Grace Carlberg: "Kids Hate Commitment, but They Love SFF"

Kids Hate Commitment, but They Love SFF

By

Grace Carlberg

There’s beauty in short science fiction and fantasy in the way that it screams lack of commitment. As an eighteen year old, I don’t like to surrender myself to anything that I’m not entirely sure of; in essence, I’m terrified to bite into something if I’m not sure if I’ll be able to chew it. Though definitely not as serious as marriage or others in life’s long list of commitments, plunging into a new series or even a several hundred page novel is a commitment, at least in the sense that it takes some time. If I’m afraid to commit to a plot I may not like: why would I start a novel I’m unsure of? Kids, in this case meaning young adults and twenty-somethings, are busier than ever, and it’s hard to find time to get really into a series. There are definitely great fantasy and science fiction novels and series for both children and adults, but for those in between, who don’t have as much time for novel-reading as they’d like to have, such as myself, it’s hard to start a novel if its plot is unknown, for a novel is a time commitment, and for some people certain novels just aren’t worth it.

Fear of commitment in literature can certainly be solved by pieces that require less commitment. Short science fiction and fantasy pieces are excellent for those without much time and afraid of committing to a full-length novel. Short stories of any genre are great because it’s possible to pick one up and read it in its entirety in less than half an hour on one afternoon, as opposed to the several hours, often on several afternoons, that are required of full-length novel. This doesn’t mean that young adults like myself don’t have an interest in science fiction and fantasy; we do, just not the time. Short science fiction and fantasy is so optimal for young people because it’s engaging while not being time consuming. It gives us the nostalgia of the stories we loved in a galaxy far, far away without keeping us from our busy lives.  In a chapter of  Speculations on Speculation: Theories of Science Fiction, an anthology edited by James Gunn and Matthew Candelaria, written by David Hartwell, he discusses his belief that the golden age of science fiction is twelve, something which is hard to dispute. He notes that it’s hard to spark a love of science fiction after the age of twelve, but it could be argued that that’s simply just the best time for reading in general. Short science is there to satisfy people who gained the spark of science fiction and fantasy around the age of twelve but lost the time to commit with age. If the spark for SFF is there but there’s a lack of commitment, short science fiction and fantasy is there to satisfy.

What will keep me reading outside of this class? Well, the appeal of a good story will always keep me reading, but the sheer accessibility of short science fiction and fantasy will keep me reading SFF specifically. It may be difficult at times to find a science fiction or fantasy novel, but short science fiction and fantasy pieces are available everywhere, both online and in print publications. It is this accessibility that will keep me reading because it’s much easier to find a good short story in a genre-specific online publication than it is to find a good science fiction or fantasy novel. I will continue to read short science and fantasy pieces because they make excellent reading material for the geek who has no time.