[SFRA-L] Atwood bashing

[Sawyer, Andy]

I haven't seen the book, but wouldn't be surprised to learn that at least part of the reaction is because she writes about science fiction. 

Ironically, given the sniffiness in some parts about Atwood's category confusion re science/speculative fiction, a reaction like this seems pretty strong evidence for her perceived reluctance to sully her reputation by being associated with folk like us.

(I say "perceived reluctance" because I've never been altogether convinced by the legend. Some of it may well be down to idiots in publishers' publicity sections and the fact that she certainly loved the pulp stuff and John Wyndham etc. but is probably not well read in later stuff and her sf is certainly *read* by people who don't recognise it as sf because they don't generally read it. I didn't meet Atwood when she filmed for the recent British Library sf exhibition, but I was told she was clearly interested and knowledgeable.)

--------------------------------
Andy Sawyer
Science Fiction Librarian
Special Collections and Archives
University of Liverpool Library
PO Box 123, Liverpool L69 3DA, UK.

Course Director, MA in Science Fiction Studies.
http://www.liv.ac.uk/english/ma_courses/post_ma_sf.htm


Reviews Editor: Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction http://www.sf-foundation.org/publications/foundation.html

The Science Fiction Hub: http://www.sfhub.ac.uk/

The Science Fiction Foundation: http://www.sf-foundation.org/

"... there is no higher life form than a librarian."
THE SCIENCE OF DISCWORLD: Terry Pratchett, Jack Cohen, and Ian Stewart, p. 10. 


>-----Original Message-----
>From: sfra-l-bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu [mailto:sfra-l-
>bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu] On Behalf Of John Pierce
>Sent: 12 October 2011 13:39
>To: sfra-l List
>Subject: [SFRA-L] Atwood bashing
>
>The San Francisco Chronicle sure doesn't like her new book:
>
>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/10/09/
>entertainment/e220246D71.DTL
>
>But is the book really that bad, or is she just being put down for
>taking sf seriously?
>
>--J.J.P.
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