Lois’s answer to “Do you incorporate current social or political issues into your stories?” > Likes and Comments
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I have read your stories multiple times. :) As a retired geology instructor I have seen how social issues have changed with students over time and noticed some of these issues appear in your stories. I don't think you write to explore the issues I think you incorporate the issues in your characters and I love it.
As a reader, I prefer to avoid authors who consciously set out to “incorporate current social or political issues” into their fiction. In sf and fantasy, which is what I read and what you write, any social and political issues should arise naturally from the fictional world in question and should not simply be transferred from our world.
@ Jonathan --
There are plenty of F&SF stories set in our world but with That One Difference, though I suppose that's a subset of "arising naturally from the world", so.
I agree with you in that issues should arise naturally in the fictional world. As a scientist I am trained to look to for trends or patterns. I was only curious about the trends I see in the sf and fantasy I read.
Lois Bujold: “There are plenty of F&SF stories set in our world but with That One Difference…”
Yes, good point. For example, in Ben Aaronovitch’s books, in which social issues from our world are somewhat present, although I think political issues are kept firmly in the background. I don’t mind, because he seems to incorporate social issues in a natural way and without overemphasis.
I know we all used "I didn't vote for him" a few years back, and unfortunately may need to do so again, but that doesn't mean the line when written was intended as contemporary political commentary. :)
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Connie
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Jul 16, 2024 08:52AM
I have read your stories multiple times. :) As a retired geology instructor I have seen how social issues have changed with students over time and noticed some of these issues appear in your stories. I don't think you write to explore the issues I think you incorporate the issues in your characters and I love it.
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As a reader, I prefer to avoid authors who consciously set out to “incorporate current social or political issues” into their fiction. In sf and fantasy, which is what I read and what you write, any social and political issues should arise naturally from the fictional world in question and should not simply be transferred from our world.
@ Jonathan --There are plenty of F&SF stories set in our world but with That One Difference, though I suppose that's a subset of "arising naturally from the world", so.
I agree with you in that issues should arise naturally in the fictional world. As a scientist I am trained to look to for trends or patterns. I was only curious about the trends I see in the sf and fantasy I read.
Lois Bujold: “There are plenty of F&SF stories set in our world but with That One Difference…”Yes, good point. For example, in Ben Aaronovitch’s books, in which social issues from our world are somewhat present, although I think political issues are kept firmly in the background. I don’t mind, because he seems to incorporate social issues in a natural way and without overemphasis.
I know we all used "I didn't vote for him" a few years back, and unfortunately may need to do so again, but that doesn't mean the line when written was intended as contemporary political commentary. :)
