I thought I was off juvenile misfit SF but it is still resonating around my brain. Writing about the books I loved both as a juvenile myself, and as an alleged adult made me go re-read a later addition to the ‘canon’.
Its Orbital Resonance by John Barnes. Its from 1991, and I read it a few years after that. So you can see I still look for that type of SF. It’s, to me anyway, one of the defining facets of SF.
It’s the story of Melponene Murray a young girl aboard The Flying Dutchman. That’s an asteroid turned spaceship. Her universe is the ship which orbits between Mars and Earth. An Earth devastated by the Euro war, MutAIDS, and the Great Die-Off.
It’s about growing up, which is what most of these books are about. But Mel isn’t just a misfit, (Spoiler alert) she’s made to be a misfit.
A great many adventures happen as Mel writes about what its like to live in this society that is developing. Mel writes for the people of Earth who need to know what’s going on on the Flying Dutchman and her sister ships as humanity tries to save itself.
As crappy as it was for the powers that be to do what they did to Mel and a few others, it also kind of validates a point I have been making. The value of misfits. The leaders of “The Plan” are well aware of their value and have engineered misfits into their efforts to save the human race.
A very interesting, and very different society exists on the ship and that is also one of the key parts of SF for me. Imagining another way of living. Because for me, and many other misfits, the current society is far from the one I would prefer.
Anyway, it’s a great book and I recommend it highly.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Misfits of Science
That was a TV show back in 1985 that may have been the first appearance of Courtney Cox. But what I want to write about is the Misfits of Science Fiction.
I have been posting a number of essays about misfits in juvenile SF books. I am going to continue to do that, and also some posts are planned for the general topic of misfits in SF including adults.
But the subject of this post is the idea of SF as the literature of misfits, and the place of misfits in society.
There are many people who would qualify as misfits in the world today. The computer nerd has become a cliché and, incorrectly, I think society has begun to believe that misfits are taking over the world.
There have been headlines and articles in the media to this point. But, while Bill Gates may have been a misfit/ computer nerd he really is just an updated version of the ruthless robber baron type of businessman. He is a “success” by societies definitions. Whether or not he is a real misfit is debatable.
I am not saying that you can’t be a success eventually if you are a misfit. Some people do persevere and get ahead.
But most do not. And that has implications for society and the world. Since, as I have said in early posts, I think it is the misfits that are the reason for progress and change, not the conformist drones or ‘mundanes’ out there.
I remember a book by Isaac Asimov that made this point, I just don’t remember which one of his 500+ books it was. He said that a huge majority of scientists read SF and that was an important indicator of intelligence and scientific prowess in the youth of the world.
I have a related, but different point to make. In one of my other blogs I have been ranting about how society consists of sheep and wolves, etc. and the small group of people, like me, who are not part of the victims or the predators of the world. This group however large or small it is, is important. At least to me since I belong to it. But I think overall it's important.
I am going to explore, here and in my other blogs this idea. That somehow or other this group of people as I have defined them (I still haven’t come up with a good name for them) needs to change its place in society. Maybe by withdrawing from the world in some way.
And maybe, if I ever start writing SF, that’s where I can explore that idea. And maybe even get paid for it? Ah well, dream on.
I have been posting a number of essays about misfits in juvenile SF books. I am going to continue to do that, and also some posts are planned for the general topic of misfits in SF including adults.
But the subject of this post is the idea of SF as the literature of misfits, and the place of misfits in society.
There are many people who would qualify as misfits in the world today. The computer nerd has become a cliché and, incorrectly, I think society has begun to believe that misfits are taking over the world.
There have been headlines and articles in the media to this point. But, while Bill Gates may have been a misfit/ computer nerd he really is just an updated version of the ruthless robber baron type of businessman. He is a “success” by societies definitions. Whether or not he is a real misfit is debatable.
I am not saying that you can’t be a success eventually if you are a misfit. Some people do persevere and get ahead.
But most do not. And that has implications for society and the world. Since, as I have said in early posts, I think it is the misfits that are the reason for progress and change, not the conformist drones or ‘mundanes’ out there.
I remember a book by Isaac Asimov that made this point, I just don’t remember which one of his 500+ books it was. He said that a huge majority of scientists read SF and that was an important indicator of intelligence and scientific prowess in the youth of the world.
I have a related, but different point to make. In one of my other blogs I have been ranting about how society consists of sheep and wolves, etc. and the small group of people, like me, who are not part of the victims or the predators of the world. This group however large or small it is, is important. At least to me since I belong to it. But I think overall it's important.
I am going to explore, here and in my other blogs this idea. That somehow or other this group of people as I have defined them (I still haven’t come up with a good name for them) needs to change its place in society. Maybe by withdrawing from the world in some way.
And maybe, if I ever start writing SF, that’s where I can explore that idea. And maybe even get paid for it? Ah well, dream on.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Isaac Newton Redux
Misfits can take many forms. One of the most common ones in SF is the scientific misfit, or nerd, or geek. In this book, Newton and the Quasi-Apple we have the equivalent of Isaac Newton for the planet Ymrek appearing as, you guessed it, a misfit.
Terek is a member of the temple, but is finding out that religious dogma is not always right. For instance, Ymrek is not the center of the universe. (Sound familiar?) This makes him at the least a misfit, and possibly in danger as he challenges the status quo. Then he has the bad luck to have his researches apparently disproved by the use of some quasi materials by visitors from the stars. This inadvertent event can sidetrack the entire renaissance that is developing on the planet.
Adventures ensue, including the attacks of ruthless sea pirates
It’s a book I picked up because the author, Stanley Schmidt was the editor of Analog magazine which I read and subscribed to. It’s a interesting book, the only one of his I have ever read.
But, for now, I think I am going to temporarily abandon the misfit theme to look at some more juvenile SF, but with a different cast of characters. I will return to the misfit theme, maybe with some thoughts on misfit adults in SF in the near future.
Terek is a member of the temple, but is finding out that religious dogma is not always right. For instance, Ymrek is not the center of the universe. (Sound familiar?) This makes him at the least a misfit, and possibly in danger as he challenges the status quo. Then he has the bad luck to have his researches apparently disproved by the use of some quasi materials by visitors from the stars. This inadvertent event can sidetrack the entire renaissance that is developing on the planet.
Adventures ensue, including the attacks of ruthless sea pirates
It’s a book I picked up because the author, Stanley Schmidt was the editor of Analog magazine which I read and subscribed to. It’s a interesting book, the only one of his I have ever read.
But, for now, I think I am going to temporarily abandon the misfit theme to look at some more juvenile SF, but with a different cast of characters. I will return to the misfit theme, maybe with some thoughts on misfit adults in SF in the near future.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wrinkle In Time
One of the best known books for children or young adults is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle. What is not as well known, is it’s part of a trilogy. The other two books are A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and A Wind In The Door.
These books inhabit the borderline between SF and Fantasy in my opinion. There is speculative science here, often involving tesseracts, but fantasy too. Witches and Unicorns in particular.
But, these books are a great example of a misfit family once again. Although the children are the most misfit, the parents, especially the mother, are former misfits. Maybe even currently since they do not really fit into their rural, backwards community.
Once again we have the theme of misfits becoming heroes. But there is a lot more going on here, especially as regards the battle between good and evil. L’Engle is a great writer of children’s books in my, and many others, opinion, and she surpasses herself in these books.
For even though many consider the books, especially the first, books for girls, I think they are just as good for boys, and for adults.
Many see the battle in A Wrinkle In Time as one between conformity and freedom. Or between authorianism (communism in particular) and freedom and democracy. Also as a parable of the fear of technology and its effects on being human. Of being controlled by our technology.
In the more famous book, which was fairly recently made into a TV movie, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with neighbor/boyfriend Calvin must travel to the stars to save Meg and Charles Wallace’s father who is a prisoner of the dark. An evil force that has taken over many planets in the galaxy and is working its way to control of Earth. They are aided by the witches- Mrs.. Who, Mrs.. Which, and Mrs... Whatsit. Along with other creatures.
This is again a fight between good and evil waged by children. They young ones are the heroes here which is what makes this book so popular. The evil is almost faceless. Just a computer IT that controls a planet. Makes everyone on it conform rigidly. Even the children must all bounce their balls at the same time in the same rhythm .
A Wind In The Door is more about Charles Wallace and his inability to adapt to school, along with his illness which is also a metaphor for the illness in the Galaxy and Earth. Here Meg Charles Wallace and Clavin are aided by a Cherubim in their fight against the Echtroi. I found this book particularly interesting since I remember my own struggles at school. It is very hard to fit in when you are smarter than most every body else and not smart enough, at least at first, to keep them from knowing it.
This ties in so well to my overall theme. Why does society tolerate this sort of behavior towards its best and brightest children. If we are going to progress, even survive as a civilized people in a difficult, complex and dangerous world we need to encourage the smart young ones that are here. They will be the way we survive and prosper. It has always been this way, and yet the majority still will not accept them, and in fact constantly harasses and persecutes them.
The third book A Swiftly Tilting Planet, involves the family in yet another end the world crisis, this time a mad nuclear weapons wielding dictator. And Calvin O'Keefe's mother, not the brightest among us, is one of the keys to the solution. But, as I keep saying. This blog, at the moment anyway, is about misfits. Not the specific books, as much as I love them.
I am speaking from a personal point of view. To one degree or another, I have been through this sort of thing. (Although I have not saved the galaxy recently) Misfits, the smart, talented, and creative are often subjected, especially while young, to this treatment. And they react in various ways. Some get tougher and excel. Some get twisted. Some give up and learn how to hide, to appear normal, and the world is a lesser place for that.
These books inhabit the borderline between SF and Fantasy in my opinion. There is speculative science here, often involving tesseracts, but fantasy too. Witches and Unicorns in particular.
But, these books are a great example of a misfit family once again. Although the children are the most misfit, the parents, especially the mother, are former misfits. Maybe even currently since they do not really fit into their rural, backwards community.
Once again we have the theme of misfits becoming heroes. But there is a lot more going on here, especially as regards the battle between good and evil. L’Engle is a great writer of children’s books in my, and many others, opinion, and she surpasses herself in these books.
For even though many consider the books, especially the first, books for girls, I think they are just as good for boys, and for adults.
Many see the battle in A Wrinkle In Time as one between conformity and freedom. Or between authorianism (communism in particular) and freedom and democracy. Also as a parable of the fear of technology and its effects on being human. Of being controlled by our technology.
In the more famous book, which was fairly recently made into a TV movie, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with neighbor/boyfriend Calvin must travel to the stars to save Meg and Charles Wallace’s father who is a prisoner of the dark. An evil force that has taken over many planets in the galaxy and is working its way to control of Earth. They are aided by the witches- Mrs.. Who, Mrs.. Which, and Mrs... Whatsit. Along with other creatures.
This is again a fight between good and evil waged by children. They young ones are the heroes here which is what makes this book so popular. The evil is almost faceless. Just a computer IT that controls a planet. Makes everyone on it conform rigidly. Even the children must all bounce their balls at the same time in the same rhythm .
A Wind In The Door is more about Charles Wallace and his inability to adapt to school, along with his illness which is also a metaphor for the illness in the Galaxy and Earth. Here Meg Charles Wallace and Clavin are aided by a Cherubim in their fight against the Echtroi. I found this book particularly interesting since I remember my own struggles at school. It is very hard to fit in when you are smarter than most every body else and not smart enough, at least at first, to keep them from knowing it.
This ties in so well to my overall theme. Why does society tolerate this sort of behavior towards its best and brightest children. If we are going to progress, even survive as a civilized people in a difficult, complex and dangerous world we need to encourage the smart young ones that are here. They will be the way we survive and prosper. It has always been this way, and yet the majority still will not accept them, and in fact constantly harasses and persecutes them.
The third book A Swiftly Tilting Planet, involves the family in yet another end the world crisis, this time a mad nuclear weapons wielding dictator. And Calvin O'Keefe's mother, not the brightest among us, is one of the keys to the solution. But, as I keep saying. This blog, at the moment anyway, is about misfits. Not the specific books, as much as I love them.
I am speaking from a personal point of view. To one degree or another, I have been through this sort of thing. (Although I have not saved the galaxy recently) Misfits, the smart, talented, and creative are often subjected, especially while young, to this treatment. And they react in various ways. Some get tougher and excel. Some get twisted. Some give up and learn how to hide, to appear normal, and the world is a lesser place for that.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Under The Sea
The Subsea Academy Trilogy : Undersea Quest, Fleet & City
These three books are a somewhat different form of juvenile SF. The hero, Jim Eden isn’t a true misfit, he’s more in the mold of “Young Scientist” like Tom Swift. He’s at the Sub-Sea Academy and gets kicked out on bogus charges, his uncle has disappeared and then even more adventures occur. Jim’s trilogy of adventures are in Undersea Quest, Undersea Fleet, and Undersea City. I actually only read one of these in my youth. I found out it was a trilogy later on and collected and read the other two books.
While these books don’t fit entirely into the theme I have been writing about they do have interesting aspects to them.
First off, they explore the oceans, not space. I think for a lot of sf fans skin-diving, Jacques Cousteau’s adventures, and other aspects of underwater activity became a substitute for going into space. SF authors did that too. Arthur C. Clarke wrote a whole bunch of books on diving both fiction and not.
The other interesting part of this is that the books are written by Frederick Pohl, and Jack Williamson. Two of the giants of early sf. Frederick Pohl (Brooklyn Tech) was everything in sf from writer, fan, editor, member of the futurians, you name it. And Jack Williamson is a writer that has many great books to his credit.
Yet here they are writing juvenile sf. This, perhaps, buttresses my opinion that juvenile sf is one of the core aspects of sf. And current authors still write to that aspect and audience. But one of the problems with current sf is that much of that audience is being lost. To video games, etc. Maybe they are still in the world of sf, but one of my tenets is that there is a big difference between written sf and visual sf.
Something I will go into in a future post.
These three books are a somewhat different form of juvenile SF. The hero, Jim Eden isn’t a true misfit, he’s more in the mold of “Young Scientist” like Tom Swift. He’s at the Sub-Sea Academy and gets kicked out on bogus charges, his uncle has disappeared and then even more adventures occur. Jim’s trilogy of adventures are in Undersea Quest, Undersea Fleet, and Undersea City. I actually only read one of these in my youth. I found out it was a trilogy later on and collected and read the other two books.
While these books don’t fit entirely into the theme I have been writing about they do have interesting aspects to them.
First off, they explore the oceans, not space. I think for a lot of sf fans skin-diving, Jacques Cousteau’s adventures, and other aspects of underwater activity became a substitute for going into space. SF authors did that too. Arthur C. Clarke wrote a whole bunch of books on diving both fiction and not.
The other interesting part of this is that the books are written by Frederick Pohl, and Jack Williamson. Two of the giants of early sf. Frederick Pohl (Brooklyn Tech) was everything in sf from writer, fan, editor, member of the futurians, you name it. And Jack Williamson is a writer that has many great books to his credit.
Yet here they are writing juvenile sf. This, perhaps, buttresses my opinion that juvenile sf is one of the core aspects of sf. And current authors still write to that aspect and audience. But one of the problems with current sf is that much of that audience is being lost. To video games, etc. Maybe they are still in the world of sf, but one of my tenets is that there is a big difference between written sf and visual sf.
Something I will go into in a future post.
The Hall Family Chronicles
Well, I am slightly amazed. I wrote the previous post about the Diamond In The Window having a vague memory that there was a sequel. Then I decide to look around the internet for info and discover The Hall Family Chronicles. I can’t believe it, a whole series of books with these characters that I never knew about.
So, now I have to get these books. Why I didn’t do this search before I have no idea.
So, now I have to get these books. Why I didn’t do this search before I have no idea.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend
The Diamond In The Window
This next book is not really SF but Fantasy. Its called The Diamond In The Window by Jane Langdon. It fits in however into the theme of most of the juvenile SF I am writing about. The misfit who triumphs over all. In most cases it’s a boy, but in this case its actually an entire family of misfits.
Eleanor, her brother Edward (Trebor Nosnibor to those in the know) and Aunt Lily. They live in Concord, Massachusetts in an old gothic sort of house and just are not doing well. Uncle Freddy(another member of the family) is bonkers apparently-he talks to the statues of Waldo and Emerson-and Aunt Lily is going to lose the house for back taxes.
But, there is a mystery here. The missing children, the prince who was Aunt Lily’s boyfriend and also disappeared. And there is the Diamond in the Window which is only glass right?
This story weaves a mystery, information about the transcendentalists (Emerson and Thoreau among others) and a battle between good and evil waged by children.
This is the theme of most if not all of this juvenile SF and Fantasy that I am so fond of. Misfits that become heroes. It is the sort of story that appealed to the misfit I was, and still am. And the fact that there is so much of it out there says something about how common misfits are. And perhaps how maybe this society we live in needs to change its treatment of those who don’t conform. Think about it. How many people who have changed the world were weird in some way? And how many conformists have made the world better?
Unfortunately because of how misfits are harassed and shunned some turn into the sort of non-conformists that change the world in evil ways.
Anyway, its one of my favorite books of all time. Maybe my favorite fantasy novel. I have read that Langdon wrote some sort of sequel to it, but I have never found it.
I recommend it highly.
This next book is not really SF but Fantasy. Its called The Diamond In The Window by Jane Langdon. It fits in however into the theme of most of the juvenile SF I am writing about. The misfit who triumphs over all. In most cases it’s a boy, but in this case its actually an entire family of misfits.
Eleanor, her brother Edward (Trebor Nosnibor to those in the know) and Aunt Lily. They live in Concord, Massachusetts in an old gothic sort of house and just are not doing well. Uncle Freddy(another member of the family) is bonkers apparently-he talks to the statues of Waldo and Emerson-and Aunt Lily is going to lose the house for back taxes.
But, there is a mystery here. The missing children, the prince who was Aunt Lily’s boyfriend and also disappeared. And there is the Diamond in the Window which is only glass right?
This story weaves a mystery, information about the transcendentalists (Emerson and Thoreau among others) and a battle between good and evil waged by children.
This is the theme of most if not all of this juvenile SF and Fantasy that I am so fond of. Misfits that become heroes. It is the sort of story that appealed to the misfit I was, and still am. And the fact that there is so much of it out there says something about how common misfits are. And perhaps how maybe this society we live in needs to change its treatment of those who don’t conform. Think about it. How many people who have changed the world were weird in some way? And how many conformists have made the world better?
Unfortunately because of how misfits are harassed and shunned some turn into the sort of non-conformists that change the world in evil ways.
Anyway, its one of my favorite books of all time. Maybe my favorite fantasy novel. I have read that Langdon wrote some sort of sequel to it, but I have never found it.
I recommend it highly.
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