Saturday, June 21, 2008

Finally

The definitive answer to a question authors of science fiction have been arguing about since they allowed women to write that stuff.

What is science fiction? Longish but very informative.

To recap: Science Fiction is that genre of cognitive estrangement in a post-Gothic mode, utilizing a willing suspension of disbelief, transcending anthropocentricism and temporal provincialism, where spacemen, raygun in fist, soar through outer space with a glamorous brunette Space-Babes in their brawny arms.

First and foremost we must ask, if this is to be a definitive definition of science fiction, which of these elements are essential to the definition?

Must there be a raygun involved? The answer is no.

3 comments:

Deany Bocobo said...

Don't know if you're into podcasts but look up something call The Escape Pod over at Itunes. They've got some great sci fi stories there that I love listening to on my early morning bike rides...

grifter said...

babes and rayguns are essential to making sci-fi popular with the masses. this carried over to films as well (read = $$$).

Jego said...

I'll look that up, DJB. Thanks. I subscribe to the BBC's Naked Scientists podcasts for the morning commute.