Space opera attacks! It’s been three weeks since I started teaching my space opera course, and I already have far too much to talk about! In this edition, I take a look at the first half of C.L. Moore’s Judgment Night and the interesting ways in which I and my students read gender violence into some of the early scenes. I hope you enjoy it! Some useful links:
The Hugos are over, but the controversy isn’t over. In this episode, I talk about the results of the 2015 Hugo Awards and how the Sad Puppies have irreparably harmed whatever good message they had. It’s not an exhaustive discussion, but it’s one I wanted to start while I had time. If you want to learn more about what is going on, here are few useful links:
If I could have a nickel for every time a Sad/Rabid Puppy used a straw man version of the left to defend unethical behavior, I’d probably be a lot less broke than I already am. Alas, straw man arguments don’t come with free nickels. Instead, they come with a headache.
In this episode, I talk about Lou Antonelli, his efforts to report David Gerrold to the police, and Sasquan’s response. If you want to learn more about what is going on, here are few useful links:
How do I select what I teach in my science fiction courses?
What do Moomintrolls, Tolkien, 1978, and reindeer steaks have to do with Jukka Halme? In my third Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Jukka Halme about becoming an sf/f fan, the works that influenced him, the changing technological landscape, and Finland.
