What’s up world? Fantasy is the biggest-selling form of fiction. Yet the When Genres Attack team at Shearer’s Bookshop, Leichhardt, had to cancel their speculative fiction panel this week due to lack of interest?
What the?
The event that never was… 🙁
Me – I’d booked my ticket, researched the succession of buses I’d catch to get there, organised for my darling hubbie to come home from work early to look after the kids… I was set and ready to go.
I only really popped on Twitter to remind people about the event, so was pretty shocked when, while checking the Twitter names of the panellists, I noticed a tweet about it being… cancelled!!!
A few months ago, I did a Facebook poll asking readers: “What does speculative fiction mean… to you?” Responses included:
I like the thrill of escaping into different realities
It makes me contemplate real life/humanity in a different way
It makes me ponder the future/history of our own world
I’m fascinated by inventive concepts and imaginative ideas
I love abandoning my preconceptions to exotic adventures
Find out the most popular answer here!
Support for the genre was overwhelming and filled with a sense of eternal excitement. Yet Barbara Horgan, owner of Shearer’s Bookshop, said that this week’s event had to be cancelled due to the low numbers of booked attendees.
Should low attendance actually mean anything?
Low numbers? Yikes! With all the bookshops closing and literary magazines folding in recent times, was this, I wondered, a sign of things to come for speculative fiction writers? If so, what would that mean for writers such as myself looking to seal a publishing deal?
Although attendance numbers at the bookshop’s events was down in general, Barbara said, this was the only event they’d had to cancel all year.
But why – when so many readers love and buy speculative fiction? Is it because it’s been so cold and rainy in Sydney lately, so easier (and cosier) for readers to stay at home? Or is this a hint of a market in trouble?
I asked the three panellists, and Barbara, what they thought. Barbara agreed that the weather might have had something to do with it:
I was so disappointed we had to cancel our speculative fiction event tomorrow evening. Why did this happen? There could be a number of small reasons that when added together were very influential. It’s winter and in Sydney we seem to prefer the warmer weather. People are concerned about saving their money. Biography seems to draw the crowds at bookshop events better than fiction.
MJ Hearle, author of paranormal YA novels Winter’s Shadow and Winter’s Light, also figured fans might have been hibernating:
While disappointing, I’m not entirely surprised by the panel’s cancellation. The weather has been pretty miserable of late and I suspect most genre fans would rather curl up with their books under a doona rather than venture outside to hear me waffle on. Still, I’m sad I didn’t get to meet the handful of fans who were interested in attending and also missed hearing my fellow writers chat about the craft. Hopefully, there’ll be another opportunity further down the line.
Duncan Lay, author of high fantasy novel Bridge of Swords and The Dragon Sword Histories trilogy, thought that the lack of a localised fan-based might have mattered:
I would say it has less to do with the popularity of spec-fic and more to do with the relative popularity of the authors on the panel. None of us are from the inner west and not particularly well-known outside of our respective genres. I’m sure it would have been different had the night been based on the coast (for me) or Blue Mountains (for Claire) or it featured a big name such as Kylie Chan.
Whereas Claire Corbett, author of literary novel When We Have Wings, wondered if the speculative fiction stigma might have kept attendees at bay:
I think there were practical reasons for the cancellation as well as deeper issues.
Firstly, it’s a cold winter and people are perhaps reluctant to go out. It’s academic break now and so the event couldn’t be promoted to the university students who are the most likely to know what speculative fiction is and be interested.
Publishing wisdom is that middle-aged and older women are the book buyers and often they’re convinced they don’t like SFF. I’ve lost count of the women who’ve told me they don’t like fantasy or SF but they LOVE my book. They love it because it deals with parents and children in this fast-changing world in an imaginative, emotional way.
Many people haven’t realised speculative fiction is no longer ‘the Rotary Club on Alpha Centauri’. Writers like Meg Mundell, Margaret Atwood and Lauren Beukes are writing powerful, insightful works dealing with concerns that are real right now. It’s important and that’s why I’m so keen to talk about this. The event will go ahead in some form and I can’t wait.
Chill out with a good book, but don’t let the chill stop you from showing your support.
I can’t wait either! I love supporting our fantastic Aussie writing community, and so do all the readers out there. Clearly it was simply too chilly this week for speculative fiction!
Also reassured that the genre isn’t in crisis, I think I’ll enjoy an extra night in with my darling hubbie this week. Curled up under the doona with a good genre book? Why not!
And instead of catching a succession of buses to Leichhardt, I’ll simply look forward to the next time I can join my fellow readers, fans and writers in celebrating this thing that we do – as long as the event’s closer to summer 😉
NB. The next When Genres Attack event at Shearer’s Bookshop will be “Chic Lit not Dumb Lit” on September 13th with Anita Heiss, Lisa Heidke and Susan Johnson. Why not come and support these three talented Australian writers?
Figures do not mean a thing. Unless it’s your bank account. I love poetry; I don’t and can’t go to every event in Sydney.
People throw figures around like they mean something – why? Because they have an agenda to push. I hear this all the time, “this video has had 900 hundred thousand hits on You Tube.” Big deal, it means nothing. There’s a video of a monkey playing with himself on You Tube, it’s had 20 million hits. And that about sums up figures for me. It’s people (or monkeys) playing with themselves.
Can’t say I’m found of the term “Speculative Fiction” It almost as bad as “Literary Fiction” because it does not mean anything to people who buy books for the pleasure of reading.
Things get lost in terms and like numbers they mean little too. Content is king. Can’t see that ever changing.
You know, I almost called this post “The Meaning of Numbers” because you’re right – the phrase ‘low numbers’ can send shivers down a writer’s spine… and yet, numbers always need to be placed in context.
Number one is really good if it means first place!
Terms too can mean more than they should. Yes, genre labelling can help readers find stories that meet their expectations. But what’s the point if it puts other readers off discovering something that might otherwise change their lives?
I’ve heard books do can that, you know 🙂
Interesting to hear that more bookstores are closing. But beside the fact that those venues may no longer be the hangouts they once were, is it possible that fans are content having discussions on-line?
There used to be three bookshops at my local mall… now there’s only one 🙁
But yes, there are plenty of fans online, and plenty of discussions happening online too (like this one!). Sometimes though it’s nice to meet people in person – right?