Jen's Writing Journey

So I read the post about how women were ruining sci-fi last week. And I got mad. So mad I could hardly see straight. But not so mad that I started posting my rant in the comments. I would not have furthered the discussion in any way.

I grew up on sci fi. I love sci fi. I love speculative fiction in all of its guises, whether it takes place on a spaceship, in a magical realm, or in the most horrific recesses of hell. I love male writers, including Philip Jose Farmer, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King. But I really love the space operas by Julian May, Elizabeth Moon, and Anne McCaffrey. Stories that take the science for granted and focus on the characters. I loathe sci fi that waxes poetic about the inner workings of space travel at the expense of a story or a cast of characters that hold my interest. If a focus on characters douches up sci fi, well then, I prefer it douchy, I guess.

Here is a collection of some of the more well-reasoned and coherent responses to the “women are ruining sci fi” blog post.

• By Special Request: War on Sci Fi at the Fantasy Cafe
• Women: Villainous Scourge of Hollywood at Cinematical
• Is Science Fiction Feminized, or Is It Sexist? Both at i09
• My Vagina Killed your Jet Pack at Pink Ray Gun

What do you think? Do you think the evolution of sci fi to a more character-driven focus is destroying the genre? Do you believe that the purpose of sci fi is to lure young people into scientific careers? If so, do you think the less science-y sci fi will fail at that goal?

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