The New Golden Age of Science Fiction
There are classics and then there are Classics.
Before I get flammed in my very first post/article/newsletter, let me assure you that I place tremendous value on the works of the great writers that pretty much launched the genre. That said, from the perspective of an avid sci-fi reader I cannot deny the feeling that we are now in a new Golden Age.
The advent of ebooks first and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing later have forever changed the dynamics of how writers and readers interact. Over the past 14 or 15 years, 99.5% of the books I’ve read were in digital form.
Most of the books I’ve read over the last 5 or 6 years were independently published, using Amazon’s services. In fact, I discovered that I much prefer the dynamic of indie publishing to that of traditional publishing, as authors can get their stories out to readers sooner, keeping the interval between books in a series shorter.
I know a lot of people criticize different aspects of these changes. Some say that quality has suffered from them, as more typos get through, and sometimes even a continuity error or two. But as with all things, indie publishing has been evolving.
Authors found a way to minimize those issues by crowdsourcing their proofreading to their readers. Some, such as Christopher Hopper, of Ruins of the Galaxy and Ruins of the Earth fame, and JN Chaney, author of the Renegade Star series, amongst others, have organized closed groups of readers that, being very familiar with their stories’ backgrounds, do a great job of pointing out inconsistencies as well as helping catch the odd typo that got through.
This practice helps to reinforce the changes in the dynamics of the relationship between writers and readers, making them more personal even as digital publishing expands the spectrum of potential readers.
All of that is to say that conditions have converged into the perfect scenario for a new crop of science fiction authors to emerge into the public space. These authors are using the tools offered by technology to better their stories and to get them into the hands of readers as soon as possible. Some have never published anything with a traditional publisher. In fact, several have turned down financially attractive deals from these publishers. Deals which just a few years ago would be the stuff of dreams for most writers.
As a science fiction reader, I am glad that these authors have taken this stance. The examples I am aware of, of when an indie author decided to accept a proposal to publish traditionally have always felt “lacking” in regards to their indie publishing.
For example, Jay Allan’s Far Stars books had a much longer time in between books than his Crimson Worlds and Blood on the Stars series. Both of which are more widely known, even though they had no traditional publisher involvement, or perhaps… because of it?!
As these indie authors publish more works, with the constant interaction and feedback from their readers, their stories evolve into interesting narratives which captivate more and more readers, sometimes surprising them with their twists and turns. A good example of this is the First Colony series by Ken Lozito
In 2014, I was on a business trip to China when I saw a message from Christopher G Nuttall asking his readers which of two stories he should write as his next book in his Ark Royal series. I had just gotten back from that trip when the book that his readers most voted for came out. Now that, is what I call reader/writer interaction.
Of course, not every author is comfortable with this level of interaction, nor should they be. Each should work however they feel they can do their best work. That is how we, the readers, get the best books.
When I was a kid, I had to wait sometimes for months for a new sci-fi book to show up at my local bookstore. I passed that time re-reading books I especially liked, such as Robert Heinlein's Double Star and Frank Herbert’s Dune. Later, I found myself re-listening to the audio versions of David Weber’s Honor Harrington and Safehold series. Notice that though traditionally published, these books were already being made available in digital form, both in ebook and audiobook formats, and thus getting into my hands on the same day of their release.
These past couple of years I suddenly found myself in an awkward and unprecedented situation. No matter how much I read, there are always more books to read than I am able to.
I consider that we are now living through a new Golden Age of Sci-fi and that we are still far from reaching its peak as I keep discovering new authors to read.
In the following issues of The Longo Review, I will be discussing some of these authors, books, and series which I feel deserve a place on your bookshelf, be it virtual or physical.
Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash