What Is Speculative Fiction?

So today part of my lunch conversation went something like this:

He: Where does the term "speculative fiction" come from?
Me: Well, we use it in my MFA program, and I think we used it at Clarion, too.
He: So do publishers know this term?
Me: I don't know. But writers do. There's specfic, litfic, kidfic.
He: What exactly is speculative fiction?
Me: Fiction that's not based in reality. Like science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, magic realism.
He: So would the movie The Truman Show be speculative?
Me: No.
He: Why not?
Me: Because it's not. It's based in reality.
He: Is it?
Me: [silence-induced food coma from digesting yummy banana walnut coconut pancakes].

This is what I wanted to say, if I wasn't so incapacitated by my lunch:
Speculative fiction often implies a story set in a world whose rules stretch beyond the borders of reality, beyond what is possible given our technologies today. The premise of The Truman Show, while improbable, is definitely possible given our current technologies, as mini-camcorders nowadays are definitely tiny. The only thing reason why I think this movie might be speculative is because I do not believe that a corporation can legally buy a baby. But the rest of it (building a fake town populated with actors and mini-camcorders) could be very possible today.

As I am finishing this blog post, I discover that my Clarion classmate Damien has written a new definition of speculative fiction.

Found: Yin-Yang Ring

Sterling silver setting surrounds the circle, divided by an elongated S. The white of the yang holds one dot of black yin, but the opposite side where yin is supposed to dominate is empty--the black has cracked over the years and mostly fallen out, though oddly enough it works, as there is enough black left to completely surround the bottom of the ring, sometimes hidden by shadow in certain lights, sometimes shining almost yang in its brightness. Somehow the balance survives.

I bought this ring for myself in college and wore it everyday for years. When it cracked, I put it away and forgot about it. And just when I was itching to buy a new ring, this one comes back into my life. I'm wearing it now to regain balance.

Goodbye Realms of Fantasy

Just as I am starting to get to know the market for specfic, Realms of Fantasy, one of the biggest pro markets, is closing. Last issue will be April.

Goodbye John Updike

So I have to confess I've never read a single novel written by John Updike, but I do have a giant tome of The Best American Short Stories of the Century sitting on my shelf. Over the years I've flipped through the stories and read one here and there. I am determined to finish reading that book, though it may take more than a year, though less than a century.

Scented Inks

I've been playing with fountain pens and collecting a few inks, and now they have scented inks! Like those scratch-n-sniff stickers from the 80s. Now writing can truly be a multi-sensory experience.

The Graveyard Book Wins the Newbery Medal - Congrats Neil!

Like many readers of comics, I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series since the early 90's. Delirium and Destruction are my favorite characters. I used to have a subscription at my local comic book store just so I would not miss a single issue of Sandman (and Catwoman and X-men before the mutant universe exploded into too many titles to collect), but I digress. Fast forward 10 years or so, I learned I had been accepted into the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop in San Diego to study with each and everyone of the fabulous faculty, including Neil.

Soon after I knew I was attending Clarion, I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It was perfect timing, as I planned to read at least one prose book written by each Clarion faculty. The Graveyard Book is a delightful tale of a boy named Nobody who grows up in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts. Because of his unusual upbringing, Nobody learns all sorts of useful skills. While at Clarion, Neil treated us and a packed audience at Mysterious Galaxy to a pre-publication reading of a chapter from The Graveyard Book. He is an excellent reader, even giving voices to the different characters.

Since The Graveyard Book won several Mock Newbery events, the fact that it received the Newbery Award is not a huge surprise to me. I think it was a bit of surprise to Neil, based on his blog entry, and thankfully he did not swear. In any case, today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, Year of the Earth Ox (appropriate for a book set in a graveyard, I think). What a nice way to celebrate the new year. Congrats to Neil!

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Another book I read just for the Mock Newbery in Oakland is Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. While I had read some of Anderson's contemporary novels, I was extremely compelled by the historical premise of her newest book. Unlike many stories set during the American Revolutionary War, Chains has an added complexity in its setting because it is also a slave narrative, told in the first person point of view, of a teenaged slave.

Although the Mock Newbery I attended did not select this novel for its list, Chains was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for the most distinguished work of historical fiction for young people. Congrats to Laurie Halse Anderson!

Read more about my thoughts about Chains at Shen's Blog.

Happiness Is a New Fountain Pen

Despite its slender form, it's weighty and puts down a fine yet smoothly wet line. It's matte-silver-shiny. It has the Chinese character "Fu" meaning good luck on the nib. I will write a more extensive review when I have the time, but for now, happy thoughts bring revision plots!

Hail to the New Chief

Today is a new day for us in the US and for the world. Barack Obama's demeanor has always been serious, but today even more so, even as he encourages hope over fear. Yes, let's hope.

Mock Newbery Honor: Alvin Ho, Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary things by Lenore Look

The only reason why I read this book was because it was required for the Heavy Medal duo Nina and Sharon's Mock Newbery. I admit I began this book with some trepidation because:

1) as shown by the "scary sketches" drawn on the wasabi-green and denim blue cover, it's a boy book, usually not my thing
2) it was found in the Easy Reader section, again not my thing, as I prefer to read YA and older middle grade
3) it was a contemporary setting, so not my thing as I prefer science fiction/fantasy and historical fiction

The first page begins with a list of Alvin's fears ranging from elevators to substitute teachers to kimchi (a Korean dish even though Alvin is Chinese American) to wasabi (a Japanese seasoning even though Alvin is Chinese American) to school. While reading the second page, I started laughing as Alvin goes on to describe what he loves: explosions and super heroes (including the Green Lantern and Henry V). By the end of the first chapter, I am hooked.

Read the rest of my review at Shen's Blog.

Mock Newbery at the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Library

Because of grad school, I've been out of the loop about the most recently published children's lit, and so I decided to join Nina and Sharon and other educated kid lit readers in their Mock Newbery discussion at the Oakland Public Library. I'd only read one of the books beforehand, so I dived in with pleasure.

I enjoyed reading each book, and Alvin Ho and The Trouble at 8 made me laugh out loud. The range of the books was broad. While all set firmly in some part of the United States, the temporal setting ranged from the Revolutionary War to contemporary times. Protagonists included cats, Mark Twain and multicultural children. There were many interesting choices regarding point of view: from first person present tense to a retrospective first person to the more traditional third person close to one character to third person omniscient that dove into the mentalities of various characters. Also, I was impressed how several books like The Underneath, Highway Cats and Alvin Ho experimented with narrative structures.

At the library, the discussions were thought-provoking, and I loved hearing people's reactions to books, some which surprised me, some which did not. Note to self: When I am extremely emotionally influenced by a book, I need more time away from it before I can satisfactorily speak about it in an analytical vs. emotional manner. That is, next time I do this, I need to read all the books way in advance, not just the week of. Also, do not drink coffee!

Our Award book was almost unanimous:

The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich

After a second ballot, our two Honor books still came out clearly on top:

Alvin Ho, Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things by Lenora Look
After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Other books under consideration:

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle
My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
The Trouble Begins at 8: The Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Here's Sharon's write up, with a pic of the group rumpusing wildly (well, Sharon's facial expression is convincingly wild).

Here's Nina's write up summarizing the stats.

Over the next few days, I will be posting my thoughts of our Mock Newbery winners here and on Shen's Blog. While ironically all three of our Mock winners are books featuring multicultural protagonists, apparently there's been some kid-lit-o-sphere commentary on how the Newbery Award is not multicultural enough. I am brimming with opinions about this, but that's for another blog post, soon to come.

Reconnecting

I've been a bit of a hermit in my hole. Jan Term for school is optional for grad students, so I'm devoting what's left of it to my own personal projects, which requires me to be alone. A lot. Writing and revising, especially, can be quite lonely if it's not going well.

Before I was a writer, I was a reader, which required me to be physically alone, but in truth, I never felt alone. I was always entranced in dream worlds. As I've been a bit stuck with my writing, I've been reading quite a bit and rediscovering the joys of fiction.

Plus, sometimes it takes me a while to digest information to be able to fully articulate myself. Well, it's time to begin articulating. Now.