Doris Lessing: 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature Recipient

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this. Is Ms. Lessing the first Nobel laureate whose work includes science fiction?

[Primula Baggins]

She's certainly the first Nobel recipient who has been Guest of Honor at the World Science Fiction Convention (in Brighton in 1987—I looked it up).

And she actually says she writes science fiction. This is just about unheard-of for a literary writer. Usually literary writers fall over themselves explaining just why this novel set in 2035 on a post-apocalyptic Earth is not science fiction or anything to do with it. Or if they don't, any reviewer who likes the book does it for them. Including saying, in almost so many words, "This novel is not science fiction—it can't be, because it's good."

[axordil]

That's a good description of it, Prim. Others before her wrote fiction with fantastic or speculative elements, but she was willing to call a protonic excavator a protonic excavator.

My favorite work of hers is actually not quite SF, but the creepily Gothic The Fifth Child. Not a book for pregnant women.

[TheWagner]

"This novel is not science fiction—it can't be, because it's good."

Well, SciFi (like fantasy) has the same reputation in literary circles that rock and roll has in jazz or classical circles: most of it is tripe based around simple "hooks." Most (albeit not all) scifi/fantasy is plot-driven, with the authors much more interested in (and capable of) creating alternative worlds than interesting characters. This is why it is labeled escapist.

That being said, just as there is good music that happens to be rock and roll, there can be good literature that happens to be scifi/fantasy. It just is not common because what the scifi/fantasy audiences want typically is at odds with what the literati want! Sometimes you get the Beatles who can please both: but most of the time, it's just hummable crap that Madonna might spin.....

Lessing's work must really have impressed to overcome the stigma of her having written scifi! (I think that erotica would be considered less of a stigma: that, at least, is very character-oriented! )

[Primula Baggins]

Well, TW, I'm a published science fiction writer (the link to my Web site is below), and I strongly disagree with your description of what "most" SF writers are interested in, or that "most" of it is tripe. Have you read much in the genre? Which authors? There have been a few books published since 1965. . . .

Edit: On rereading your post, TW, I understand that it's characterizing the opinions of literary critics, not necessarily your own. You are unfortunately quite correct. I apologize. It's been a long week—I have a manuscript due at the publisher soon and very little time to concentrate on it.