*SFN* | Feature: Seventeen to Seven: One Girl’s Quest for Sci-Fi

A Curious Title for a Curious Attachment:

I am not even sure if I could properly explain when my initial attachment and curiosity that surrounds the genre of ‘science fiction’ first began, because I grew up in a family who was already wholly enthused with Star Trek (the Original Series), Star Wars (the Original Trilogy), and Battlestar Gallactica (the Original Series). Therefore, from the time before I even entered kindergarten, I had a working knowledge of the characters I would lateron become beloved within the Star Trek and Star Wars Universes. I still remember eager to return home from a boring day in elementary school, to see which episodes my Dad was able to tape from the Trek marathon as we ‘d sit and watch them together! I have a LOT of fond memories of seeing Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty through the eyes of my father! This sparked a pulling towards science fiction story-lines across multi-visual media outlets, which included but are not limited too: motion picture, tv serials, sound for motion picture, and literature. I appreciated the art of including science within the confines of the story arcs, as much as daring to push the breadth of what was readily known with the limitlessness of what theoretically could be plausible.

I am quite sure, that aside from an appreciation of MacGyver part of the reason I was keen on science from such a young age, was the fact I was a mainstay at the local science center whilst growing up! I was completely enraptured by the planets (early roots of seeking knowledge of Cosmology, Astronomy, AstroBotany, etc), solar system, the oceans, and the diverse ecological systems that are on Earth from one continent to the next; as much as how different each section of Earth can remain completely independent, yet co-dependent of each other. The inter-threads of connection were something that I picked up in the very beginning, but it was my yearning desire to understand not only the natural world outside my front door, but the upper atmospheres (i.e. Meteorology to Space Science) straight-through to what existed beyond our sphere and ventured into the dark unknowns of the galaxy where we see glintings of at night whilst peering upwards towards the constellations and moon.  Whose assurance of presence is never forsaken no matter where we find ourselves positioned on Earth. You can change hemispheres, (North to South or vice versa) and even Coasts (East to West or vice versa) and you’ll still be exalted in the pure awe of what you will find once your eyes are cast heavenward. I learnt the outlines of constellations whilst participating in the planetarium and observation laboratory at the science center. I participated in a Young Astronauts Program as much as attend Space Camp (when it was quite an extraordinarily exotic place to visit and not just an exit on an interstate).

Through my pursuit of science fiction, the undercurrent desires of my heart and curiosity of thirst to understand how everything worked, kept revolving around theoretical science rather than finite or applied sciences. I used to joke around with classmates and teachers alike exclaiming, “There isn’t an ‘alogy’ that I haven’t met that I didn’t like or wish to know more of!” This was my cheeky declaration that hinted at the fact that I ‘collected’ an appreciation for more branches of science than most would dare think possible! It was in the sixth grade that I learnt the most about the oceans and the currents and how they intersected with the patterns of climate. How a shifting in the tides could cause irrevocable damage and how the patterns of our moon affected the tides. The greater sense of how each branch of science was one leaf towards the whole equation fascinated me to no end!

And, then you have science fiction in the background, etching these theories and fact into stories that leap alive before your eyes, jettisoning your imagination into hyper-drive as you explore the possibilities of what is limited and unlimited, what is conceivable and what challenges your perceptional irises. My eighth grade year, Quantum Leap was a tv serial that combined my passion for science and history.  As it jumped like gangbusters into a new sub-genre where time travel, quantum physics, and the acceleration through historical actuarial data to right the wrongs of the past proved to be a tv serial that was unlike any other I had thus become exposed to. I liked the tenacity of the series mission and the depth of which the writers took the episodes.

I quirkly give a nodding to the first beginnings of my genesis towards a new height of understanding in the science fiction community, as the roots of what I appreciated began before I was seven years old, but that is the approximate age in which I started to stand my ground and assert what I liked or didn’t like about certain sci-fi media platforms. I knew my leanings and tendencies, and I was constantly seeking out new realms to explore. By seventeen, I had joined the Science Fiction Book Club, whereupon I was casting a net of discovery into seeking the very beginnings of the genre itself, as grandmothers and grandfathers of the literary side of sci-fi were spoken about throughout the monthly club mailings. I ate up the knowledge inside those pamphlets which afforded me a guide like a lost wanderer in the desert seeking a map to find the nearest nomad community. I didn’t have a lot of friends who appreciated this genre.  Those that did I noticed liked other aspects of it more than I did which is why I sort of presumed outside of my family, I might run a bit solo in my pursuits.

Seventeen to Seven is my metaphor for realising that for each passion we carve a niche for out in our lives is a constant and ever-changing beginning and starting ground towards our full understanding of what that passion can yield. We will always have ground to cover whether that means uncovering which writers of the past exhume the context of stories we appreciate or whether that means we take a stand against ‘sequels’ and stand firm in line with the originals that we feel still have merit.

Whilst we walk through November together, you’ll start to find glimpses of where I fall in the science fiction world, where my feet amble around in the media choices we all have before us, and how I seek a course that is true and right for me to tread. I am challenging myself to seek out authors who write in the sub-genres of: Steampunk (as foretold in my inclusion of The Clockwork Carnival), Dystopian (as I have always been on the fence), and Time Travel (a closet interest that truly is one that I seek out the most). I wanted to push the limits of what I might perceive to be of interest to me, and challenge myself to dig into a genre like Dystopia which I have overlooked thinking there wasn’t a part of it that I would be keen to read (or watch).

As you root around my blog, you’ll notice that I am a blog tour hostess with Tomorrow Comes Media (which features books from Seventh Star Press), of which I have already posted a lovely assortment of science fiction and epic fantasy reviews throughout September and October! IF you’re keen to know which ones I am referring to, kindly scope out this indexed category: Seventh Star Press. I will be making cross-references with my experiences towards this regard, as they cross-sect my posts for SFN! I want to make a special shout-out for Stephen Zimmer who is looking for new hosts for Tomorrow Comes Media! Therefore, if you like the books I’ve reviewed on my blog, think about contacting him to be a tour host!

Join me, as I embark on a daily blogging challenge, where each new day that dawns this month will lead to 30! full days of science fiction ruminations that reflect and expand on my own interests in a realm that is as fascinating as considering the poem about heaven in a grain of sand! All posts will be archived on my SFN: November dedicated page at the header of my blog and indexed through my blog itself by the category: Sci-Fi November. Either way, you can always jump forward and back into which posts you might have missed whilst hopping through to the other lovely bloggers who are taking part in this wonderfully wicked sci-fi event!!

In the forefront of my blog each week you’ll find a book tour being hosted at the top of my blog. However, I am going to be blogging quite a heap of dedicated posts for SFN which will run underneath the header posts for the book tours! As much as posting about the first book in a fantasy book series: Finnikin of the Rock,  which I meant to post about last month! There are a lot of curious things going on in November on Jorie Loves A Story, and I look forward to seeing who alights on my blog in the comment threads whilst Autumn swings into full force! And, to those who are ducking in and out from participating in Nanowrimo — WELCOME! I’ve been there, and I know how happy I was to take a reprieve!

My hat is tipped with warm gratitude to Rinn, of Rinn Reads, who set-up this event and brought all of us together!

Remember if your a tweater to engage in conversation on this channel: #RRSciMonth

And, for those of you who like to converse in the blogosphere, please take the time to sit a spell with each of us on your blog touring adventures, dropping us a note or two, returning back to see our replies, and helping us make this event a chatter-happy and friendly event where conversations and the mirth of sharing our conjoined passion for sci-fi possible!!

This feature is brought to you by:

{SOURCES: Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads for participants to advert the month long event and to encourage people to follow along with those of us who are contributing! SFN badge used with permission. SFN Feature badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.