You can click here for access to the PDF and I have also converted it into a JPEG at the bottom of this post. You can simply drag that to your desktop or save the photo to use it. It was too pretty not to show off on the blog, but please, cite the original if you use it.
But I am highlighting this resource for more reasons than how it looks. Often, I hear from library workers that while my advice to go through genre awards is useful for their collection development, it is often hard to tell what titles will really work with a specific reader, especially when you, the library workers, are less familiar with that genre yourself.
And I hear this about the speculative genres the most!
Well, Mickelsen's list is going to really help those of you who are less comfortable using awards lists alone in order to help you learn more about the current state of a genre because this list is broken up into themes within the SF genre AND it features titles that are proven winners with library patrons, not just critics or voting members of writers associations. These are titles that work, that you can hand out to fans and new readers alike.
This is also a list you can use to learn more about the genre for yourself but either trying one of these titles, or reading about them. Look them up on Goodreads or on NoveList, see what reviewers and readers have to say about them. Get a sense of why these titles work with today's SF readers.
But probably the most important thing about this list is that it features recent titles. I cannot stress enough how important it is to give readers SF written now, and by now I mean whatever your "now" is. Yes, you can read classic science fiction and get something out of it, but really, SF is written about a reality that cannot be at its moment, from the perspective of the moment it was first written.
THIS MATTERS SO MUCH MORE THAN PEOPLE THINK.
Science Fiction reflects the values, concerns, and issues of the era in which it was written. SF asks readers to confront moral, ethical, and political issues in a fictional context, one that sets the story in a world that cannot actually be at the moment, but one that the current moment suggests we are moving toward if only science was further along.
To that end, reading current Science Fiction, by authors addressing our world through a speculative lens, is important. It is about the time it is written. It is best consumed soon after it is written in order for the most impact to be gained. Understanding which titles are from now and why it is important to suggest them to readers is the most important consideration when working with SF readers.
Promoting Orwell, Asimov, or even Atwood's Handmaid's Tale [which is pretty old at this point] is not what you should be doing. Look, I am not advocating for NOT reading the classics of this genre, or any for that matter, but I want you to understand that the IMPACT of SF is felt more closer to it's creation point in time.
Thanks to Mickelsen for creating, and more importantly, sharing this useful and important resource.
Finally, don't forget, Mickelsen is also the keeper of the excellent Diversify Your RA Resource List which is available directly here and always linked in the Resources section of my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service Page.
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