This week, with Jonathan hard at work compiling his year’s best anthology, we revisit one of the oldest questions about science fiction—namely, what is it and how do you decide what to include or exclude from an anthology clearly labelled as science fiction?
Rather than trying to offer our own definitions, we discuss the problem of definition in general. Gary argues that the many definitions of SF could be classed as the functional (or purely practical, like Damon Knight’s famous “what I point to”), the rhetorical (definitions designed to promote the importance of the genre), and the theoretical (lit-crit stuff). We agreed that such definitions tend to change over time.
That leads us into a discussion of the current state of space opera, and the question of whether the space setting is a defining feature, even when, as with Aliette de Bodard’s The Tea Master and the Detective, the plot is borrowed from mysteries.
Finally, we talk about some of our current reading. Gary mentions Rivers Solomon’s The Deep, which he sees as representing a fascinating collaboration between music and fiction since the central idea began with the techno-electronic duo Drexciya, became a Hugo-nominated rap by Clipping and is now Solomon’s novel. Jonathan mentioned Leah Bardugo's bestselling new fantasy, Ninth House, which is out now and which he recommends.
As always, we hope you enjoy the podcast. We'll be back soon!
Episode 493: Ten Minutes with Nina Allan
Episode 492: Ten Minutes with Charles Vess
Episode 491: Ten Minutes with Sarah Gailey
Episode 487: Ten Minutes with Maureen McHugh
Episode 490: Ten Minutes with Amal El-Mohtar
Episode 489: Ten Minutes with Daniel Abraham
Episode 488: Ten Minutes with Brooke Bolander
Episode 486: Firing the canon
Episode 485: Ten Minutes with A.T. Greenblatt
Episode 484: Ten Minutes with Cheryl Morgan
Episode 483: Ten Minutes with Alec Nevala-Lee
Episode 482: Ten Minutes with Arkady Martine
Episode 481: Ten Minutes with Molly Gloss
Episode 480: Ten Minutes with K.M. Szpara
Episode 479: What Comes Next?
Episode 478: Ten Minutes with Sarah Monette and Katherine Addison
Episode 477: Ten Minutes with James P. Blaylock
Episode 476: Twenty One Minutes with Peter Watts
Episode 475: Ten Minutes with M. John Harrison
Episode 474: Ten Minutes with Jane Yolen
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