Apropos of a great post by asphalteden, I figured I would post a brief overview of my relationship with science fiction. This was originally written as a response to his post, but I figured maybe it could stand on its own. Heck, we might even kick off a meme here!
I adore Gene Wolfe (well, his writing—I don't know him personally). I have read The Book of the New Sun three times, The Book of the Long Sun twice, and The Book of the Short Sun ... well, not yet. Despite the fact that most everything he writes goes a few inches above my head, I feel paradoxically smarter when I'm reading one of his novels, rather than dumber. I think this is because I make enough of the connections, even though I don't make them all.
The Dying Earth (the original short novel) is one of the earliest SF novels I ever read. Knocked me out. I haven't read a Jack Vance novel since, though again I intend to read all those Dying Earth novels ... someday. The first real SF story I remember reading was Asimov's "Reason," in abridged form in the Scholastic Weekly Reader. That was the hook that got me. I now own a copy of the April 1941 Astounding in which "Reason" first appeared. I am afraid to take it out of the plastic bag.
I almost always say "SF" or "science fiction." It's hard for me to say "sci-fi," but I'm learning. I think "speculative fiction" is shuck-n-jive talk.
I attended Clarion when I was 17. I think it did more good than harm, though certainly it did both. It terrifies me to say that this was 21 years ago, almost. I have known bobhowe more than half my life. I cried at Clarion.
I enjoy Blade Runner, Gattaca, Dark City, The Thing (the original version), Aliens, Tremors, Buckaroo Banzai, and the original Star Wars trilogy. I wanted to like A.I. and Minority Report both, and I did, but only up to a point. I have never seen 2001 from start to finish, but I plan to this year. I am stoked for the Jumper movie in Summer 2007. I am also stoked for Richard Linlater's A Scanner Darkly. I avoid most SF movies and television, though I liked Babylon 5. I fell in love with Star Trek before kindergarten even though it gave me nightmares, and I will always love it, much like two thirds of Feel So Good by Chuck Mangione will always be my favorite record.
I have The Essential Ellison, but I don't think I will ever read it. I've probably read most of what's in it anyway, at a time when I really would have called it "essential." I ate both Glass Teat books like candy. I was in college.
I never attended an SF convention until after I'd made my first pro sale, so I don't feel as if I was ever truly a fan. Like many of us, I was often told by high school English teachers not to waste my talents on sci-fi. I sent one of those teachers my first published story, and she liked it.
Live long and prosper.
