Another one I’d recommend highly is Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn trilogy, in which we find the transhuman eco-socialism of the Edenists, the developmental-state communism of the human settlers of Mars, the postmaterial (indeed, post-economic) communism of the Kiint aliens, a lovely extrapolation of where the outsourcing and privatisation of security functions might lead us, and the ultimate revenge of the underclass.

Finally, I’d agree that Asimov is best characterised as a left-liberal rather than a socialist, based on my reading of his best book, The End Of Eternity.

Another one I’d recommend highly is Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn trilogy, in which we find the transhuman eco-socialism of the Edenists, the developmental-state communism of the human settlers of Mars, the postmaterial (indeed, post-economic) communism of the Kiint aliens, a lovely extrapolation of where the outsourcing and privatisation of security functions might lead us, and the ultimate revenge of the underclass.

Finally, I’d agree that Asimov is best characterised as a left-liberal rather than a socialist, based on my reading of his best book, The End Of Eternity.

“”Slipstream” – a kind of writing that simply makes you feel very strange; the way that living in the late twentieth century makes you feel, if you are a person of a certain sensibility.”

http://lib.ru/STERLINGB/catscan05.txt

“”Slipstream” – a kind of writing that simply makes you feel very strange; the way that living in the late twentieth century makes you feel, if you are a person of a certain sensibility.”

http://lib.ru/STERLINGB/catscan05.txt

Frankly I think the sci-fi/fantasy divide is silly, but I’m not so hot on genres at all because it ghettoises good writers. It’s a tool for bookshops and the marketing departments of publishers, not a taxonomic guide to literature.

Really, all science fiction is speculative, as is fantasy, so if you want a better label it might be speculative fiction, which encompasses a range of different styles and sets of ideas.

I personally think there’s books worth reading and books that aren’t, and if people really need a ‘genre’ to swim around within, and get “annoyed” that people muddy the waters between them, that’s a big pity.

Frankly I think the sci-fi/fantasy divide is silly, but I’m not so hot on genres at all because it ghettoises good writers. It’s a tool for bookshops and the marketing departments of publishers, not a taxonomic guide to literature.

Really, all science fiction is speculative, as is fantasy, so if you want a better label it might be speculative fiction, which encompasses a range of different styles and sets of ideas.

I personally think there’s books worth reading and books that aren’t, and if people really need a ‘genre’ to swim around within, and get “annoyed” that people muddy the waters between them, that’s a big pity.