Science Fiction Quarterly has an excellent interview up with Robert J. Sawyer, whom they call the "dean of Canadian science fiction and a publishing machine." For those who don't know, Sawyer is a Hugo Award winning author who generally sets his science fiction novels in contemporary times or deals with contemporary events. I totally agree with Sawyer's view that the science fiction genre is amazingly nostalgic, even though some of the best work being done in the genre's history is being published right now. I also love how Sawyer says his recipe for science fiction is to "combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic." One point I disagree with, though, is when Sawyer laments how no science fiction authors are famous enough to be the public face of science fiction (like Arthur C. Clarke was in the 1960s and 70s). I'd say William Gibson fills that role nicely, although not to the extent of Clarke. I also find it amusing that Sawyer says in Canada he is the public face of science fiction. Since Gibson claims Canadian citizenship, I'd probably place him as the public face of SF in both countries. But I'll leave that for others to argue and merely point out that Sawyer's interview is a fascinating read.
