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Weekend Reads - RAW 170721

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This week we look at if science fiction is 'real' literature, and if it's really about the future. Along with if life is possible in the Trappist system plus more.

Jamie Savage had an interesting take on Star Trek's utopia which shocked some people but I thought was quite on point. Want to know my view on utopian fiction? Read my article Why I Dislike Utopian Fiction... 

Also this week on WolfsBooks Discover | The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne Valente and keep an eye out on Sunday evening for my latest article the the In Defence of Science Fiction series called The Reason Why Reading Science Fiction Is Essential.

But now sit back with your favourite beverage and have a relaxing read of the following articles.





For a long time, critics and English professors declared that science fiction wasn’t literature. Most of them spoke from the modernist-realist basis of never having read any science fiction since they were twelve. They were comfortable with a judgment that allowed them to remain both superior and ignorant...

Walking through Barbican’s new science-fiction exhibition, “Into the Unknown”, is like walking through a nerd’s dream bedroom – and I say that as a nerd myself.

If you’re a fellow bibliophile, then you’re definitely already winning in my book — but, from one book-lover to another, reading isn’t the only thing you totally excel at.

The concept of a habitable zone is based on planets being in orbits where liquid water could exist, said Manasvi Lingam, a Harvard researcher who led the study. This is only one factor, however, in determining whether a planet is hospitable for life.

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, John Hodgman hosted Syfy’s Great Debate where Orlando Jones, Aisha Tyler, Adam Savage, John Barrowman, and io9 co-founder Charlie Jane Anders, debated a variety of classic nerd conundrums. And, somehow, Savage’s answer to the eternal Star Wars or Star Trek question brought down the whole room.

Star Trek’s original captain William Shatner is known for being prolific on Twitter but every once in a while he dives into the world of Reddit (TrekMovie has verified the account is authentic). He commented on one of the many about Star Trek: Discovery in the r/startrek subreddit. In a thread mocking those who are pre-judging the show) Bill weighed in...



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