The first time I encountered James Gunn was in college. It was senior year, and I was taking a science fiction class. (Did I mention it was senior year?) The text for the course was this incredible six-part anthology called The Road to Science Fiction, edited by one James Gunn. The anthologies tell the history of the genre through short fiction—and Jim’s sage intros to each story. The series really put the field into perspective for me.
Many years later when I started to get serious about writing science fiction, I spent a couple of weeks one summer at Jim’s Writer’s Workshop in Science Fiction. Two weeks in Kansas in the middle of the summer may not sound like a great vacation, but we were there to write and learn. I still have fond memories of that rainy 4th of July weekend when sat around in the dorm lounge listening to Jim talk about Asimov and Sturgeon and the other greats of the Golden Age of science fiction.
So, when Beth Revis asked me to be part of The League of Extraordinary Writers—a group blog about YA dystopian science fiction– I thought who would be better than Jim to put this sub-genre in perspective for us. See my interview with him on the League blog.
btw, don’t forget. If you follow my blog and the League one, you can win a copy of CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins.
bbtw, there’s a much more comprehensive interview with Jim in Albedo One this month. Albedo One is Ireland’s premiere magazine of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
I would love to spend two weeks writing in Kansas! That must have been an amazing experience, one in which it obviously paid off. Again, congratulations!
You know I love dystopia, right? I have been preparing for it all my life!
While my youthful experience with SF was limited to the Martian Chronicles of Narnia, you have introduced me to many other wonderful stories. I would be such a dope without you.