Scott R. Bakker has an interesting article in August’s Heliotrope (seen via David Soyka’s recent review of short fiction at Black Gate).
The core of his argument is that fantasy is socially useful because it promotes what he calls interpretational literacy, a prerequisite for scientific literacy.
The trouble is that his argument is directed at people (academics in the liberal arts) who are not themselves especially literate in science and so is not likely to be effective. But I’m for it if it will help me understand why I’m compelled to write about Morlock Ambrosius fighting monsters in darkly numinous woods. I think.
I can’t say I was crazy about Heliotrope‘s fictional offerings, though. Samantha Henderson’s “Honey Mouth” is the best, a well-written if unsurprising ghost story. The closing lines are beautifully conceived. Edward Morris’ “On the Air” is an amusing alternate history. It’s not clear to me why all of these things would have resulted from from the USA entering WWI a year earlier than it actually did (the apparent cusp where Morris’ imaginary history diverged from ours), and the story drifts a bit (to the extent it can be called a story). But it was entertaining to contemplate Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and others swinging out in the house band of a 1930s “Twilight Zone.” Last and least was Michael Colangelo’s “American Gothic”. Aristotle criticizes two types of tragic plot: one where a good person comes to a bad end and one where a bad person comes to a bad end. This story combines both of these, along with some talking animals who have a penchant for eating human flesh. If you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you’ll like (in Max Beerbohm’s deathless words). I found it dully dismal and dismally dull.
The common problem I had with these stories is the one I have with most of the fantasy I read nowadays: it’s not fantastic enough. Don’t bring me slices of this world: the odds are that you’re not showing me something I haven’t seen the like of. Bring me new worlds, so that I can see this world anew.
And a sandwich, if you’re passing by a deli on the way.
