Shades of Eleanor Arnason

[bibliogramma]

Ordinary People, Eleanor Arnason

Ordinary People is a collection of six of Arnason’s short stories, one poem and a speech made as Guest of Honor at the 2004 WisCon. The collection begins with the poem “The land of Everyday People,” dedicated to John Lennon. I think he would have liked it. I know I did. An everyday hero is something to be.

And the stories in this collection are indeed about ordinary people going about their lives. They love, they work, they deal with family issues and concerns with their emotions, and hopes and discontents. Three of the stories feature stories and legends of the Hwarhath, the non-human race explored more extensively in Arnason's novel Ring of Swords, and it is, as always, a delight to learn more about this complex culture Arnason has created.

Included in this collection is the wonderful short story “The Grammarian’s Five Daughters” in which the nature and uses of the various parts of speech – nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions – illuminate some very important truths about language and life, and many fairy tale clichés are gently but firmly put in their place.

Closing the collection is the transcript of a speech, “Writing Science Fiction during the Third World War.” Arnason raises for consideration a number of observations about war, globalisation, nation states, and resistance. In the midst of her comments, she has this to say about science fiction today:

We are living in an age of revolution and a science fiction disaster novel. No, we are living in several science fiction disaster novels at once. The stakes are high. Human civilisation may be at risk. The solutions are going to require science and technology, as well as social and political struggle.

What are we – as science fiction readers and writers – doing about this? Historically, science fiction has been about big problems, use and misuse of technology, the broads sweep of history, and every kind of change. Historically, it has been a cautionary and visionary art form. Are we continuing this tradition? Are we writing books that accurately reflect our current amazing and horrifying age? Are we talking about the kind of future we want to see and how to create it?

Or are we, in the immoral words of the preacher in Blazing Saddles, just jerking off?

Arnason is, I think, one of our great science fiction writers, to be spoken of in the same breath as Ursula LeGuin. If you have not yet encountered her work, this is an excellent volume to begin with. (Available through Aqueduct Press)