At the Intersection of SF and Multiculturalism

When I told someone about my blog I was asked: "What's the theme of your blog?" My initial answer was that I wanted it to be about my writing, but on reflection, the answer is a bit more complex. I have been wanting to do a blog where I could talk about my writing, in the vein of Aliette de Boddard, one of my all time favorite SF writers, for quite some time. I'm also a big fan of multiculturalism and I was also eager to have an outlet for my interest in different languages, cultures and civilizations. For me, there is a significant overlap between these two interests. As much as I love the English speaking world's premier SF writers and filmmakers, I can't help but feel like our take on SF is very Anglocentric and wonder how other cultures across the world would approach SF. Our idea of "progress" is a very European idea dating back to the Enlightenment when European philosophers looked about them, and dismayed at the bloody warfare taking place in the name of Christianity, forwarded the idea of "progress" where people could learn to move beyond all the strife and live together in social harmony. (Even in Europe there are many different interpretations on what "progress" means, but we won't go there in this short post) This European idea became a very potent force behind Science Fiction. Authors such as Clarke and Asimov saw humanity "progressing" into the stars with the aid of technology. As the world becomes more globalized and people interact more with each other, it would be silly not to ask how people of other nations and ethnicities view the future. What cultural ideas and experiences do other people bring as humanity "progresses" toward the future? To me, the idea is both fascinating and inspiring and makes me excited to see the future of SF and the world. Additionally, in the vein of fantasy, the myths and legends of people from all over the world are becoming more accessible through the internet. If I'm interested in Maori myths, I no longer have to head to a university library and hope they carry something, I can just google it in the space of a few seconds. It's well known that Lord of the Rings was inspired by the Prose Edda, a book of Nordic myths. With an entire treasure trove of myths to explore how is it not possible to be inspired to new fantastical settings and ideas? Will our next Lord of the Rings in fact be inspired by Maori mythology? In short, although to some SF and multiculturalism are separate themes, to me there is alot of overlap and the growing cultural milieu we live in will inspire new directions in SF books and movies. The intersection of SF and multiculturalism is an exciting place to be! (Image from http://en.metalship.org/)