tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32085591.post2645690673790040992..comments2023-11-07T21:12:19.852-06:00Comments on Wyrdsmiths: Math is Hard, Barbie. Get Over Ittate hallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06631759014508937940noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32085591.post-28340457743353098272007-08-17T09:39:00.000-05:002007-08-17T09:39:00.000-05:00I dunno - I find people's leeriness of science fic...I dunno - I find people's leeriness of science fiction frustrating too, but lately I've been realizing that reading it requires some skills we may take for granted. People's snootiness about why they won't try is the annoying thing to me.<BR/><BR/>I was really surprised recently when I handed over a couple of my favorite lesbian science fiction novels to a friend and she found them incomprehensible. But then I went and reread the first twenty pages of each, and realized how much I suppress my reaction of "what's this?" "what's that?" "what's that mean?" and "what the hell is going on?" for the first chunk of a science fiction story or novel (especially if I peeked ahead and there's going to be good sex).<BR/><BR/>There is a learned skill - trusting that it will all end up making sense, and becoming familiar with things like the inevitable stuff about A.I.'s and DNA and nanotech and all that stuff that *does* show up a lot and, personally, I never quite know if I really understand fully, despite poring over all those Scientific American articles.<BR/><BR/>My friend said she doesn't really have time to think that hard - she only has time to read at work and has to put the book down a lot - and often can't emotionally handle reading something that's too depressing/'dark.' I want to discount that, but going through the list of science fiction books I'd love to recommend, they're all pretty deep thinking reads and/or dystopic and depressing.<BR/><BR/>Learning to relish those qualities was like acquiring a taste for them - didn't just happen overnight. I've never been able to get past the first five pages of Left Hand of Darkness - I realize I don't have the time to really focus and give it the attention it needs. Some day I know I'll pick it up and read it cover to cover, but it does require a commitment of sorts.<BR/><BR/>I guess I also haven't quite receovered from the stunning, impromptu lecture on math theory I heard recently from someone critting a fantasy short story, that she reeled off without taking a breath- jeez, math *is* hard, and big, really big. Call me Barbie.<BR/><BR/>-CJDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com