http://faerye.net/post/world-fantasy-con-report 2010-11-08T06:53:08+00:00 http://faerye.net/post/world-fantasy-con-report#comment-2746 2010-11-08T06:53:08+00:00 2010-11-08T06:53:08+00:00 <p>And yes, yay Ellen Kushner reading. :)</p> <p>- Heather, the one with the purple hair</p> Heather Albano http://www.heatheralbano.com http://faerye.net/post/world-fantasy-con-report#comment-2745 2010-11-08T00:58:39+00:00 2010-11-08T00:58:39+00:00 <p>i’m lucky you’re my sister.</p> sister_sledge http://faerye.net/post/world-fantasy-con-report#comment-2744 2010-11-06T07:08:07+00:00 2010-11-06T07:08:07+00:00 <p>Did you attend or listen to the broadcast of the Atwood/Le Guin discussion in Portland? It was, overall, a bit disappointing, but there were moments.</p> <p>One issue they were expected to discuss was labels, genres. They did. Atwood likes the term “speculative fiction” and has refused the label “science fiction” for her work. She said she thought that science fiction involved scenarios that “could not happen.” Le Guin raised her eyebrows. What does she mean, a for-instance please? Atwood cited Star Wars. Oh, big sigh, “you’re talking about media.” It made Atwood look a little foolish, and she’s not a foolish person.</p> <p>I’ve had this discussion with other writers many times over the years and it’s particularly frustrating when the person telling you what science fiction (or fantasy or whatever) is like doesn’t read it, or if they do they don’t count it as being science fiction (or fantasy or whatever). The Road, then isn’t a distopian novel or science fiction. The Dazzle of Day. Handmaid’s Tale. Ishiguro’s novel, which I found rather inflated. Just because they are well-written doesn’t alter the fact of what the author’s are writing. Do we fail to notice Byatt’s Possession is a romance or Collin’s Woman in White is a mystery/thriller just because we enjoy them (they are well written)?</p> <p>The reasoning seem to be: I don’t like this genre. I like this book. Ergo, this book is not that genre.</p> <p>Heaven forbid they should open their minds.</p> <p>It’s doubly annoying when authors are so afraid of being labeled and marginalized that they refuse those labels themselves. I suppose I can see their point. But still.</p> Jan Priddy http://janpriddyoregon.blogspot.com http://faerye.net/post/world-fantasy-con-report#comment-2743 2010-11-05T16:08:51+00:00 2010-11-05T16:08:51+00:00 <p>“my experimental data condemn me to wander the world, forcing my acquaintance on new people. "</p> <p>This isn’t such a bad fate! I enjoyed it immensely for the year and a half I did it :)</p> Kelley