Re: ~ Arthur C. Clarke, Science Fiction Author and Gay Man, Dies ~

Will in New Haven <bill.reich@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
news:77b10655-bc25-433c-8e75-f03cd0a96d10@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 

> On Mar 19, 1:05 pm, "Mike McKinley" <mp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote: 
>> "Franklin Hummel" <hum...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message

>> news:frrh00$oid$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > In 1988, when I was Director of the newly formed Gaylactic
>> > Network, an association of organization for gay science
>> > fiction fans and their friends, I wrote Sir Clarke

>>     I believe he would be called Sir Arthur.

> That's all right. Anyone who thinks Sir Arthur is "Likely the
> present- day world's most famous science fiction author," is
> probably going to get everything else wrong too. Even narrowing
> the definition of "science fiction author" so that it doesn't
> include Rowling won't do it.

Hmm... who's the present day world's most famous science fiction 
author, going by the likelihood that the general public and media 
will identify them *as* science fiction authors.  So Rowling 
wouldn't count, since she'd generally be called an author of 
children's books, or young adult fantasy, or what have you.  
Likewise authors like Clancy and Crichton are generally identified 
as writers of air****t books or thrillers or whatever, rather than 
science fiction authors.  (Though the general public might well 
identify some of their books as science fiction.)

Clarke would definitely have been called a science fiction author, 
even in a piece focusing primarily on his nonfiction (e.g., his 
role wrt the idea of the comsat), and ditto Heinlein, Asimov, etc.  
Who's the most well-known person currently who would be identified, 
say, when being introduced on CNN, as "science fiction author <X>"?

Mike

-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS
mschiffe@[EMAIL PROTECTED]