Creating a Permanent Science Fiction Library -- Intro
Zeki Huysman
fiction, who would you include?
To answer that question, I am proposing a fairly obsessive-compulsive
project. On a daily basis, I will post 5 names to the group. The names
will be drawn in alphabetical order from a list I've compiled drawing
on Wikipedia lists of authors and many other sources. The list is not
comprehensive, but it's long (over 1000 listings). Group members can
comment as they choose and I will post the consensus (or as close we
can come to one) for each letter.
Being new, I feel quite presumptuous laying out such a project, but it
sounded fun.
I will not presume to lay out any rules or criteria for your
consideration, except to identify what I myself will be doing.
It would be my instinct to err on the side of being inclusive. For
example, I would admit Piers Anthony because many readers love him or
remember him fondly, even though it would bug me to see him on my
shelves with Gene Wolfe. My inclusiveness would incline me also to
admitting fantasy, horror, and anything vaguely speculative-y into the
library if I felt it had lasting value, even if that book weren't my
cup of tea. You, of course, can do what you like. God bless the
Internet.
If I skip an author you feel merits serious discussion, please mention
it and I'll add the name for the next round.
All posts will be titled "Creating a Permanent Science Fiction Library
-- Ab" ... &c.
Thanks for playing,
Zeki
David DeLaney
>If you were going to create a permanent library or archive of science
>fiction, who would you include?
ALL OF IT.
Yes, including the forgettable pulps and the ones that are nearly too toxic
to read and get you wondering whether the editor was asleep.
Storage space is currently JUST about too cheap to meter, at least in
data/memory terms.
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Ken from Chicago
"David DeLaney" <d...@gatekeeper.vic.com> wrote in message
news:slrnirvfe...@gatekeeper.vic.com...
> Zeki Huysman <zhuy...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>If you were going to create a permanent library or archive of science
>>fiction, who would you include?
>
> ALL OF IT.
>
> Yes, including the forgettable pulps and the ones that are nearly too
> toxic
> to read and get you wondering whether the editor was asleep.
>
> Storage space is currently JUST about too cheap to meter, at least in
> data/memory terms.
>
> Dave
Yeah, text storage is ridiculous cheap and easy.
Scanning printed text is a bit of tricky wicket, especially the "orphan
works", at least legally, which Google learned the hard way.
-- Ken from Chicago
David Dyer-Bennet
> I will not presume to lay out any rules or criteria for your
> consideration, except to identify what I myself will be doing.
We'd just ignore them anyway :-). So you've made the wise choice.
> It would be my instinct to err on the side of being inclusive. For
> example, I would admit Piers Anthony because many readers love him or
> remember him fondly, even though it would bug me to see him on my
> shelves with Gene Wolfe.
Popularity is one valid measure to use to decide to include somebody.
> My inclusiveness would incline me also to
> admitting fantasy, horror, and anything vaguely speculative-y into the
> library if I felt it had lasting value, even if that book weren't my
> cup of tea. You, of course, can do what you like. God bless the
> Internet.
The alternative would be trying to write rules to define the boundaries,
so your choice is really the only possible one. (Short of a list that was
just one person's opinion.)
Zeki Huysman
envisioning a digital archive.
For me the value of the exercise is to narrow the field a bit. Not
necessarily to a science fiction canon, but at least to avoid the
truly forgettable.
Anthony Nance
> If you were going to create a permanent library or archive of science
> fiction, who would you include?
>
> To answer that question, I am proposing a fairly obsessive-compulsive
> project. On a daily basis, I will post 5 names to the group. The names
> will be drawn in alphabetical order from a list I've compiled drawing
> on Wikipedia lists of authors and many other sources. The list is not
> comprehensive, but it's long (over 1000 listings). Group members can
> comment as they choose and I will post the consensus (or as close we
> can come to one) for each letter.
>
> Being new, I feel quite presumptuous laying out such a project, but it
> sounded fun.
It does sound like fun. I've skimmed through the following threads,
and I look forward to all the future discussion. Thank you for doing
this.
Just in case it helps and just in case you're not aware of it (both
seem unlikely!), http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ has alphabetized
lists of authors, and a genre column to the right that's somewhat
helpful. Also, at the bottom of each letter's list is a link
("...For a full list of all the authors please click here.") that
expands the list.
I wouldn't (and don't) use it as my only tool, but it's a good
resource all the same.
> I will not presume to lay out any rules or criteria for your
> consideration, except to identify what I myself will be doing.
>
> It would be my instinct to err on the side of being inclusive. For
> example, I would admit Piers Anthony because many readers love him or
> remember him fondly, even though it would bug me to see him on my
> shelves with Gene Wolfe. My inclusiveness would incline me also to
> admitting fantasy, horror, and anything vaguely speculative-y into the
> library if I felt it had lasting value, even if that book weren't my
> cup of tea. You, of course, can do what you like. God bless the
> Internet.
>
> If I skip an author you feel merits serious discussion, please mention
> it and I'll add the name for the next round.
Indeed - I do like the idea of "permanent library" or "archive of science
fiction". The implied significance needed should decrease a bit of the
"spot the random missed author", since that would surely get quite long.
Tony
James Silverton
> If you were going to create a permanent library or archive of science
> fiction, who would you include?
>
> To answer that question, I am proposing a fairly obsessive-compulsive
> project. On a daily basis, I will post 5 names to the group. The names
> will be drawn in alphabetical order from a list I've compiled drawing
> on Wikipedia lists of authors and many other sources. The list is not
> comprehensive, but it's long (over 1000 listings). Group members can
> comment as they choose and I will post the consensus (or as close we
> can come to one) for each letter.
>
> Being new, I feel quite presumptuous laying out such a project, but it
> sounded fun.
>
> I will not presume to lay out any rules or criteria for your
> consideration, except to identify what I myself will be doing.
>
> It would be my instinct to err on the side of being inclusive. For
> example, I would admit Piers Anthony because many readers love him or
> remember him fondly, even though it would bug me to see him on my
> shelves with Gene Wolfe. My inclusiveness would incline me also to
> admitting fantasy, horror, and anything vaguely speculative-y into the
> library if I felt it had lasting value, even if that book weren't my
> cup of tea. You, of course, can do what you like. God bless the
> Internet.
Interesting, I wonder how your library is arranged if Wolfe is next to
Anthony? :-) Most people would arrange things alphabetically even if the
type of fiction took precedence.
--
James Silverton, Potomac
I'm "not"
not.jim....@verizon.net
Zeki Huysman
> Just in case it helps and just in case you're not aware of it (both
> seem unlikely!),http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/has alphabetized
> lists of authors, and a genre column to the right that's somewhat
> helpful. Also, at the bottom of each letter's list is a link
> ("...For a full list of all the authors please click here.") that
> expands the list.
I am aware of the site, but maybe I should look through the pages in
more detail. Thanks, Tony.
> Indeed - I do like the idea of "permanent library" or "archive of science
> fiction". The implied significance needed should decrease a bit of the
> "spot the random missed author", since that would surely get quite long.
I think that's the right idea too. But I've tried to guard against my
own bias.
In compiling the "starter" list, I used three (or two-and-a-half) main
principles:
1) If I believe something goes on the list, it goes on the list. My
vote should count as much as anyone else's.
2) If I believe something shouldn't go on the list, but many or a
dedicated few believe it should, then it goes on the list. Their votes
should more than mine.
3) In synthesis, it's better to let a bad book in than to keep a good
book out.
Zeki
Zeki Huysman
wrote:
> On 5/2/2011 10:33 PM, Zeki Huysman wrote:
>
> I would admit Piers Anthony because many readers love him or
> > remember him fondly, even though it would bug me to see him on my
> > shelves with Gene Wolfe.
> I wonder how your library is arranged if Wolfe is next to Anthony?
To be fair, I did say "on my shelves with" and not "next to". You make
a good point nonetheless.
Cheers,
Zeki
Lonnie Clay
Whop you with verbose. I dislike hair lacquers, so never had a permanent wave, in science or outside the library...