A Universe Of Other Worlds

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday March 4, 2006

Review by Sophie Masson, whose latest novel, a speculative mixture of murder, theatre and the supernatural, is Malvolio's Revenge (Hodder Children's Books).

Australian Speculative Fiction: A Genre Overview

By Donna Maree Hanson

Aust Speculative Fiction, 226pp, $45

Speculative fiction - which includes science fiction, fantasy, horror and all variations within - has an unusual profile in the publishing industry. It is both commercially viable and intensely grassroots. Readers of speculative fiction get involved with their genre in a way that is rare in any other fiction audience. They are not mere passive consumers, but highly active in the promotion and expansion of the field.

It is not the publishing industry or big state-subsidised arts organisations, but fans and creators that run the festivals, conferences - or "conventions" - that are such a feature of the scene. Yet as anyone who has ever been to a convention knows, they're often better organised than mainsteam literary festivals.

In part, this grassroots dynamism is a product of the fact that for a long time, speculative fiction was denigrated as "pulp" - despite the fact that quite a few of the enduring novels of the 20th century have been in those genres - think of 1984, Brave New World, The Lord of the Rings and many others. What's more, in the great children's literature of the last 100 years or so, the field accounts for nearly all of the classic works. Routinely snubbed by the literary establishment in the past, people who are active in the speculative fiction field tend not to take no for an answer and go right ahead with projects without imprimaturs from big publishing houses or arts bodies.

This impressive, interesting and informative book comes out of that can-do culture. Writer and editor Donna Maree Hanson is a member of one of the most dynamic speculative fiction groups in the country, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild, and was chair of two very successful conventions, Conflux 2004 and Conflux 2005, held in Canberra.

Feeling the need for a good, comprehensive readers' guide to the speculative fiction field in Australia - to the authors, illustrators, magazines, anthologies - she interviewed dozens of creators and researched hundreds of publications, then published it herself.

As Van Ikin says in his foreword, the result is "three books in one - it's simultaneously a coffee-table book of alluring design, a treasury of writers' comments and revelations, and a handy guide to further reading". Profusely illustrated with black-and-white and colour photographs - including some magnificent reproductions of artwork - it's certainly a very attractive book. Lively and entertaining, it's also very informative in terms of what writers and illustrators have to say about their work - there's a full page devoted to each creator. And, as is usual with this field, there's no difference made between those who write for adults and those who write for children. There's also an interesting section on the magazines, which are the lifeblood of the scene, and on the anthologies of short fiction, which have often been produced by small press or fans' co-operatives. As well, there's a good section on emerging writers.

The book is well-organised, with useful appendices and a clear index. Showing clearly just what an impressive contribution Australian creators have made and are making to the world-wide speculative fiction genre - for this is a literary genre that, unlike many others, has thrived in the globalised climate - this is a book for anyone who has even the remotest interest in an increasingly popular genre.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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