I am not Angry SciFi Guy!

I am not Angry SciFi Guy. And most godforsakenly not Angry SyFy Guy. Yes, I know they rhyme, which clearly makes them fun like marshmallows or beer. But no, I am Angry Science Fiction Guy.

TL;DR: It’s not SciFi, its Science Fiction. And Angry SF Guy wants you to want to talk about SF

“Angry SF Guy, why make such a big deal about SciFi?”

This site is partially about science fiction criticism (don’t roll your eyes at me, dammit), and not just that, but accessible science fiction criticism. There is some phenomenal criticism out there. Some of it’s funny, some of it’s insightful, and some of it’s even brilliant. But it can also be fucking thick. That’s not to say boring (though sometimes, yes, it can be boring as balls). But, as tends to be the case with many forms, SF is a lot more accessible and approachable than criticism about it. However, SF also has a readership that--more than most--tends to enjoy getting deeper into things. Angry SF Guy wants to get into things. Angry SF Guy likes to review books and other forms of media. He likes to compare things, look into the heart of them. And he likes to rant.

That being said, its Science Fiction, or SF if you must abbreviate. SciFi has occasionally been a pejorative term that encapsulates everything kitsch, everything for which the genre is mocked for by those who do not wish to admit they are into it. Yeah, how many people say they don’t like science fiction? And how many of them still saw (and liked) fill-in-the-blank (Avatar? Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games)? Angry SF Guy is not a snob, but he does point out that most critics and academics abbreviate science fiction as SF or sf, and generally with good reason. You might say, “but Angry SF Guy, SciFi has become part of the accepted lexicon, and is no longer a bad term. You are outdated and old fashioned!” And to that I say, it's my fucking writing, and I'll write what I want! Granted, that admits to letting you write what you want--including scifi. Alas, I believe my argument may have some holes in it.

So, uh, yeah, bear with me...

It’s fucking SCIENCE FICTION! You're a fan (or in denial). I'm a fan (recovering academic). Let's have some fun with this shit, and learn while we're at it! Like Bob Ross, Bill Nye, or motherfucking Neil deGrasse Tyson. Yeah, let's get fired up about SF!

Now with that out of the way…

I can write all day long. But I’ve found that people don’t read long shit (sigh). And people especially tend not to read long criticism (or, frequently, even short criticism). I won't promise to keep posts shortish, but I will try to have a TL;DR. You can expect to find reviews, commentary, rants, and raves about everything SF. Time Machine posts will take you back to the classics, both well-known and not so much. And we'll be looking at a lot of recent stuff too, cuz the body of criticsm for works has to start somewhere. I’ll even talk about SF music from time to time (don’t look at me like that—I doubt if you are reading this that you’ve never heard of a little English band called Iron Maiden). We'll talk about mainstream. We'll talk about not-so-mainstream. We'll talk about buried treasure.

Angry SF Guy does acknowledge that long reviews are boring (probably even his). So you will not find long plot summaries here. And Angry SF Guy gets to the bottom line fast! And most important of all, Angry SF Guy will try not to talk too much in the third person (ed. this is an outright lie -ASFG).

(Note: this post was adapted from my earlier Tumblr)