for a larger image. Yes, it is terrible. But it’s also kind of awesome. I may do this again in the future, so keep an eye out 😛
A Long List of Writing/Blogging Projects I Want to Do
As you may recall, I mentioned that I had started to reconsider the future of this blog and my various blogging/podcasting/writing projects. The conversation preceding and surrounding that post have led me here: a post about the things I would like to do. Obviously, I cannot do all of these things, but I know these are projects I want to complete or pursue at some point in my life. Your opinions on anything listed here is greatly appreciated. If anything leaps out at you as something you’d really be interested in, let me know in the comments. You’re also welcome to suggest things, as it’s possible I’ve forgotten something. Blogging Projects: Write more commentary on WISB — less so on controversies than on genre Create a steady, repeatably schedule of specific things for WISB Star Wars Extended Universe Re-read — reading, discussing, and reviewing the entire extended universe. The ENTIRE EU. In chronological order. I feel inclined towards this because the EU is, well, gone, and I think that is a travesty. SFF Film Odyssey — a broader take on the lackluster feature I’ve been running. Taking a play out of Jay Garmon’s suggestion, this would involve looking at sf/f films 10/20/30/40/50+ years in the past in some kind of order I’ve yet to determine. Perhaps by week (10 years ago this week…). Reviews and discussions of significant sf/f films (housed, I suspect, at Totally Pretentious). Director Explorations — reviewing every feature-length film released by a single director, old and new. I’ve talked about doing this already; I think it could be a lot of fun to do at Totally Pretentious. Space Opera Read Along (for the Fall) — I’m teaching a space opera course in the fall. Since I don’t often discuss older books on this blog, I thought that might be a cool thing to do in the fall. More book reviews — in combination with new and old. I do so much “new” reading for Skiffy and Fanty that I feel I’m missing out on a lot of older stuff, and I suspect some of you might actually care what I think about books 20 or so years removed. International SF/F Fan Survey — to get input from non-US fandom about the Hugo Award (perception, etc.); this isn’t specific to the SP/RP thing, though a question would be directed to that. I plan to get general feelings versus specific responses to contemporary controversies; the intent is to understand what folks outside of the States think about the award. Podcasting: Monetize The Skiffy and Fanty Show (yeah, I want to consider this now) Expand Totally Pretentious (and monetize so we can do more stuff) — David and I are talking about adding a second feature (Gap Fillers — where we alternate selecting a movie we think the other should see that they haven’t) and possibly adding more stuff in the future. Some of that would be solved by increasing the subscriber base, but the others would require funding it, I think. Start a writing podcast Start a semi-academic sf/f podcast called Opera Fantastika. Start a podcast about my grandmother’s crazy life (seriously, her life was full of weirdness and laughter and crazy) Note: to be clear — I don’t mean “monetize” in the sense of “I want to make money for myself.” For Skiffy and Fanty, monetizing wouldn’t be profitable for me anyway because I share the show with a lot of other people. But bringing in revenue for that show could mean we can get better recording equipment, attend more conventions, etc. Fiction: The Histories (blog novel) — a fictional history book detailing the real identity of Mike Underwood via an in-depth analysis of anthropological, photographic, and historical evidence. YA Space Opera Craziness — the novel I’ve been working on for a while, which I’ve tentatively described as two siblings — a tech-savvy genius and her wheelchair-using combat expert — go on a grand adventure through the universe, with wheelchair mecha, crazy technology, religious fanatics, mayhem, and wicked cool stunts. Camden in Nightface — “gritty” space opera which follows the leader of a revolutionary force who witnesses the total destruction of his homeworld and wages a terrorist campaign against a federation of Earth-aligned worlds. The MC is literally a terrorist, so it’s a bit of a challenge. Full Magic Jacket — urban fantasy about a guy who bonks his head after a drunken stupor one evening and awakes to find that not only can he see the supernatural, but also his cat can talk to him…and turns out to be the reincarnated soul of an Egyptian pharaoh. Editing Projects: The Evil Anthology of Evil SFF — a collection of subversive science fiction and fantasy addressing evil in all its complicated machinations (at least two authors expressed interest in this, by the way, so I think it’s likely something like this could happen) The Secret Cabal — a collection of equally subversive sf/f on bigotry in its overt and subconscious forms House Cleaning: Finally move WISB to its own website. Finally figure out what WISB will become… And that’s it…for now.