Please, let's not even go there.

I came across this article recently in SF Signal. It is about how to adapt literary criticism so that it can be applied to science fiction.

Sadly, I just don't get it. I mean, I understand the article and what the author is saying, but I don't see why on earth anyone would be interested in doing such a thing. Few things in life seem quite as pointless as literary criticism. I see absolutely no imperative to shape or develop it to "suit" SF and can happily imagine a world without any kind of literary criticism – primarily because its concerns seem to be entirely manufactured.

It's like pulling the legs off insects, or breeding pugs, or collecting matchbox labels. I know that some people do it but I just can't see why.

That is not to say it isn't a useful thing to express your feelings about a particular work. This kind of "review" serves a valuable social function for those wondering where to invest their time and money. Nor is it a waste of time to discuss the ideas in a particular work. Apart from its entertainment value, science fiction is all about the ideas. But to indulge in literary criticism seems to add nothing of value at all – unless, like topiary, it is enjoyable for those who do it.

 

Fashionable Nonsense

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