Andre Norton, a giant of sf/f, died this week. This was in an article on CNN:
Norton said detailed research matters in fiction because today's education is so inadequate that many people must get their history from novels. If an author makes historical detail interesting, a reader might be inspired to research the subject more.
The desire to educate people about science through fiction is one of my driving forces, but I think she was right and that the "stealth education" provided in a well-researched novel can help with history and many other areas.
The best way to honor Andre Norton, Hal Clement, Charles Sheffield, Bob Forward, Isaac Asimov, and other sf/f giants who have fallen in recent years is to continue their legacy, to continue to care about the facts in fiction, to write books that do more than just entertain.
Posted by Mike at March 18, 2005 01:17 PM