Homer? He would certain belong to the SFWA.
I have met Gene Wolfe in real life, but was too shy to shake his hand until my wife lured the two of us together. We talked breifly about G.K. Chesterton, and he told me the other side of the tale as to why SOLDIER OF SIDON had not been written. (The fate of SIDON is one of the first questions I asked David Hartwell when he became my editor at Tor books). The Wolfe and Hartwell accounts agree on facts but not on emphasis and detail. Basically Hartwell told him Tor would not buy a sequel to SOLDIER OF ARETE, but did not actually come out and say the words ‘We won’t buy it.’ In person Wolfe comes across as a pleasant, genial man, in whom deep currents run.
Here is an interview: http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/interviews/wolfe46interview.htm
Let me quote one paragraph where the great man says something I have been saying for years, and have never heard anyone else say.
“Incidentally, I’d argue that SF represents literature’s real mainstream. What we now normally consider the mainstream—so called realistic fiction—is a small literary genre, fairly recent in origin, which is likely to be relatively short lived. When I look back at the foundations of literature, I see literary figures who, if they were alive today, would probably be members of the Science Fiction Writers of America. Homer? He would certain belong to the SFWA. So would Dante, Milton, and Shakespeare. That tradition is literature’s mainstream, and it has been what has grown out of that tradition which has been labeled SF or whatever label you want to use.”
(Note to muggles. ‘SWFA’ is the Science Fiction Writers of America)
((Note to muggles. ‘Muggles’ is what we call mundanes.))
(((Note to mundanes. ‘Mundanes’ is what we fanboys call you people with real lives who don’t read THRILLING SPACE WONDER STORIES and don’t have memorized the name of that tentacle headed water-breathing Jedi-knight who had no speaking lines in the movie, but we liked him because he really kicked droid ass in episode 5 of that Genndy Tartakovsky cartoon. Kit Fisto. Who died a chump death in the movie, by the way, just like Wash. Um, er. Let me go back to saying why SF is the heir of Milton and Shakespeare in a minute. Right now I am involved in a flame war with a trolloc who claims that Logan’s claws could penetrate Steve Roger’s shield. As if.)))
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
