"Science Fiction" has a bad image for much of the general public - metallic costumes, exploding spaceships and monsters. "Fantasy" isn't much better - cloaks and tights. Spec Fic, a genre-defying genre that can encompass elements of both Science Fiction and Fantasy, doesn't have much of a reputation at all. So those of us that appreciate what Spec Fic has to offer our communities have a challenge to convince the rest. About a year and a half ago, Jonathan Sherwood arranged to hold public meetings at Barnes and Noble, invited a bunch of local Spec Fic writers, and named the resultant group R-SPEC with the intention of raising public awareness of the genre and earning it some respect. It was an ambitious undertaking. Other than holding public meetings, there was no obvious way to earn Spec Fic the recognition it deserves from the world.
Now we find before us a very concrete and achievable way to work toward that goal, the Writing Rochester's Future, NorthShore:2034 anthology project. R-SPEC has just put out the Call for Submissions, but this collection of stories from Rochester's Spec Fic writers is already generating a lot of interest from local literary organizations such as Writers and Books. With this project, we can bring in commentary from local business, political and religious leaders, connecting our cause with the broader community. With plans to hold public discussions about the finished book, R-SPEC has the ability to engage with Rochester, providing a range of visions of our future home, and an example of how Spec Fic can be used as a tool to explore those.
So now we have a way to raise public awareness of the genre and, if all goes well, maybe even earn it a bit more respect. This project has the potential to do more than that, though. There is the possibility that it could serve Rochester by turning more eyes to our future and long-term planning. The more people that thoughtfully consider the here and then, the further our local perspective extends in time.
It wouldn't surprise me if in a few years, we see other cities doing similar projects. This project has become so much more than just as way to earn respect for the genre. It has become a means to expand Rochester's horizon.
