tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120487666126442427.post4458926952485141078..comments2023-12-10T16:39:49.811+08:00Comments on Egoboo WA: Speculating on the SpeculativeSarahPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331711532075086214noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120487666126442427.post-30603681273244267452010-02-01T20:53:10.441+08:002010-02-01T20:53:10.441+08:00I've always hated the term "speculative f...I've always hated the term "speculative fiction", because, as you suggest, it can cover such a broad range of often very different material that it just about becomes meaningless, imho. Me, I'm a science fiction guy, through and through. And it's *science fiction* or *sf*, never sci-fi. I always told myself that if I ever ran into Forrest Ackerman, the US uber-fan who coined the expression in the 50s (to with the then-current thing for "hi-fi"), I'd give him a piece of my mind, for making an intelligent body of work sound stupid and lame.<br /><br />Then, in 2004, at the Boston Worldcon, I did meet him. He was very elderly indeed, infirm, in a wheelchair, being pushed around the Dealers Room by a carer. I said, "g'day Mr Ackerman, nice to meet you." We talked about his fabulous collection of memorabilia. The subject of that bloody "sci-fi" appelation never came up. You don't want to go round kicking poor old blokes.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00031531258119047180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120487666126442427.post-66653897113563699462010-02-01T16:05:57.978+08:002010-02-01T16:05:57.978+08:00Interesting thoughts, Satima. I agree. Science fic...Interesting thoughts, Satima. I agree. Science fiction does have an edge over realistic fiction for the unique way it is able to explore certain themes. I also think that regardless of whether people want want to call it sci-fi, sf, spec fic, science fiction or eye candy (which are all variations of the same thing) it not only asks "what if the future is like this" it also tells us a lot about ourselves as we are in the present by focussing on our hopes and fears regarding that "what if". So even though it looks like it's about the future, it's also about the present. I see this in "eye candy" like Star Trek, for the way it projects white, middle-class ideals into the future and "District Nine" for the way it explores racial issues and governments and corporations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com