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04/17/2003 Archived Entry: "Science Fiction Museum"

Paul Allen has a plan for a Science Fiction Museum! It will be next door to the Experience Music Project (EMP) at Seattle Center, and the working name is the Science Fiction Experience (SFX). Other stories have it as taking up a wing of the EMP formerly used for a theme-ride Artist's Journey that closed some months ago. Not revealed is which local SF author will be at the press conference with him today, but it's someone described as award-winning and best-selling. The NYT story lists Greg Bear, Ray Bradbury, Octavia Butler and Arthur C. Clarke as being on the advisory board, and Greg and Octavia are both local. What about Neal Stephenson? That's unlikely, though, since he doesn't do much fannish connecting.

On Greg Bear's site: "Greg and Astrid Bear will be part of an exceptionally talented team rolling out a very impressive and top-secret project at Norwescon, in Seattle, Washington. The announcement will take place during the halftime of the masquerade on Saturday."

Gad. both news stories had to go with the deprecated term "sci-fi." And of course, Sci-fi Today uses it.

Just for fun, here is a handy 'fannish' dictionary.

Posted by Jack William Bell @ 04/17/2003 11:55 AM PST

well, going by that genie discussion, even SF writers don't agree. Don't feel bad, especially if you are already in the habit of saying it.

I just mentioned it in the "fighting against the tide" way. Like bugging people about "begging the question" or flaunt vs. flout. or not using font face.

no wonder I was dubbed the net nag back in 1997!

Posted by Anita @ 04/17/2003 10:32 AM PST

it sounds like inside baseball to me. :)

but good on reclaiming that term, for sure, which it seems has happened. I think the implication of that, though, is that I can't use it without seeming ignorant or prejudiced. ;)

Posted by rebecca blood @ 04/17/2003 10:11 AM PST

Note that many SF fans derisively pronounce 'Sci-Fi' as 'Skiffy'. Typical fannish turning of something on its head to take ownership of it...

In a fannish conversation you would refer to 'serious' science fiction (such as a Greg Bear novel) as 'SF', while "It Came from Outer Space" would be 'skiffy'. You also might refer to fannish-related activities as 'skiffy', as in "We had a skiffy movie night last Wednesday."

Posted by Jack William Bell @ 04/17/2003 09:25 AM PST

the term sci-fi was invented by Forrest Ackerman in imitation of "hi-fi". Most fans prefer to say "SF" or just science fiction if you are talking about San Francisco in the same paragraph.

To make it even more confusing, some fans pronounce it as "skiffy" and use it affectionately for space opera.

See Melisa Michaels and this old GEnie discussion.

It's bound to be used in headlines, I know.

Posted by Anita @ 04/17/2003 09:04 AM PST

what is the preferred term? and why is sci-fi out of favor?

Posted by rebecca blood @ 04/17/2003 08:37 AM PST