What Is It We Do When We Read Science Fiction | |||||
Paul Kincaid | |||||
Beccon Publications, 365 pages | |||||
A review by Steven H Silver
Kincaid's essays assume a certain level of familiarity with science fiction as a whole and with the specific authors and sub-genres
he is discussing. This means that when he discusses authors who are better known in Britain than in America, he may lose some of
his North American readers, but it also demonstrates just how heterogeneous science fiction is. Despite an increasing
globalization, there are still regionalisms even within the realm of Anglophonic science fiction.
Kincaid's essays are insightful and offer a much more detailed look at authors' works than the average review. His essays
regarding Priest or Gene Wolfe, are lengthy enough that he is able to provide a real understanding of these men's place in
the genre and the themes which run throughout their oeuvre. These essays assume a familiarity with the subjects, so if
Kincaid's reader has not read the works of his subject, these essays lose some of their strength.
Throughout the book, readers will find what amount to lengthy reviews of individual books, some as they came out and others
years after their initial publication. But Kincaid does more than just review the books. He places them within their genre
context, and also looks at them in relation to the authors' careers as a whole. For readers who might be more used to reading
brief synopsis reviews that tell them whether to read a book, Kincaid's more intellectual look at books will seem
strange, but he is clearly involved in the dialogue of science fiction.
Damon Knight famously claimed that science fiction is what he points to when he says "This is science fiction." Before and
after Knight's definition, other authors, scholars, and fans have attempted to come up with a concise definition of what
science fiction is. Although Kincaid does not provide a short, easily quotable definition of the genre, he does provide
a more holistic definition by looking at a broad range of the type of literature we read when we say "this is science fiction."
Focused, as it is, on British science fiction, although with vast swathes of American SF as well,
What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction may not answer the question posed in the title, but it does provide
a view of science fiction which will be eye opening to just about any reader. Kincaid's essays and reviews offer in depth
analysis of the authors and topics he has selected to write about.
Steven H Silver is a seven-time Hugo Nominee for Best Fan Writer and the editor of the anthologies Wondrous Beginnings, Magical Beginnings, and Horrible Beginnings. He is the publisher of ISFiC Press. In addition to maintaining several bibliographies and the Harry Turtledove website, Steven is heavily involved in convention running and publishes the fanzine Argentus. |
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