Metaphysically Challenged Science Fiction Writers

2008-02-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

I was reviewing tapes from ConCarolinas 07, when I found one about Metaphysically Challenged (AKA: Dead) Science Fiction Writers. This panel was moderated by William Goodman and the panelist was Robert Buettner.

Robert shared with us his views on Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers. He shared with us how this novel influenced him, and we discussed how it was lobotomized into a movie with the same name. William catches me off guard by bringing up a discussion we had in the Con Suite before the panel. We had discussed Washington Irving, my favorite metaphysically challenged science fiction writer. Irving was said to have encouraged authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Edgar Allan Poe.

My favorite story of Irving's is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", which he had originally written under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker. I know most people would not think of this story when contemplating works of science fiction, but I consider a dead man riding a demonic stallion while using a Jack-O-Lantern as a head and a projectile; to be an imaginative element that I have yet to find in contemporary reality.

One of my favorite things about this work is how the author brings the details to life. My favorite paragraph is:
"In his devouring mind’s eye, he pictured to himself every roasting-pig running about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his mouth; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, and tucked in with a coverlet of crust; the geese were swimming in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like snug married couples, with a decent competency of onion sauce. In the porkers he saw carved out the future sleek side of bacon, and juicy relishing ham; not a turkey but he beheld daintily trussed up, with its gizzard under its wing, and, peradventure, a necklace of savory sausages; and even bright chanticleer himself lay sprawling on his back, in a side-dish, with uplifted claws, as if craving that quarter which his chivalrous spirit disdained to ask while living."

We also discussed "The War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells. We discussed the characters, and what possibly inspired various works by H. G. Wells. The panel continued with discussion of other authors.

JR's Blog

Metaphysically Challenged Science Fiction Writers