My partner and I have lots of things in common (we both love sushi, neither of us like salad dressing, the list goes on and on), but one of the most important commonalities to me is that we are both readers. More specifically, we both enjoy reading as a pastime, and we both appreciate the importance of reading as a means of growth and development.
Besides an overall appreciation for and enjoyment of reading, however, we don’t actually have all that much in common when it comes to what we read. While I tend to gravitate towards mysteries and historical fiction, the Raincity Software Engineer (or R.S.E. as he shall henceforth be referred to) is more likely to choose a fantasy novel, particularly something in the high fantasy realm (think wizards, elves, magic systems and complex world building).
Because I typically share my current reads on the blog, and I tend to fall into reading ruts, I thought I’d provide a bit of variety and share with you what the R.S.E. is currently reading. And surprisingly enough, it isn’t a fantasy novel! Or is it? Categorizing the works of Ursula K. Le Guin has never been an easy task. Is she a science fiction author, or are her works more suited to the fantasy category? The Word for World is Forest, which is what the R.S.E. is currently reading, is shelved in the science fiction section at our local library, but what is it that makes it a science fiction tale, exactly? Is it because it is set on a world other than our own? Most fantasy books are set in another realm, whether on our own planet or an unnamed one. Is it because it features strange non-human creatures? Well, elves and dwarves aren’t human, nor are dragons or trolls. Is it because characters use technology? What about urban fantasy or contemporary fantasy tales, in which the modern and the fantastic converge?
We were having just this conversation a few days ago, and I regret to say that we were unable to come up with a satisfactory definition of what differentiates science fiction from fantasy when it comes to books that seem to straddle the grey areas in between genres.
As for the book itself, the R.S.E is really enjoying it – it’s a slim volume, and he’s rapidly burning through it. He says that it’s the characterization that’s enjoying the most – Le Guin has created interesting and well-realized characters that you want to get to know and to spend time with. This is his first experience reading the works of this celebrated and award-winning author, having previously not been particularly interested in anything labeled science fiction. Which just goes to highlight the love-hate relationship I have with mankind’s obsession with fitting everything into tidy little categories. While categorization and classification can help us find things more easily, it can also create unnatural and unnecessary divisions that can prejudice us, and keep us from discovering new things. To give an embarrassing personal example, I’m likely to thumb my nose at any book labelled “romance”, without even bothering to read the back copy – I can only imagine how many enjoyable books I’ve denied myself simply because of a label!
What are you reading right now?