Poll

I've chosen In War Times. It was the most interesting to me. I would have gone with The Cat Who Walks Through Walls but we did a Heinlein book only a few months ago.

Is Kindred even sci-fi? The author herself states it is fantasy as there is no science in it at all.

The time travel in Kindred puts it into Sci-Fi for me, despite Octavia Butler's declaration (besides, if we went by what the author says we'd have to declare a bunch of authors off limits because they refuse to acknowledge that they write Sci-Fi at all).

I'd say it's on the very edge as the time travel is merely a plot device to make the story happen and isn't explained or discussed. This isn't an author who denies writing sci-fi. I'd say the time travel is more magic than science :p

Well, I tracked down her interview where she made that statement and she certainly doesn't equivocate. She says flat out that it is "not Sci-Fi," but being a fan of her I always considered it Sci-Fi and my memories always put it down as Sci-Fi (and I've read some "Sci-Fi" books that were less Sci-Fi than Kindred, that's for sure). But it has been years since I read it, so it would appear I am wrong to some extent.

I'm not taking it out of the poll now, though. Too many have voted on it. If it wins we'll simply have to cope with a Fantasy and a Fantasy by a Sci-Fi author in the same month.

It's ok. I'm not trying to get it removed, just trying to get people talking :)

Skiffy. I like that.

Sherri wrote: "I haven't read the interview with Butler, but that does remind me of something.

Time for an old story.

Many years ago, when I was an eager teen, I wrote a letter to Andrew J. Offut. At the time..."

I've just started to read some scholarly analysis of science fiction, and it looks like the sf/sci-fi distinction is alive and well there. I read it in The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction.