It’s always an exciting event when a fresh voice joins the ranks of commentators on science fiction. Commentary Magazine‘s premiere literary critic, D. G. Myers, has expressed a strong interest in science fiction and has begun regularly covering science fiction works and trends in his blog articles. Professor Myers is a critic and literary historian at the Melton Center for Jewish Studies at the Ohio State University. In addition to his regular column for Commentary, he has written articles on books and literary trends for Jewish Ideas Daily, the New York Times Book Review, the Weekly Standard, Philosophy and Literature, the Sewanee Review, the Journal of the History of Ideas, American Literary History, and other prominent journals. He is also the author of The Elephants Teach: Creative Writing Since 1880, the definitive history of the teaching of creative writing as an academic discipline in the United States.
Some of Professor Myers’ recent Literary Commentary blog articles of special interest to science fiction readers include:
An Introduction to SF;
The Difference Between Fantasy and Sci-Fi;
The Golem of Prague and the Jewish Aversion to Fantasy; and
Fantasy is a Genre of Christianity
On a personal note, I first came across David Myers’ essays while searching for reviews of Saul Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet prior to reading that novel. I found David’s original website, A Commonplace Blog, which was his online home prior to his becoming literary editor for Commentary. Only later, after commenting on some of his articles, did I discover that he and I share an interest in science fiction, particularly science fiction which focuses on larger social trends or addresses issues of ethics and morality. Reading some of his articles on postwar trends in mainstream American literature, particularly the move away from what were once called “social novels,” novels whose authors attempted to comment on the spiritual state of America or the world, I could tell that some of what he has bemoaned as lacking in recent mainstream literature, he will find in abundance in many contemporary works of science fiction.
Commentary Magazine, published since 1945, is one of America’s leading monthly magazines covering cultural issues, politics, the arts, and foreign affairs. They have been a trend-setter in the discussion of America’s literary scene since the magazine’s inception. D. G. Myers’ enthusiasm for the field of science fiction and his interests in the cross-fertilization of science fiction and mainstream literature and in bringing the best works of contemporary and classic science fiction to the attention of a broader audience are as positive a development as I can imagine for the flourishing of the genre we all love. Do yourselves a favor and sample some of Professor Myers’ articles, and continue to watch for his future writings on science fiction.
