More on the SFBC
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16:54 GMT on 8 March 2003
Three days ago, Will Duquette responded to my post on the SFBC's 50 Most Significant SF&F Books of the last fifty years.
I did some Googling and came up with some interesting info on the mysterious Children of the Atom by Wilmar Shiras — most interesting, perhaps, is that Wilmar was a woman. Perhaps it was a pen name?
Anyhow, it seems Children of the Atom was one of those old SF tropes, the gifted children who are persecuted by society tale. Other examples include A.E. Van Vogt's Slan and Theodore Sturgeon's More Than Human.
In fact, I'd probably be wondering why this book was included at all if I hadn't run across the notion that it inspired the X-Men comics. That's a pretty significant influence in some sectors of our culture, so I can't complain about it anymore.
As I said before, I tried to take the list on its own terms. There was far more that I could have complained about. I agree with Will, Neuromancer is an insufferable read, but it did spawn an entire subgenre that has since, thankfully, petered out. (Due in no small part to Neal Stephenson's hilarious deconstruction of it in Snow Crash, also on the list.)
Dhalgren is on the list for the same reason Ulysses always makes the lists — it's the codebook. If you can convincingly pretend you understand the code, you may join the anointed and talk of Important Works and High Literature. If you can't, you must not be terribly intelligent.
I could niggle the inclusion of Anne Rice, too much Ursula K. Leguin, one of Nevil Shute's least novels, but these have all had an influence or impact that I cannot deny. (Although, really, who has gotten through Stand on Zanzibar lately, or been overly influenced by it?)
Will argues for the inclusion of several other authors, and I can only provide an argument against one. (Of course C. S. Lewis should have been included!)
I haven't read Lois McMaster Bujold much (Ethan of Athos, and a short story or two), and she has won many Hugo awards, but how has her work affected the broader genre? Whom has she influenced, or what impact has she had on some other aspect of the culture? This is in no way a disparagement, and perhaps I'm unaware of her influence, but on the terms that this list was composed, I think that not including her was the correct decision.
In her stead, let me propose that C. J. Cherryh ought to have been included. I know for a fact that Cherryh is a great inspiration to other writers (including this one), in addition to her popularity with readers (with the Hugos to show for it).
I might also add that Neil Gaiman just started publishing novels regularly, and perhaps (probably) his comic book work was excluded from consideration on this list. Don't worry, he'll be there eventually.
And yes, it's wonderful that lost Cordwainer Smith made the list.