A thing went viral, or close enough, on X last week. I’d commented on it, even while I was fairly sure it was bait. Sure enough, as it blew up I went looking and came to the conclusion there was no clear provenance or origin for the original purported screenshot. Almost certainly not real.

These days, if it pushes your buttons your first response ought to be to stop and verify whatever it is. We live in a world where manipulation is near constant.

On the other paw, there was a conversation I felt was worth having about that particular bit of chum that had attracted a feeding frenzy.

First of all, most of us who know how to grammar (sic) see that someone who is ostensibly teaching creative writing has used ‘free reign’ when she means ‘free rein’ but leaving that aside… I am not sure in this modern era grammar is used when teaching creative fiction, to be honest.

Taken to it’s extreme, how do you write any kind of conflict in a story while avoiding everything on this list? My amused take was ‘why ban science fiction but not fantasy?’ I mean, are unicorns and fairies fine, but heaven forbid you have weird aliens?

This is the take that flabbered my gaster. Science fiction is… not about people?

Oh. Oh my dear child. I have worlds of wonder to introduce you to. There are books you would enjoy, if only you would let go of those preconceptions and open them up. I gave her a short list of suggestions. James White’s Sector General books, MCA Hogarth’s wonderful aliens, H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy, and of course, our own Dave Freer. She told me I didn’t have to get defensive, which means that she won’t actually follow through on exploring the amazing and expansive realm of what science fiction has to offer. Which is sad. She’s missing out.

I don’t need to defend science fiction. I am sad that apparently only the worst of it is being presented to young people these days.

There is only one way to counteract that. Write more of it. Publish more of it. Get kids reading fun science fiction.

I’m doing my part.

Sanderley Studios is pleased to announce that Race to Arcturus will be available in paperback on September 21! Hardcover and eBook to follow soon. This is a terrific science fiction adventure book very much in the tradition of Robert Heinlein’s juveniles. It starts out with three boys attempting to build a spaceship in a barn (they only blow it up a little bit). It has illustrations!