Science Fiction Has an Image Problem

I think it's time for the SF community to recognize a simple fact, and stop pretending that it doesn't matter. Science fiction as a genre has a serious image problem. An image problem is taken very seriously in the real world. To put it in political terms, science fiction is the Dennis Kucinich of literatures. It's got some good, somewhat crazy ideas. It has a small, hardcore fan base that kind of creeps you out. And it's UTTERLY UNELECTABLE.

I have taken amusement at Langford's "As They See Us" mini-columns. I have laughed at and been iritated by the attempts of famous people with projects that are obviously science fiction attempting to distance themselves from the term. I have criticized Margaret Atwood and Moore, the creator of the new Battlestar Galactica for this. They all say, "oh no! We're not science fiction. We're actually good!"

The image problem was not created by them. It was created by bad science fiction. The truth is, the vast majority of people consider the term "science fiction" absolutely synonymous with "crap." Science fiction means bad special effects, an emphasis on bad special effects over even worse writing, and, worst of all, science fiction is associated with arrogance. "Fans are slans" anyone?

I can no longer blame anyone for inventing terms like speculative fiction or "counter-factual." They're attempting to solve an image problem by avoiding assocation with a poisonous term. And maybe instead of raging at people for doing this, maybe we should do something to fix the public associations with the therm.

I think John Scalzi is onto something by talking about hiring a science fiction evangelist. But I don't think we need someone to talk up how great SF is. We need a PR agent. We need someone who, through careful work, can correct the public (mis)perception of the very term that so many of us hold near and dear. We have to create an antidote to cure the word, or we're going to have to evolve, shed the old words, and move forward with a new concept. Speculative fiction, or whatever.

It's time to stop bitching about the problem and about the symptoms. It's time to actually cure the disease itself. And that starts with taking control of the language again, or, if it comes to it, inventing new language to avoid the baggage of the old one.

Anyone know a PR professional who could offer advice on how they would go about changing the public perceptions of the field?