Why Read Science Fiction and Fantasy? (And Go to Your Bookseller)
By Ariel Kiro and Jerome Vincent
Actusf, 584 pages, €17.90
► What it's all about
Starting with a deep interest in genres such as science fiction and fantasy, exploring a high-quality French scene, it has now reached the general public, with authors such as Alain Damasio, Claire Duvivier, or Jean-Philippe Jaworski.
An impassioned manifesto, this work challenges the idea of ”escapism” through nostalgia for the medieval world or through anticipation. On the other hand, it details 27 reasons to delve into these “bad genres” through small thematic articles and 19 long interviews bringing together writers and researchers: to thwart our fears, to absorb the magic of the world, to enter the body of the other (animal. , extraterrestrial, AI). It also analyzes, beyond the pleasure of reading, the dimension of political reflection that these stories offer: the transition from predatory capitalism to a future based on solidarity, or empathy for the world's damned or reflection on the upheavals in our societies, such as those caused by war. by artificial intelligence.
” Science fiction is literature that aims to address the political situation in its broadest sense and see where it might lead us.Writer Catherine Dufour analyzes. So imagination must catch up with reality and put it through the mill, otherwise we find ourselves confronted with non-thought, and therefore with panic and unpreparedness. »
► Who is it for?
For fans of alternative universes, who will be able to find the words of their favorite authors. But also, and perhaps above all, for all those who have never come close to these abundant fields, where the best competes with the average with 1,400 new books every year.
The reflective work, “Why we read…” is also a valuable guide that offers many tools: an overview of French publishing, 15 booksellers offering their five favorite books, a list of essentials classified yesterday and today by theme as well as a rich glossary so as not to confuse cyberpunk with solarpunk, a completely new branch of science fiction, coming from Brazil, and taking place in worlds where the main energy is entirely renewable.
► What we think
Published on the occasion of the succession of Actusf editions, a reference house born in 2003 and which had to halt its activity in 2023 in the face of financial difficulties, this book marks an important step in the recognition of the imaginary literature. in France. It makes it possible to bridge the gap between academic work and public criticism in order to give these stories a new voice.
