The Letters to the Editor department is intended to be a forum for our readers to express their own opinions and ideas. While we appreciate the many complimentary letters we receive each day, you won't find them on this page. Instead, you will find letters that go beyond or even contradict what we have written, letters that offer a different perspective and provide a different view of science fiction. If you would like to submit a letter, please use our feedback form or send a message to scifiweekly@scifi.com.
-- Craig E. Engler, Editor
B5 Is A Good Bowl Of Popcorn
ith Babylon 5 drawing to a close and so much being said about the latest TV movie, I thought I'd bring up a point.
For the past five years, J. Michael Straczynski has done what few television producers have accomplished: given us a science fiction TV series that fulfilled all the basics of literary SF, and did it with a sincere respect for the genre. Even in the face of poor ratings, narrow-minded media types with an eye only on the profit margins and the lowest common denominator and the collapse of P-TEN, he managed to finish his saga. Many of the episodes in this five-year journey ranged from good to excellent, with a few that were supremely outstanding (each of us has our own Top 10 episodes, so I won't bore you with mine). This series won two Hugos, a record in any SF archivist's book!
To be fair, of course, a handful were less than stellar, but when you consider the standards set by the body of work, a few burned kernels in this popcorn bowl are to be expected. I mean, does Mark McGwire hit homers every time? An overview of The Twilight Zone will turn up its share of clinkers. I've seen them. Believe me, they're out there. Yes, JMS may have needed a stronger sounding board for a few stories, but you know what they say about too many cooks. An editor may have improved things, but the opposite has been known to happen, and damage caused by bad editing tends to snowball.
Also, when you compare the weaker episodes to similar ones in other classic series, they tend to look a lot better. Stand "Infection" up against "Spock's Brain," for example (or 75 percent of the original Trek's third season, for that matter), and the former actually looks very good.
I, for one, wish Straczynski every success in his future projects, and if Crusade is anything like its predecessor, we should be in for a hell of a ride.
Linda Stoops
jassmoris@yahoo.com
The SF Genre No Longer Exists
fter reading science fiction for 40 years, I've been forced to come
to the conclusion that the genre, in the Gernsbackian sense, no longer
exists. Space opera, fantasy, heroic quest sagas all defy the Hugo
Gernsback definition: science fiction must contain elements of known
science or scientific extrapolation based on accepted theory. In other
words, science fiction should educate as well as entertain, an idea
virtually lost in print and film. Simply including warp drive, for
example, without a plausible explanation as to the physics involved,
reduces science fiction to space opera. Science fiction that contains
bad science isn't science fiction at all, regardless of literary merit,
and there's precious little of that in the field. I enjoy a well written
fantasy work as much as the next guy, but to blur the distinction
between the two genres, as Science Fiction Weekly often does, does a disservice to both, especially to the more mature literary form of science fiction.
Many attempts have been made to blend fantasy and science fiction, none
satisfactorily, such as calling it speculative fiction a la Campbell, who
possessed the arrogance to declare that "science fiction is what I say
it is," or imaginative fiction, an oxymoron if ever I heard one. I must
conclude that the current generation of scientists, with a few
exceptions, does not possess the literary talent necessary to write
science fiction, and that it's unlikely we'll see the likes of an Asimov
or Clarke again, at least until scientists develop the skills to
articulate their ideas, or until educated laymen take up the slack. A
trip to a bookstore will amply illustrate my contention; row after row
of derivative fantasy, space opera drivel, and novels based on movies
all misplaced under the science fiction section, while one is hard
pressed to find a copy of I, Robot or Ringworld. I suppose I'll have to content myself with reading the classics in the field, and the few
authors extant that take the trouble to justify their ideas with
plausible science.
Thos. M. Jolly
tmjolly@capital.net
Varley Writes Cutting-Edge SF
n response to Mr. Romanowski's nasty review of John Varley's work--oh puhleeze. He is, of course, entitled to his opinion, but to state it as if it were, and should be, the prevailing opinion is intolerable.
I have not read the review to which he refers, but I must recommend Mr. Varley's work to anyone who enjoys cutting-edge science fiction, fiction that's not afraid to push the boundaries.
Especially Steel Beach. Don't be put off by the provocative opening sentence; it is a great piece of work.
Susan Phillips
vampry@mindspring.com
Misses The B5 Regulars
t was interesting to see the reader reaction to the less than complimentary review to Babylon 5: River of Souls. I found myself continually comparing what I was watching to what I had read. I found that I really enjoyed River but was also looking for more of the series regulars. I will miss them after the conclusion of the series. Thank goodness for video. Crusade has very large shoes to fill.
D. G. Dowdy
Durl@aol.com
River Was Not Up To B5 Standards
have been reading the letters praising River of Souls. I didn't read the article that was referred to in the letters, but it sounds to me like the writer and I had the same impression of the movie.
River of Souls failed to live up to the standards set by the series. I have nothing against Tracy Scoggins, but I don't think Captain Lochley can carry an episode, much less a movie.
In the Beginning was my introduction to Babylon 5. It was a fine movie that hasn't been matched since. River of Souls and Thirdspace were both boring.
Ed Toler
edmale1@yahoo.com
There Is God In SF
oncerning Mr. Allen's comments on the alleged lack of God in science fiction:
- The most recent winner of the Arthur C. Clarke award was Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow.
- Both writers and fans have consistently voted Walter M. Miller Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz among the best works of science fiction of all time.
- Religion and faith, although not necessarily pro-organized Christianity, form the core of James Morrow's work.
The bottom line is simple: This is fiction. Different fictions have different central concerns. Nobody has to like each work. However, Mr. Allen's condemnation of an entire set of fictional tropes on the basis of some obviously unresearched and unsupportable assumptions sounds a lot more like the political ideology of 1930s British Communism than of anything resembling Christianity.
John Savage
john.savage@juno.com
Offers Examples Of Challenging SF
hoever James Allen is, one thing is certain. He doesn't read much science fiction or fantasy or horror!
I suggest he read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, God's Fires by Patricia Anthony and Dark Debts by Karen Hall. Mr. Allen will find his reasoning severely challenged. He will find these three challenges
superb reading in any genre he may choose to place them in.
Martin C. Lally
mclfurn@sccoast.net
Legend Has Satan's Mark Of Quality
ctually, I was quite pleased that you included Mr. Allen's pious outrage in your letters column.
I have not yet read Legend, but I think I may soon. While a dozen enthusiastic fans gushing about it may still just be a matter of taste, it has been my experience that when Christians begin denouncing a book as the work of Satan, it is usually a sign that it really is worth reading.
Many thanks to Mr. Allen giving the mark of quality to Legend and to Science Fiction Weekly for publishing it.
D. Edward Farrar
sic.itur.ad.astra@altavista.net
Finds God In Legend
hen I first read the responses to the letter from Joseph Allen regarding the absence of God in science fiction, I went to the original letter. I thought there must be some mistake. "The Sci-Fi Channel people slipped in one of Dana Carvey's scripts for his Church Lady sketches." I mean, here's the word "Satan" and you can hear the reverb sound effect and the grimace. But sadly, Mr. Allen couldn't see God in Legend. Too bad, because that's a sign of true spiritual advancement: to be able to recognize God anywhere. It saddens me to find people who see Satan, instead.
Ray West
Andurilsf@worldnet.att.net
Open Revolt Against Divine Authority
ince I have neither the time nor the patience to respond to the quantity (not to mention the quality or lack thereof) of the e-mail tirades I received following my letter critical of the novel, Legend, please allow me to answer them here.
Number one, it doesn't really matter if your readers enjoyed the book (though many of them admitted they hadn't even read it). Humans are weak and fallible and clearly we enjoy many things that aren't good for us, physically and spiritually. Just because something is pleasant, fun or enjoyable doesn't mean it is good. Even the most simpleminded should be able to grasp that fact.
Secondly, your readers made no bones about the fact that they were trying to promote this book, and promote it as a positive, uplifting work. They have a right to do that. I also have a right to point out what anyone with the intelligence to read beneath the surface of the novel can plainly see. That Legend, this "positive, uplifting" novel is in truth an evil perhaps even a satanic book, where success is achieved by a "savior" who puts himself in the place of God, which of course is just what the humanists and moral relativists exult in.
Art either brings us closer to God or leads us away from Him. Any supposed "art" that tries to usurp His place is not only leading man away from God but putting itself in open revolt against Divine Authority. And all the sophistry and all the e-mails on the planet can't change that simple fact.
Joseph Allen
happyone1@mailcity.com
Beating A Dead Reptile
hate to beat a dead horse (or reptile in this case) but I just had to watch Godzilla again on video (thinking I was too hard on it when the movie hit the theater). Having done this I must say that the movie remains every bit as bad as I had originally thought.
Brad LaForme
ai035@hwcn.org
