A real blog entry.

(Might as well throw a picture in here, I got a million of 'em.-ed.)


I always have the television going in the background when I write.

On TVO's 'The Agenda,' with Steve Paikin,internationally-reknowned science fiction author Cory Doctorow called science fiction, 'A wonderful vehicle for social commentary.'

More recently, also on TV, Robert J. Sawyer said something pretty amazing.

He said he might be happy enough to give up writing full-time 'if it meant he could learn full time.' He also said that 'getting paid to learn,' is one reason why he loves writing science fiction.

A couple of things immediately spring to mind. One, just because I write a lot of parodies, that doesn't mean I don't like or respect someone.

Any parody requires that one do one's homework, and any industry or genre has its famous names, intellectual leaders, more successful people, those farther along the journey. I could hardly be unaware of them.

Two, he's absolutely right.

It is a real priveilege to think, to inquire, to communicate, and to write, and to express ourselves with perfect intellectual freedom.

It is an honour to be able to share that with someone else somewhere else.

Science fiction and fantasy, horror or speculative fiction writers must have a good historical perspective, or they couldn't write anything at all credible.

Tney must also be adept at peering ahead into the future.

Let us not waste this opportunity.

Anyway, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

-louis