The other day I was perusing old posts for some specific info when I stumbled on the blog below from nearly five years ago. I read it, sat back, and thought. "Whoa! I'd forgotten about that heated old SFR vs SF battle."
For the sake of nostalgia (and because I'm plain flat broke on blog ideas this week) I decided to repost this oldie. I still think it makes some valid points on the old SF vs. SFR debate -- and, in retrospect how books written by women are sometimes (often) discounted and scorned as substandard by certain individuals. Sort of a watered-down literary world version of the #metoo movement, isn't it? But I have to add the caveat that it's not just woman writing SFR, especially in more recent years.
Here's the old commentary:
Other than a few comments and one short blog, I've remained pretty quiet on this topic. That's not because it doesn't pain and irritate and sometimes outrage me--believe me, it does. It's just that I'm okay with letting people express opinions that are completely other-side-of-the-universe different from my own.
Freedom of speech is one of the rights we've always (maybe until recent years) prided ourselves on having in this country. When I was young, we were taught to respect, and even consider [gasp!] opinions expressed by others that didn't fit our personal outlook. There was a time when the general feeling was "everyone is entitled to their opinion" though these days that seems to have morphed into "everyone is entitled to my opinion."
This "Keep your Romance out of my Sci-Fi!" group seems to be a banner-waving minority who'd like to champion that school of thought. But, IMHO, some may be simply using the topic to enhance their stats.
Case in point:
There's a difference between freedom to express your opinion and intentionally inciting a reaction. This is why I am choosing to talk about one specific "opinion piece" without including a link. I'd like to state my own opinion of the motivation behind it without feeding that particular fire.
This past week we were treated to yet another strongly worded argument on keeping Romance out of Sci-Fi, and an equally strong push back, which was immediately labeled as being an attack on an author who has a right to express his opinion. (In other words, he has a right to express his opinion, but no one has a right to pin his hide to the wall in an articulate rebuttal.)
In my mind, this wasn't an opinion piece, this was a very sad attempt to stir the pot and feed off the controversy for the sake of hit count. The article was meant to incite, not promote discussion, which became painfully clear by the closing words and the subsequent threats to "turn off the comments." And this is why I don't feel this post was really about stating and defending his opinion at all, it was simply a blatant form of manipulation.
I'm going to avoid direct quotes from the author unless necessary, but let me paraphrase some of the statements made in the article:
Some authors who started off writing "true" Science Fiction soon outed themselves by including Romance and that made it unworthy of being called Science Fiction.
"Not true" Science Fiction contains elements that only women find interesting, like "military dress, palace intrigue, gossiping, and whispering in the corridors." [A debunking of the works of Lois McMaster Bujold].
"Not true" Science Fiction novels that includes Romance lack necessary tension. [A discrediting of the Sharon Lee/Stephen Miller Liaden Universe series.]
Steampunk is declared a Fantasy sub-genre, because the author has no interest in reading about "zombies, fancy dress balls, smooching warriors, or star-lit dinners..."
The author closes by claiming he has now, "of course," offended everyone by stating his opinion. Which, judging from his provoking conclusion, was the whole point. Let's stir the pot by insulting some of the most beloved Science Fiction [with Romance] series because they contain elements that don't fit his personal narrow-minded definition of the genre. After all, everyone is entitled to HIS opinion--especially when making such bald, condescending statements will up the site's traffic count and generate a deluge of public backlash. Woohoo! Let's poke the tiger!
So let's look at Science Fiction and Romance debate in a different way--beyond stat-grabbing, beyond personal likes or dislikes, and beyond a futile attempt to defend the "purity" of one small segment of a genre that is fading from the reading public's interest.
Here's my view (like it or not, it's your choice):
> Science Fiction and Romance are soul mates.
> Science Fiction is about exploration and discovery. So is Romance.
> Science Fiction is about looking at situations in new ways and adapting to changing times. So is Romance.
> Science Fiction is about being inventive, spontaneous and pushing the envelope. So is Romance.
> Science Fiction is about being forward-thinking and embracing the possibilities. So is Romance.
> Romance not only belongs in Science Fiction, it shares the same DNA.
So if you think exploring the future, other dimensions or emerging technology isn't tied to romance, you're entitled to think that, I suppose. But there's a growing reading public who vigorously disagrees. And ultimately it's the readers--not the authors, bloggers, reviewers or publishing houses--who will decide what is and isn't Science Fiction.
I rest my case. Please feel free to make yours.
~~ * ~~
Huh. We lived -- and are still living -- in interesting times. I don't know that SFR has garnered any more respect some five years later, but it seems the efforts to stifle the genre have at least cooled somewhat in more recent years.
The construction of a series is always a
complicated task, involving a growing ensemble cast and a multitude of bit
players. My SFR Interstellar Rescue
series has certainly been no exception, the world I’m building becoming more
detailed as I go along. I’m discovering, too, that some of my newer cast
members need more than a little bit of “wrangling.”
My latest novel, Not Fade Away, Interstellar Rescue Book 4 (on
pre-order now on Amazon), stars some familiar characters from my previous books in addition
to my new romantic couple, Rescue agent Rafe Gordon and home care nurse Charlie
McIntyre. That was difficult enough to pull off. But a few unique secondary
characters in this book took special handling to get just right on the page.
Happy, the therapy
dog. I introduced Happy in a previous
blog post here on Spacefreighters. He was a lot of
fun to write, but he was a character in his own right, too, with his own
consistent personality and behavior based on his breed and background. I wanted
to make sure Happy acted like a real dog,
not a Hollywood idea of a dog. I asked my friend Beki Weight, who has years of
dog training and fostering experience, to read my manuscript. Her input was
invaluable in molding Happy into a believable character.
Del Gordon, father of
the hero.The premise
of Not Fade Away is that Rescue agent
Rafe Gordon must bring his father, legendary alien fighter Del, now suffering
from dementia, to Earth to hide him from alien assassins. Depicting Del in a
respectful, yet realistic, way was not easy.
I was acutely aware every minute I spent
with Del that many of my readers deal with this challenge every day in real
life, caring for mothers and fathers, husbands and wives with the heartbreak of
Alzheimers, of other forms of dementia, or of traumatic brain injury. To get it
right, I did as much research as I could on the specific form of dementia that
affects Del (Lewy Body—characterized especially by hallucinations, which figure
in the story), and I drew on my years of experience teaching chi gung to
dementia patients and assisted-living residents.
BiN, a sentient
computer. At least for Happy or the elderly Del I
only had to worry about characterization from the outside. That is, I didn’t
attempt to write from either the dog’s POV or the elderly Del’s. (There is
extensive flashback material from Del’s younger
perspective, though, from a time when his mind was intact.)
Building a POV for the character of BiN, the
sentient computer, was necessary, since no one else knows what BiN knows of the
story. The creature/machine doesn’t become sentient all at once. Like a child,
it develops a sense of itself gradually as it accumulates information. And as
it accumulates even more information and becomes more curious, it acquires a
sense of ethics and morality, a development that was never contemplated or
expected by its creators. That’s a major twist in the plot, so must come from
BiN’s POV. I had to make it believable, which I just have to hope it is. Not
being a programmer, I faked it pretty hard, but real programming language would
probably have sent every other reader to sleep within seconds!
The good thing about writing challenges is
that they make for an exciting reading experience in the end. Pre-order your
copy of Not Fade Away, Interstellar
Rescue Series Book 4 today so you’ll be ready
to experience it June 12!
Earth shielded
his secrets--
Until her love unlocked his
heart.
Rescue agent Rafe Gordon is human, though
Earth has never been his home. But when his legendary father Del becomes the
target of alien assassins, Rafe must hide the dementia-debilitated hero in the
small mountain town where the old man was born—Masey, North Carolina, USA, Earth.
Home care nurse Charlie McIntyre and her
therapy dog, Happy, have never had such challenging clients before. Del’s
otherworldly “episodes” are not explained by his diagnosis, making Charlie
question everything about her mysterious charge and his dangerously attractive
son. Rafe has the answers she needs, but Charlie will have to break through his
wall of secrets to get them.
As the heat rises between Charlie and Rafe,
the deadly alien hunters circle closer. The light they seek to extinguish
flickers in the gloom of Del’s fading mind—the memory of a planet-killer that
threatens to enslave the galaxy.
I've floated my latest SFR on the Web Sea! By now you all know everything there is to know about the book, but here's the blurb and buy links - and a wonderful review.
It obviously ticked a few boxes with someone.
The Misfits are off on another planet-hopping adventure.
When Jirra and Toreni rescue Romila from a raid on her antiques
business the Misfits start off on a mission to uncover a drug-smuggling
operation. A new, very potent drug is on the market, hidden in statues
of ice warriors carved on a remote world.
But all’s not well within the team. Toreni and Chet have fallen out,
Toreni has received an offer that might be too good to refuse, and Jirra
has doubts about her future. When the drug-smuggling operation morphs
into something even more dangerous, the Misfits must resolve their
differences. If they don’t act together, and quickly, many lives will be
at risk. Including their own.
Action and adventure, with a little bit of romance.
From the
imagination of a writer with a firm grasp on world-building - both
social and cultural - comes another gripping tale of intrigue where the
stakes are high and the outcomes less than certain. Filled with high
action and a dollop of romance, the Morgan's Misfits crew - coming off a
successful mission in Kuralon Rescue - now find themselves at odds when
personalities and individual goals clash. The story's narrative detail
walks that fine line between techie overkill and cultural authenticity
with aplomb, each description adding to the story and fleshing it out
into a believable whole. With engaging characters who must balance
individual needs with the necessity of working as a unit to achieve
their mission goals and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge
of your seat, Rescuing Romila is a most worthy addition to the Morgan
Selwood canon. Add a cameo by the hottest admiral in the fleet,
Ashkar Ravindra, and you have the perfect formula for a gripping
adventure. This is space opera at its finest.
Thank you, reader.
I don't arrange reviews, or ask for them, except maybe a paragraph at the end of a book. I didn't even do that, this time. But reviews do matter, so if you've read a book you enjoyed, do the author a favour and write a review. It doesn't have to be as complicated as the one up there. Something like, "I really enjoyed the story" is just fine.
This is a season debut that I have to take special note of. The Expanse returns this Wednesday, April 11th, on the SyFy Channel.
Returning with a Hugo Award under its belt, which it won in 2017 for the final episode of Season 1, 'Leviathon Wakes,' and with five other award nominations, The Expanse only promises to get better with each passing season.
In case you've missed my rave reviews about The Expanse in past posts--
--let me tell you just five things that make this show so phenomenal.
The Romance!
Yes, I said the "R" word and yes, that's my lead. As a SFR writer, I look for moving, believable romances in the heart of a terrific sci-fi experience, and this series has it all!
The Expanse encompasses a compelling, unpredictable romance between two of the main players (and trust me, it's not the only compelling romance in the series). This one is between Holden, tragic, reluctant hero and tunnel-visioned, windmill-tilter on a quest to save humanity, and Naomi, a brilliant engineer and humanitarian, who's catch phrase is: "You underestimate my ability to break things."
I could attempt to explain the nuances of their relationship, but in all honesty, this fan-made video does it so much better. (So, quick--here it is before YouTube zaps it.)
Don't let this video fool you. The Expanse is about so much more than just a truly awesome romance (or two). This video managed to bring together most of the romantic scenes between these two characters.
The Characters! (Big wow here)
The story is told primarily through three main characters--James Holden, a newly-promoted XO on the ice hauler Canterbury, Joe Miller, a police detective on Ceres Station in the asteroid belt, and Chrisjen Avasarala, a powerful UN Deputy Undersecretary on Earth.
Though The Expanse has much more Sci-Fi than R, the two male leads' actions and motives are initially driven by their tragic longing for women they can't have, and the fates of all the characters are tied to an event that sparks what could be the beginning of a system-wide war. That event is the destruction of the Canterbury by an advanced and previously unknown stealth ship, and a subsequent declaration by James Holden that triggers the catch-phrase of a rising OPA rebellion, "Remember the Cant!"
There are many important secondary characters, including Naomi Nagata (engineer), Amos Burton (muscle), Alex Kamal (pilot), James Holden's shipmates who are all survivors of the doomed Canterbury. Chrisjen Avasarala, political heavyweight. Julie Andromeda Mao--former pilot of the Razorback racing ship and rich girl turned OPA rebel who ultimately is a direct connection between several of the characters. Fred Johnson, who a decade before earned the title the "Butcher of Anderson Station," and now oversees the construction of the largest spacecraft ever built, the LDS generation ship, the Nauvoo, while secretly heading up the OPA.
This is a short study done of hardened, cynical Ceres Station cop, Miller, and his infatuation with Julie Mao and their climatic meeting that happens after her death, but...well...it's a twist as only The Expanse can deliver. And in spite of this heartfelt goodbye to Miller, it promises to keep on delivering.
Pay special attention to the last four words uttered by Miller in this clip.
The Sci-Fi Factors!
There are sooo many things to love about this show, but the authentic science fiction (is that an oxymoron? No, I think not) is one of the most mind-blowing. The shows production team has strived to get everything right. Even the star fields in the backgrounds of some of the space scenes have been researched to be sure they are absolutely correct. How the characters move in a weightless environment and the gear they wear to function in such has been done with realism. How artificial gravity is generated, usually in one of three ways: centrifugal, thrust-based, or spin-generated, is all based on known science.
And space battles? The characters gear up in their enviro-suits before battles with the anticipation that their hull is going to become Swiss cheese. How basic is that? But as elemental as it is, have we ever seen it done before?
Have I convinced you yet? If not, take a look at this enthusiastic endorsement by Spacedock.com:
Think science is boring? Check out this scene of a "flip and burn" maneuver, which shows how a ship in space might actually change direction. (Star Wars, please take note: No bank-and-turn in an airless environment!)
"The juice" mentioned in this clip is another factor. It counteracts the effects of a high-G maneuver, keeping arteries and blood vessels elastic so they don't rupture in the forces generated by the thrust, at least for a time. (We learn later that even the juice can't counteract high-G burn for an indefinite period in one heart-pounding space chase scene.)
Diversity and Inclusivity!
This is absolutely one of the most diverse casts of any genre on television, anywhere--and the beauty of it is it's all seamless. Because this future of humanity has resulted in a blending of cultures where race is no longer a factor and ethnicity is a non-issue. People are just people. Some are powerful and calculating, some are exploited and angry, and some are just pawns of one or the other. According to their background, they have beliefs and dialect unique to their situations. (I also wrote these elements into my novel Inherit the Stars, where all races merged and then were divided again according to political, social and planetary differences.)
In The Expanse what divides them is where they hail from -- Earth and Luna, Mars, or the Belt and the Outer Planets -- a trio of cultures that are all at desperate odds with one another. Each society has its own goals, its own priorities, and its own agendas. Whether they are white, black, asian, middle eastern, eastern European, pacific islander, or--in the case of one character -- a genetic blend of eight individuals of unstated ethnicity--their conflicts are based on their place in the solar system, not the skin color or the culture of their ancestors. No one cares.
Gender also doesn't matter, and this series features several standout female role models, including the powerful politician, a formidable Martian Marine, and the brilliant engineer and possible former OPA operative who has a soul-deep compassion for others.
In this future, race and gender elements no longer define the individual. And there are no token anythings, just a beautifully blended cast of brilliant actors.
This fascinating interview done during Comic-Con highlights six of the cast members discussing their characters:
The Politics!
Politics in our time triggers a lot of conflicting emotions, and politics 200 years from now is no different...it just has different dynamics and different triggers. So here's the set-up. The United Nations is now the governing body for Earth and the Moon. Because robotics and artificial intelligence has basically done away with a human workforce, very few people hold jobs and instead live on a small government handout. The masses are poor and struggling. And the wealthy and powerful are enormously so. The attitude of the UN territories is pretty much stated in dialogue by one of the main characters, UN Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (one of the most influential people in the solar system...and with a powerful mouth to match): "Earth comes first."
Mars has established itself as it's own political entity and is populated by tough, resilient colonists who take great pride in their planet, have a formidable space fleet and a tough-as-carbonite military (MCRN--Martian Congressional Republic Navy). Their ships are some of the best and most advanced in the solar system, that is until the mystery stealth ship comes on the scene. But Mars has a great dream they are striving for but haven't been able to reach. The achievable date keeps getting moved farther into the future.
The Belters are made up of the brave or desperate souls who occupy the asteroid belt and planets beyond. They have evolved in multiple low gravity environments. They're the working class of the system, living on a ships, space stations, a few asteroids and some of the moons of the Outer Planets. They are downtrodden and the exploited. As one Belter put it (paraphrasing): "The Belt had enough water for a thousand generations. And the Earth and Mars took it! They've made their fortunes on our backs!"
The OPA or Outer Planets Alliance is a movement that arose from the malcontent of the Belters. They vow to take back what they feel is rightfully theirs, but they're a scattered, disorganized collection of gangs and groups. One businessman and former military officer headquartered on spacestation Tycho wants to change that, and he'll use every resource he can muster or steal to get it done.
The events in Season One beautifully laid the foundation for a fast-moving, heart-pounding and often shocking Season Two. Season Three promises even more. Here's a quick peek:
This show has something for everyone...and I hope the SFR community will support it, because this kind of quality SF with R television only comes around once in a great while.
I hope you'll tune into Season Three of The Expanse on Wednesday.
Have a great week!
P.S. Thanks for hanging with me to the end of this blog. If you're intrigued with The Expanse, here's one more video you might really enjoy.
