Kevin Hinterlong: "Dear Lynne and Michael Damian Thomas: It's the Little Things That Keep You Going"

Dear Lynne and Michael Damian Thomas: It’s the Little Things That Keep You Going

by

Kevin Hinterlong

            Most of the times when I sit down to read a book, it's because I have to read it for a class; however, throughout this semester we read plenty of shorts stories and books from science fiction and fantasy which I would’ve enjoyed reading on my own. I loved reading the short stories we covered in class (not only because I had the time to read them, but) because I was able to read tons of science fiction and fantasy which I had never heard of before, so I didn’t expect anything whereas I was told all about the “American Classics” I read in previous classes. Reading the short science fiction and fantasy stories was freeing in a sense since it was completely new and we looked at stories in a unique way. After being introduced to the genre, I now love to read other short science fiction and fiction and see the ways in which authors build worlds and creates a story which will likely diverge from what we might expect.

I really enjoy being able to read science fiction (I usually prefer science fiction over fantasy) with the instant gratification of the general characteristics without having to be invested in reading a large book. I’m often less motivated to read a book based on the size alone because I find it hard to keep reading a big book when I have so many other things I need to do like homework, college applications, etc. While I do enjoy the world building, backgrounds, and many other benefits of reading a book, I still prefer reading short stories because I’m less likely to quit or take prolonged breaks from reading. I remember reading “The Cold Equations” early during this course and (SPOILER) I made the assumption that Marilyn, a girl who hid on a spaceship, would be allowed to live and somehow be reunited with her brother and I kept reading the story very confident in my assumptions. At the end of the story, I realized I was completely wrong and, reflecting on it now, I would have been much more likely to stop and find a summary after making my assumptions about the story if it was a lot longer. However, after reading the end of that, I’ve stopped considering looking up a summary because it’s much more interesting to read a story where you relate to a character/situation, become attached, and then the author takes the story in a completely different direction.

            Once I’m out of this class, I will have less of an urge to read science fiction and fantasy than I do right now, especially since I won’t be presented with stories to read and I wouldn’t be reading the stories in a group of people I know. However, I really enjoyed reading the stories and, although I enjoy reading on my own, I think my friends who are more avid readers will help to keep me reading once I’m out of this class. I think that what I’ve seen throughout this past semester will also inspire me to read more since I wasn’t very familiar with the genre before, but now I feel I have enough background to recognize connections to past stories and find more stories I would enjoy. Although we haven’t discussed any film or animated science fiction and fantasy in the course, I think this will also keep me interested and wanting to read throughout my life. Before this course began, I started to watch shows such as Rick and Morty and after the course began I started to watch Futurama. Television shows, movies, video games, and other forms of media are quite different from reading, but they all contribute to science fiction and fantasy as a whole and references can be seen across different mediums of entertainment. I believe that watching these shows will enhance my experiences with what I’ve already read and inspire me to keep reading.

            In the end, I think the availability of short science fiction and fantasy as well as the references to them which are present in many mediums will keep me reading after this class. Although I personally enjoy reading shorter works, especially when trying to fit reading for pleasure into my schedule, I believe they are also useful for presenting an author’s unique ideas without having to build a complete story around the idea.