Coda
I was going to let it lie, but this (courtesy of a far too early-morning text message from Naomi) is too good to ignore. You want 8:48am:
Presenter: [Margaret Atwood] describes her new book Oryx And Crake as 'speculative fiction' because she says it could happen. Well, is she right? Bryan Appleyard, the author and Sunday Times journalist is writing a book about aliens; we're also joined by D J Taylor, the author and Orwell biographer. Good morning to you both.
Both: Good morning.
Presenter: Bryan Appleyard, do you think it's a fair distinction - this 'speculative fiction'/'science fiction'?
Bryan Appleyard: No, I think it's petty literary snobbery. [...] The whole reason it's called science fiction is because it's credible, it's possible, and Margaret Atwood seems to me to be evidently writing science fiction. And no reason why not - there's some very great science fiction writers.
Hurrah for Bryan Appleyard! And boo to DJ Taylor (sample quote: "JG Ballard is not a writer of science fiction; he's someone who merely projects certain elements of his moral and political universe in futurist terms...")
Presenter: [Margaret Atwood] describes her new book Oryx And Crake as 'speculative fiction' because she says it could happen. Well, is she right? Bryan Appleyard, the author and Sunday Times journalist is writing a book about aliens; we're also joined by D J Taylor, the author and Orwell biographer. Good morning to you both.
Both: Good morning.
Presenter: Bryan Appleyard, do you think it's a fair distinction - this 'speculative fiction'/'science fiction'?
Bryan Appleyard: No, I think it's petty literary snobbery. [...] The whole reason it's called science fiction is because it's credible, it's possible, and Margaret Atwood seems to me to be evidently writing science fiction. And no reason why not - there's some very great science fiction writers.
Hurrah for Bryan Appleyard! And boo to DJ Taylor (sample quote: "JG Ballard is not a writer of science fiction; he's someone who merely projects certain elements of his moral and political universe in futurist terms...")