Adventures in Storytelling Science Fiction — Westerns —

Adventures in Storytelling: Science Fiction - Westerns - Horror Presented by: Katie Dunneback, Southeastern Library Services John Klima, Access Librarian, Palmer College

Class Objectives • Understand the history and evolution of the science fiction, western and horror genres • Recognize current trends in science fiction, western and horror publishing • Identify: – Sub-genres and genre-blends – Publishers – Review outlets – Organizations and Awards • Indicate methods to analyze science fiction, western and horror collections • Identify RA tools for science fiction, western and horror readers • Discover ways to market the science fiction, western and horror collections

Adventures in Storytelling: Science Fiction John Klima Access Librarian Palmer College Artwork copyright © 2005 John Picacio

Class Objectives • Understand the history and evolution of the science fiction genre • Recognize current trends in science fiction publishing • Identify: – Major authors and eras – Sub-genres – Review outlets – Awards • Indicate methods to analyze a science fiction collection • Identify RA tools for science fiction readers • Discover ways to market the science fiction collection

Science Fiction Timeline • The Age of Reason

Science Fiction Timeline • Victorian Age

Science Fiction Timeline • Pulp Magazines

Science Fiction Timeline • Golden Age of Science Fiction

Science Fiction Timeline • New Wave of Science Fiction

Science Fiction Timeline • Cyberpunk

Science Fiction Timeline • Today’s science fiction

Sub-genres • Hard science fiction • Space Opera • Alternate History • Military science fiction • Social science fiction

Science Fiction in the Mainstream • Literary Crossover

Science Fiction Authors of Note • Benchmark – H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, A. E. van Vogt • New classic – Poul Anderson, Greg Bear, David Brin, Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, Joe Haldeman, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Robert Silverberg, Dan Simmons

SF Authors of Note, Part II • Well-Established – Iain M. Banks, Cory Doctorow, Richard K. Morgan, Alastair Reynolds, John Scalzi, Neal Stephenson, Charles Stross, Scott Westerfeld, Walter Jon Williams, Robert Charles Wilson • Keep an Eye On – Elizabeth Bear, Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Chris Roberson, Justina Robson, Karl Schroeder

Major Awards • • • Hugo Nebula John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer Locus Award James Tiptree, Jr. Award World Fantasy Awards

Major Conventions • World Science Fiction Convention (new site every year) (known as Worldcon for short) [http: //www. worldcon. org] • World Fantasy Convention (new site every year) [http: //www. worldfantasy. org] • Readercon (Boston, MA) [http: //www. readercon. org] • Armadillocon (Austin, TX) [http: //www. armadillocon. org] • Norwescon (Seattle, WA) [http: //www. norwescon. org] • Wiscon (Madison, WI; world’s largest feminist SF convention) [http: //www. wiscon. info] • LOCUS Magazine online listing of conventions [http: //www. locusmag. com/Conventions. html]

Review Sites • SF Site [http: //www. sfsite. com/] • Internet Review of Science Fiction (IROSF; requires registration) [http: //www. irosf. com/] • The Fix (British) [http: //thefix-online. com/] • LOCUS Magazine [http: //www. locusmag. com/] • Fantasy Book Critic [http: //fantasybookcritic. blogspot. com/] • Bookspot Central [http: //www. bookspotcentral. com/]

Bloggers of Note • John Scalzi (science fiction author) [http: //whatever. scalzi. com/] • Cory Doctorow (science fiction author) [http: //boing. net or http: //craphound. com] • Jay Lake (science fiction and fantasy author) [http: //jaylake. livejournal. com/] • Elizabeth Bear (science fiction and fantasy author) [http: //matociquala. livejournal. com/] • Jeff Vander. Meer (science fiction and fantasy author; often has guest bloggers) [http: //www. jeffvandermeer. com/] • The Slush God/John Joseph Adams (science fiction and fantasy editor) [http: //www. johnjosephadams. com/]

Your Science Fiction Collection Today

Your Science Fiction Collection Tomorrow

“I Think I Want Some Science Fiction” • Considerations for Science Fiction RA: – Setting: contemporary, historical, futuristic, utopia, dystopia? – Tone: dark, light, comedic? – Science fiction elements: aliens, technology, space travel, alternate history, other? – Style of writing: first person, third? Present tense, past?

How do we help Science Fiction readers?

RA Science Fiction sources • Science Fiction of the 20 th Century: An illustrated History by Frank M. Robinson • Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia by John Clute • Tor. com – Science Fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects. [http: //www. tor. com] • LOCUS Magazine [http: //www. locusmag. com] (the website has a great feature that shows recently released books; the print version features dozens of reviews every month) • The LOCUS Index to Science Fiction Awards [http: //www. locusmag. com/SFAwards/index. html]

What did you read?

How do you define Science Fiction? • “Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science Fiction is the improbable made possible. ” —Rod Serling • “Even the devoted aficionado—or fan—has a hard time trying to explain what science fiction is. ” —Lester Del Rey

History of Westerns - prototypical • James Fennimore Cooper – Last of the Mohicans (1826) or The Prairie (1827) • Ersastus Beadle and Robert Adams – dime novels, started in 1860 • E. Z. C. Judson w/a Ned Bluntline – Buffalo Bill stories

History of Westerns - cementing • • • Owen Wister – The Virginian (1902) Zane Grey Ernest Haycox W. M. Raine B. M. Bower – 1 st woman Western writer

History of Westerns – influenced by other media • S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery (1903) – 1 st silent film w/narrative • B-movies • Tumbling Tumbleweeds w/Gene Autry (1935) • The Lone Ranger – radio and TV

Westerns – Influence of today’s media • Deadwood – 3 seasons, HBO • Wild West Tech – History Channel • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – Oscar-nominated • 3: 10 to Yuma – Oscar-nominated • Brokeback Mountain – Oscar winner • No Country for Old Men – Oscar winner

Western Authors • Classic – Grey, L’Amour, Brand, Burroughs, Guthrie, Haycox, Glidden (Short), Wister, Raine, Johnson, Hough, Schaefer, Mulford • New Classic – Mc. Murtry, Kelton, Estleman, Hillerman, Wheeler, Alter, Conley, Johnstone • Up & Coming – O’Brien, Haselhoff, Cotton, Dallas

Defining Westerns

Westerns – Reader Expectations

Serving the Western Reader

History of Horror – the Gothics • • • Walpole – Castle of Otranto (1765) Radcliffe – Mysteries of Udolpho (1765) Lewis – The Monk (1796) Shelley – Frankenstein (1818)* Polidori – The Vampyre (1819)

History of Horror – Later 19 th Century • Poe – “The Raven” (1845), Masque of the Red Death (1842) • Stevenson – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) • Wells – The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) • Stoker – Dracula (1897)* • James – The Turn of the Screw (1898)

History of Horror – 20 th Century • • Ghost stories H. P. Lovecraft Pulps Hollywood films Hammer Films Stephen King Ann Rice

Horror Authors • Classic – Poe, James, Hawthorne, Brontës, Washington, Lovecraft, Maupassant, Shelley, Conan Doyle, Stoker • New Classic – Jackson, King, Levin, Hitchcock, Bradbury, du Maurier, Leiber, Benchley • Established – Cook, Crichton, de Lint, Brite, Rice, Straub, Yarbro • New Blood – Hill, Huff, Kiernan, Barron, • Langan, Pinborough, Taylor

Defining Horror

Horror Reader Expectations

Serving the Horror Reader

Next Steps • Find the science fiction, westerns and horror and inventory it! • Look for any holes (by subgenre, setting, etc. ) and find titles to help fill them • Talk to your science fiction, western and horror readers and find out what their favorite sub-genres are • Find out what the local book clubs are reading

Important class notes: • Extra credit for this class is due by 5: 00 on December 4, 11 or 18. • This is the last of the series, but if more classes are scheduled, we will announce on the IRead listserve. • Keep adding to the IRead wiki! It’s received a lot of national attention

Thanks! • Class Web site: http: //www. statelibraryofiowa. or g/ld/continuing-ed/genrestudy • Katie Dunneback: kdunneback@sls. lib. ia. us or 800 -397 -0029 • Karen Burns: kburns@swilsa. lib. ia. us or 800 -358 -8807 • John Klima editor@electricvelocipede. com