Thanks to i09, I found this excellent advice from “Fantasy” magazine editor and author, Cat Rambo. Most of Cat’s advice sounded pretty familiar: pay attention to craft, be persistent, research markets, writing groups, etc. All good advice, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve heard it.
However, there were some bits that really struck a chord with me.
“One of my bugbears in speculative fiction is that, while we see good stories exploring race and gender, there’s a lot fewer talking about class. Do we really need more stories about a King (or Queen) and his/her court? What about the little people?”
This makes me happy in my soul. My last semester at SFA, I took a class called Science Fiction and Empire, which dealt with issues of imperialism in science fiction texts. Class issues? All over it. The other night while drinking Mudslides with my new roommates, I hit on an idea for a postcolonial steampunk story, sort of a twist on the explorer narrative.
Good to know my brain is where it needs to be. Now to write the damn thing.
That's one of the things I appreciate about C.S. Friedman's latest trilogy - the main character is a woman who grew up on the street and who has pulled herself up into a very unique position. Class and gender are threaded throughout the novels with the women each approaching power in different ways with varying consequences.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, check them out.
Luff and such,
Sara