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Update: Having spoken with my husband, the unflatering remarks regarding other spec-fic writers are now deleted. Due to the fact that if he thinks I was an ass, I really was an ass. I sincerely apologize. I was rude.
From a conversation with a person who will not be named here*:
Me: Hugos were announced. Have you noticed how the same people are always nominated for editor? I want to get somebody to nominate Anne next time, she kicks butt.
Person: She won't win. She mostly edits urban fantasy.
Me: What does that have to do with it?
Person: It's crossover romance.
Me: ?
Person: It's not really like SF or pure fantasy. It's a fad. Please don't be offended.
And that's why I don't want to join SFWA. Because the inertia is enormous. Let's see, urban fantasy is selling relatively well and is written, edited and packaged by people who are talented and deserve recognition. It's new. It's shiny. It's speculative. Shouldn't that be exciting?
Yes, the field is flooded. Yes, there are a lot of knock-offs. Give it a couple of years, and talented people will emerge while the rest will be washed away. As Charlie is fond of saying, "There is always room for excellence." And what is this with using romance as some sort of trash indicator?**
Why is it that speculative genre, a genre for people with an open mind, a genre that stretches the horizons and does away with the established boundaries, why does it spawn such elitist, short-sighted attitude in its fans and in many authors? Why the hell is it so cliquish?
I now know how the erotica writers felt when they were fighting to get themselves recognized as part of Romance genre by the professional community. Let me say something for all those people who stand there and proclaim that romance novels are trash: write one. Let's see how well you do.
Let's compare a good romance and a good hard sci-fi.
It's hard to write a good romance. It takes understanding of the way human relationships work, it takes a feel for setting, on spot characterization and pacing. If all those things are right, the audience will be forgiving if the author slips in the area of historical accuracy.
It's hard to write a good hard sci-fi. It takes technical knowledge and forward thinking mind, but if the concept is good, the audience will, on average, be more forgiving if the writer fails on characterization, pacing, and plain decent writing.
How is one less than the other? They are simply different books. Books are hard to write. Please respect the writers. We work hard, no matter the genre. Nobody likes being snubbed by their peers.
___________________________
* I had clicked off the Im window, because I was pissy, so the conversation is reproduced from memory, but I remember the last line quite well.
**For the record, my books are not romance, but I'm going to talk about it anyway.
From a conversation with a person who will not be named here*:
Me: Hugos were announced. Have you noticed how the same people are always nominated for editor? I want to get somebody to nominate Anne next time, she kicks butt.
Person: She won't win. She mostly edits urban fantasy.
Me: What does that have to do with it?
Person: It's crossover romance.
Me: ?
Person: It's not really like SF or pure fantasy. It's a fad. Please don't be offended.
And that's why I don't want to join SFWA. Because the inertia is enormous. Let's see, urban fantasy is selling relatively well and is written, edited and packaged by people who are talented and deserve recognition. It's new. It's shiny. It's speculative. Shouldn't that be exciting?
Yes, the field is flooded. Yes, there are a lot of knock-offs. Give it a couple of years, and talented people will emerge while the rest will be washed away. As Charlie is fond of saying, "There is always room for excellence." And what is this with using romance as some sort of trash indicator?**
Why is it that speculative genre, a genre for people with an open mind, a genre that stretches the horizons and does away with the established boundaries, why does it spawn such elitist, short-sighted attitude in its fans and in many authors? Why the hell is it so cliquish?
I now know how the erotica writers felt when they were fighting to get themselves recognized as part of Romance genre by the professional community. Let me say something for all those people who stand there and proclaim that romance novels are trash: write one. Let's see how well you do.
Let's compare a good romance and a good hard sci-fi.
It's hard to write a good romance. It takes understanding of the way human relationships work, it takes a feel for setting, on spot characterization and pacing. If all those things are right, the audience will be forgiving if the author slips in the area of historical accuracy.
It's hard to write a good hard sci-fi. It takes technical knowledge and forward thinking mind, but if the concept is good, the audience will, on average, be more forgiving if the writer fails on characterization, pacing, and plain decent writing.
How is one less than the other? They are simply different books. Books are hard to write. Please respect the writers. We work hard, no matter the genre. Nobody likes being snubbed by their peers.
___________________________
* I had clicked off the Im window, because I was pissy, so the conversation is reproduced from memory, but I remember the last line quite well.
**For the record, my books are not romance, but I'm going to talk about it anyway.
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