Babel Clash

Welcome to the Amber and Anton hour, err two week, at Babel Clash.  *slips Babel Fish in ear*  First and foremost, I’d like to thank Borders and Morgan for inviting us.  Amber promised this would be as good a place as any to harass me, but she’s such a sweetie, so I’m sure she was kidding.  At least, I hope she was.

So the first question that Morgan threw to us was:  Does reading science fiction and fantasy make you a “reluctant adult”?  What about the authors working in these genres?  Should these “reluctant adults” tackle “serious literature” instead?  How’s that for a loaded question?

As a founding member of The League of Reluctant Adults, I am clearly biased about this.  For years, most of us who engage in fandoms of any kind always got dirty looks from outsiders.  Even now people walk by my office, look at all my geek posters and fifty or so action figures on my desk like they are visiting the two-headed goat with the traveling carnival.

But I do think that thanks to the internet and the number of television channels on the dial these days, cultural awareness of our nerdly niches have become more mainstream.  Why?  I think much of it has to do with gaining understanding.  Outsiders can read up, ask questions, explore geekdom on their own, and at the end of all that, i think they find themselves able to identify with a lot of what they encounter.

Take True Blood or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Yeah, they have vampires and all that paranormal stuff, but at the heart of them, what drives them?  Relationships, trying to get through their daily lives, problems that people can identify with…

I mean, I’ve always dreamed of being a sexy Louisiana waitress that falls for vampires… but I digress.

As for should us reluctant adults tackle “serious literature” instead?  I’m going to go to food for this one.  Sometimes you want to go to Morimoto’s restaurant.  he’s an Iron Chef and the food is exquisite, pricey and worth every penny.  Sometimes I hanker for Chik-fil-A, which is fast food, not pricey and I have no idea who dropped my waffle fries in the oil.  Regardless, Chik-fil-A is exquisite in its own way.  It fills my need.  I don’t really wonder if the chefs at either restaurant should be changing roles. I’m just happy they excel at what they do and that it feeds me.

I see a lot of flame wars out there where the literary authors poo poo the mass market writers and the mass market authors poo poo them as well.  I don’t see the need for it.  I think the differences are what help to keep everyone fed out there, depending on their appetite.  I strive to write the best books I can, but are they literary?  Hell to the no.   I won’t pretend that I go there, but hopefully they are damn fine entertainment.

Thanks again to F. Paul Wilson.

I’m pleased to welcome two new guests to Babel Clash: Anton Strout and Amber Benson.

Anton writes the Simon Canderous novels.  The latest volume, Dead Matter, goes on-sale next week.  He is also an active blogger, writing for his own blog and group urban fantasy blog League of Reluctant Adults.

Amber has written the Ghosts of Albion series and is now working on her Calliope Reaper-Jones urban fantasy series. Her latest novel, Cat’s Claw, is also available on February 23. She played Tara on hit TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Check out her official blog here.

Please tune in tomorrow to learn the topic of our next conversation.

People don’t read.  Novels are for school.  Fantasy isn’t real, so what’s the point?  Isn’t it more fun to watch a movie or play video games?

Well, that’s what I’ve heard anyway.  I bet that you have, too.

It surprises me how many people don’t dig into good books.  I’m not just talking about spec fiction books.  Some folks don’t read anything longer than magazine length.  A rare few even have a belligerent animosity to reading.

So, what’s the answer?  Is it even a problem?   Is anyone else troubled by friends or family members that treat reading like an alien activity?

Assuming that it does matter, then how do you turn those movie buffs & video game aficionados into readers?  I propose that you bridge the gap with media tie-ins.  Get them reading a Buffy graphic novel or a Halo novel, and you’ve set them down the first few steps on the road to libraries and book shops everywhere.