January journal: science fiction periodization
Jan. 21st, 2026 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ursulaglowingfish asked:The Golden Age of published science-fiction was more or less from 1955 to 1975 (lets say). Why did it end when it did? Do you think that science-fiction (or fantasy) published after 1975 was different, or do you just think it had less ability to become part of the "canon"?
This is really non-standard periodization! Wikipedia has the Golden Age of science fiction starting in the late 1930s, in connection with sci-fi magazine publishing history; the end of your period is solidly New Wave.
The counter-argument is the aphorism that the Golden Age of science fiction is twelve; by that rule, it's interesting to think about who was twelve in 1955-1975, or whatever guidelines you want to pick, and what influence they might have had on defining a canon, once they reached their twenties or thirties. The people who were twelve between 1955 and 1975 were mostly baby boomers, in the standard US generational framework; that was my parents' generation (and
glowingfish's, I'm guessing), and it makes sense that the stories they considered formative would seem quasi-canonized to our generation.
2026 SNowflake Challenge #11
Jan. 21st, 2026 06:15 pmpattroseChallenge #11
In your own space, grant someone's wish from Challenge #5. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your own post with the wishes you granted if you feel comfortable doing so.
I'm going to start going through the lists tonight. Woot! I hope to fulfill some wishes. I got some today that were really nice. When the lists came out on the 7th, or whenever, I fulfilled some then too. Happy Wednesday to everyone. Getting a late start tonight.
In your own space, grant someone's wish from Challenge #5. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your own post with the wishes you granted if you feel comfortable doing so.
I'm going to start going through the lists tonight. Woot! I hope to fulfill some wishes. I got some today that were really nice. When the lists came out on the 7th, or whenever, I fulfilled some then too. Happy Wednesday to everyone. Getting a late start tonight.
Snowflake (days 10-11)
Jan. 21st, 2026 03:36 pmhamsterwoman
Challenge #10: Big Mood (Board) – CHOOSE SOMETHING YOU LOVE AND CREATE A MINI MOOD COLLECTION OF THREE (or more) ITEMS THAT EVOKE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT. You don’t have to limit yourself to visual media, or collect the items into a special format like a square (though you can if you’d like).
OK, I’d never made a Moodboard before, but had been sort of wanting to try it, so this was the perfect opportunity. I thought briefly about whether I should do a Taskmaster one, but I do feel like my colorbars from last year fill a similar niche, so I felt like I’d done it. Well, besides Taskmaster, I think it’s fair to say I have only one truly active fandom at the moment, so… Elis James & John Robins it was. And I might have gotten a little carried away XD
(Let me know if this looks giant on your page and I'll add a cut -- mine seems to automatically resize it to something reasonable, but not sure how universal that is.)
( Blathering )
*
Challenge #11: In your own space, grant someone's wish from Challenge #5.
I really like the idea of this challenge, but don’t terribly like the idea of linking to “granted wishes”, so I won’t do that part. I’ve already granted a couple of wishes when originally browsing Challenge #5, but this was my reminder to go finish commenting on another one I’d done in my head but not actually commented on. But then I went ahead and browsed the day 5 comments some more until I granted a wish I hadn’t even looked at before. I plan to continue doing that, but with that I feel like I can call the challenge “done” for the purposes of posting about it :)
Oh, right, and I should probably link to my wishlist, shouldn’t I.
This Year 365 songs: January 21st
Jan. 21st, 2026 04:52 pmjs_thrill Today's song is Chinese Rifle Song
Nice song, fine annotation (about how Yam, The King of Crops was a pivotal album release for him), but I don't have a lot to say about them. Listened to the song a couple times and enjoyed it, though.
Nice song, fine annotation (about how Yam, The King of Crops was a pivotal album release for him), but I don't have a lot to say about them. Listened to the song a couple times and enjoyed it, though.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 21
Jan. 21st, 2026 10:49 pmtrobadora61% of respondents find shorter fic easier to write than longer! And the majority of respondents mostly write stories between 1 and 10k words. Interestingly, the 10-50k range seems to be the rarest!
For me, I find longer fic easier because I can much more easily come up with ideas for longer stories than shorter. Self-contained small things? I wish I could write them more often! But most story ideas I have want to be longer, alas.
I used to write more shorter fic, but I've mostly lost the knack, possibly because my current fandoms lend themselves to that less? Or it may be me that's changed. *g*
Today's writing
So far I'm failing at gaining any kind of writing momentum this month, but I'm still working on things. A little progress.
Tally
( Days 1-15 )
Day 16:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 17:alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 18:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, cornerofmadness, luzula, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 19:alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 20:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 21:alightbuthappypen, trobadora, ysilme
Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
For me, I find longer fic easier because I can much more easily come up with ideas for longer stories than shorter. Self-contained small things? I wish I could write them more often! But most story ideas I have want to be longer, alas.
I used to write more shorter fic, but I've mostly lost the knack, possibly because my current fandoms lend themselves to that less? Or it may be me that's changed. *g*
Today's writing
So far I'm failing at gaining any kind of writing momentum this month, but I'm still working on things. A little progress.
Tally
( Days 1-15 )
Day 16:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 17:
alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 18:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, chanter1944, cornerofmadness, luzula, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 19:
alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 20:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 21:
alightbuthappypen, trobadora, ysilmeLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Chris Has A Good Time In None Of These.
Jan. 21st, 2026 05:20 pmrionaleonhartAO3 may be down, but never fear; I've brought a third batch of ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
threesentenceficathon fills!
Are they for fandoms you're in? W... well, no. They're still almost exclusively for the Goes Wrong Show, with one short and spoilery Silent Hill 2 fill. But they are fanfiction nonetheless.
( Silent Hill 2, James, 40 words, prompt: 'I love you. I'm sorry.' )
( Assorted ficlets for the Goes Wrong Show, mainly Chris and Robert, 1,400 words total. )
I was doing so well at keeping to three sentences to begin with! But here we are now.
threesentenceficathon fills!Are they for fandoms you're in? W... well, no. They're still almost exclusively for the Goes Wrong Show, with one short and spoilery Silent Hill 2 fill. But they are fanfiction nonetheless.
( Silent Hill 2, James, 40 words, prompt: 'I love you. I'm sorry.' )
( Assorted ficlets for the Goes Wrong Show, mainly Chris and Robert, 1,400 words total. )
I was doing so well at keeping to three sentences to begin with! But here we are now.
Snowflake Challenge 02026 #11: Wish-Granting Engine
Jan. 21st, 2026 09:06 amsilveradeptsnowflake_challenge dropped their eleventh challenge, and it's a call-back. Challenge #11
Grant someone's wish from Challenge #5.
( Merrily a wassailing... )
Wednesday attended the Fellows' monthly symposia
Jan. 21st, 2026 04:47 pmoursinWhat I read
Finished I Used to Be Charming: The Rest of Eve Babitz, though will cop to only skimming the final section 'Fiorucci: the Book' (1980) about which I was a bit WTF? and 'what was she on?'
Over the weekend saw a review somewhere of the latest work by Madeleine Gray speaking well of her first novel Green Dot (2024) so thought I might see what it was like, especially as it was at a very reasonable price on Kobo - gave up about a third or so in. Did not care about the narrator or her situation.
A bit of sortes e-reader (inadvertently opening a book) started a supernatural thriller but I couldn't work out whether it was part of a series and I was supposed to know who these characters and their predicament were, or whether I was supposed to work it out over chapters jumping back and forward over time and didn't feel grabbed. May return because that might be me?
Dick Francis, Risk (1977), where I realised I have recently identified a Francis pattern such that I could finger a certain character very early on as likely to be implicated in bad stuff going down.
On the go
Have been dipping into Timothy d'Arch Smith, The Stammering Librarian (2025), some further collected essays, including one on a person of research interest, and a rather fun Anthony Powell parody.
Dick Francis, The Edge (1988), which is the one involving a lush train journey, with additional Staged Murder Mystery, across Canada (reverse direction to the way I did it).
Up next
Well, the local history society publications in which I was interested have been ordered and have arrived.
Book Club Voting and January Read
Jan. 21st, 2026 12:00 pmseleneheart
bookclub_dw is currently voting for our February read. Voting will run through January 31, 2026. The poll can be found here: https://bookclub-dw.dreamwidth.org/1556.htmlWe are reading The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst as our book for January. Please join us if you would like participate in the discussion! The discussion post will go up on January 31, 2026.
Fandom Snowflake Challenge #8
Jan. 21st, 2026 10:24 amwhimsicalmeerkatThe eighth snowflake_challenge is to post about my creative process. Buckle up, buttercups, mine these days is what I’ve been referring to as my chaos gremlin writing method. It started with what now feels like a manageable 40 or so wips. I started rolling dice to decide what to write on, writing three sentences at least, then rolling again.
Then I got my macrocest bingo card and decided to add all 25 of those prompts to the list.
Then the Multiamory March prompts dropped and I added all 31 of them because why not make the insanity worse.
Somehow, this is working for me. I’m pretty sure I won’t get all of the March prompts written, but I’m making a solid go at blacking out the bingo card. Not to mention all my other wips. Really, the real wonder is that I only have a couple dozen incomplete works on ao3.
