Why the SF Canon Doesn’t Exist
As is periodically the case in the SFF community, we’re once more in the midst of a conversation about “the classics.” If you’re reading this now, it doesn’t actually matter that I wrote this in 2022; this conversation happens so often that the context above could apply in any given year going back decades, albeit […]
Link of the Day: Liz Bourke on (Male) Rape in Epic Fantasy
I’ve got nothing to say about Liz Bourke’s recent post on the topic in the title — at least, not right now (maybe later). However, I do think she’s raising a damned important question: why aren’t more male writers dealing with the sexual abuse/rape of male characters in epic fantasies (especially when the sexual abuse/rape […]
Hugo Award Recommendations Needed! Inquire Within…
I’ve never voted for the Hugos before, which means this year is a huge “first.” Regardless, I’ve always had a problem filling out some of the categories, sometimes because I’m not familiar with the field (comics, for example). This is where you all come in. Below is the list of all the categories in which […]
Literary Explorations: Epic Fantasy = Crushingly Conservative? (A Sorta Response to Liz Bourke)
First, read this. Have you read it now? Good. I want to start by briefly talking about two of the central problems that Ms. Bourke rightly struggles with throughout her post (and which many readers had issues developing or agreeing to on their own) — definitions and the perception of their application. For the sake […]
Literary Explorations: Rethinking the Classics — Ringworld and the Golden Age (Brief Thoughts)
One of my colleagues recently asked me whether I think he should finish reading Ringworld by Larry Niven. While he didn’t say so directly, I assume that he isn’t enjoying his first foray into the Known Space universe. There are probably a lot of good reasons for that. His research interests lean toward the last […]
Teaching Rambles: If You Could Teach It…: The Space Opera Edition
One of the things I hope to do one day is teach a class on Space Opera. Thus far, that opportunity has not arisen just yet, but the future is bright (as they say). For this teaching-related post, though, I’d like to offer a suggested reading list for two different Space Opera courses and then […]