Revision course
Family reunion of science fiction friends in neustadt
Whenever german-language science fiction is mentioned in the feuilleton, its crisis is conjured up, analyzed, documented, as most recently by dietmar dath in the FAZ (die gegenwart der zukunft). But what about the crisis? A few highly subjective remarks about the palatine-con, this year’s annual meeting of the SFCD (science fiction club germany).
I "guest of honor"
An impressive word, when the honor falls on oneself. Also, because it indicates an age in which honor is due to the honoree. Being an honored guest has its pitfalls. Honorary guests are people with gray hair, who have dedicated their lives to the cause that is actually at stake. In other words, they are retirees. Guests of honor are ready.
II it was always hard
Fortunately, and this is also confirmed by one of the other guests of honor, the british author christopher priest in his contribution to the con book, the science fiction scene has never been very serious about honor. Nor with being finished. And so I don’t feel like I should have more gray hairs to do justice to my function here. Some readers ask what I am working on. I dare to make tentative announcements.
And what else do we do but feel honored, watch awards ceremonies, buy books, and enjoy the palatine cuisine?? We talk naturally. I discuss the crisis with christopher priest, leigh kennedy and usch kiausch. Chris says that it has always been hard, and that the situation has not really changed for him. Leigh is concerned that science fiction is still working with extrapolations from the funnies and sixties, and that it does not care about the social and emotional aspects of technological innovation. Usch mentions the quotation of an american critic, according to whom the best science fiction is that which does not necessarily reveal itself as such. I express the vague amption that the current crisis of science fiction is a deeper phenomenon.
Most of the listeners are interested enough to stay seated. That is already important. There are even interposed questions after our round-table discussion. My assertion that we have not kept up with technological innovation today leads to the question whether jules verne could credibly have been ahead of the curve. I answer that he could at least pretend to be ahead. Since we are professional auditioners, I think that problems in auditioning are important problems, and yes, jules verne did not have them in this way.
Afterwards I am – as always – not so sure anymore.
III ambitious projects
The second panel, in which I participate, also confronts the crisis head-on. Helmuth mommers, barbara jung. Arno behrendt, michael K. Iwoleit (this year’s DSFP short story prize winner) and I talk about what a short story is, how to write and publish it. To my surprise, it is mentioned that the publication possibilities for science fiction short stories have multiplied in the last two years, and among others, two of the present are to blame for this: helmuth mommers with his visionen project and michael K. Iwoleit, who collaborates with nova.
Both undertakings are very ambitious. Mommers has no less in mind than to offer a new home to the german-language SF short story, nova is seriously planning an international edition in english. What michael has to say about the SF scenes in countries like cuba and argentina sounds extremely interesting, and he wants to attract more interest.
Of course there are a lot of other events. Too many for me.
IV revision walk
As always on such occasions, I need a little air and take a walk through neustadt/weinstr., where the con takes place. From the pretty streets of the old town to the outskirts of the city, where the police are, some factories and houses are empty, a strangely desolate atmosphere prevails. Quite often you can find leftist slogans on the walls in neustadt, although they are often a bit old ("genoa, here we come!") A few years ago, fizzy cans seem to have been in fashion among the thinking youth of neustadt.
I think: maybe neustadt is like science fiction? A neat, but sometimes unbelievable looking core, decaying suburbs and coarsely distributed, strong slogans? Just such a comparison, and it is immediately limping as soon as it starts running. But maybe something else fits, namely our event and what I find in the basement of the neustadter saalbau, the building where it takes place: two doors with the inscription "revision aisle".
I find that really good. In a way, every science fiction con could be a revision course.
V aging?
If you look at the number of visitors and especially at the age structure of the visitors, you could get the idea again that the crisis is much worse than we want to admit. Hardly any young people, many of the visitors are old hands, retired, honorary guests. This is to be expected for events of serious culture, but for a science fiction con it seems strange at first. The venue could have handled five times the number of visitors.
I ask one of the booksellers present if it is actually worth it to cart all the books here and set them up (his offer is massive). He says: "of course not. I only do things like this to show that I’m still around." I want to do school readings again, I think. Sometimes one discovers a certain flashing interest among the youth.
How does one actually make such an event under the prevailing conditions?? That is quite simple. You spend yourself to the point of exhaustion and try to get money as best you can. I mention only two names here (all the others should not feel sick): thomas recktenwald and usch kiausch. You will be able to read it later: "to whom it may concern: around the year 2000 science fiction in germany was in a serious crisis. However, the genre did not come to a complete standstill, responsible for this were u.A. Th. Recktenwald and U. Kiausch."
After I have left my role as a guest of honor, I get on the train in an animated way. It was a good family reunion, crisis this, crisis that. I hold in my hands two touts, the farewell gifts of the con committee. I also feel otherwise richly endowed. How nice that there is such a thing.
