As the SFWA Teeters, Fans Worry About the Future of the Community

Recent developments in the world of science fiction fandom and professional associations have left fans and interested observers scratching their heads, worried about new directions in the genre.

The close-knit relationship between fans and creators has long characterized the sci-fi community. Established professionals have added value to conventions as guest speakers, panelists and (increasingly) organizers of professional associations. One of the most notable is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). For aspiring writers seeking to network, get advice from established authors and find opportunities to publish, SFWA provided an “in.”

As noted by sci-fi author and journalist Jon del Arroz, the era of the sci-fi “grandmasters” is fading away. These first- and second generation luminaries served as guiding lights for organizations like SFWA. But as they leave us, the quality of leadership in these professional organizations diminishes as established pros give way not to new grandmasters but to the organization’s burgeoning membership of aspiring creatives. Complicating this is sci-fi’s position as a sort of front-line on the culture wars. Various controversies have not left professional associations exempt. And because of the unique nature of the relationship between creators, fans and conventions, these controversies are apt to have lasting ramifications upon the genre as a whole.

SFWA President Jeffe Kennedy resigned on August 1^st, citing family reasons. Vice-President Chelsea Mueller replaced her, and then abruptly resigned on August 15^th (oddly, citing identical motivations). According to the noted sci-fi news website File 770, these resignations at the top have been very much of a piece. Deputy Executive Director Terra LeMay, a full-time employee, resigned after requesting and not receiving disability accommodations. And numerous committees seem to have had multiple members resign or be forced out, citing a lack of transparency from the SFWA board, which has also had multiple resignations. So, what is going on?

As noted earlier, a hallmark of the early sci-fi community was the obligation established creators felt to host and guide both conventions and professional organizations. But as the grandmasters have passed, bodies like the SFWA have been less about boosting the genre and providing guidance for emerging writers than serving as a vehicle for self-promotion and professional advancement. The controversies referenced above are part and parcel of the organizational politics typical of any burgeoning professional body. But in the era of the culture wars, SFWA politics has recently acquired an added (and very troubling) resonance.

We can trace much of this  back to the tenure of Cat Rambo as SFWA president. During her time in office, revelations emerged that sci-fi icon Marion Zimmer Bradley had sexually abused her daughter, Moira Greyland, along with many other children. When pushed to issue a statement on behalf of SFWA, Rambo labeled those calling upon her to do so as “alt right.” This has not aged well, as revelations about MZB’s sexual improprieties have burgeoned.

These troubling politics have persisted beyond Rambo’s tenure as SFWA president. According to an attendee of the recent writer’s symposium at the Gencon gaming convention, Rambo launched into an antisemitic tirade in the symposium lounge. The attendees’ concern about “doing more for the Palestinians” segued into Rambo’s pronouncement that there are “too many New York Jews in publishing.” She attempted to walk back her remark with an addendum that a few are “good but misguided.” However, she’d already done her damage.

The politics of ambition has already reduced SFWA from a useful organization for hopeful writers to a clout-chasing club for self-promoters. Rambo’s attack, combined with a group fixation on affairs in Gaza, suggests that the politics of sci-fi is about to take a nasty turn. This is particularly disquieting given a spate of recent antisemitic developments in the lit world.  Writing communities have always been political. Let us hope this recent trend subsides before the politics of modern fiction turns from the salons of Bloomsbury to the stadiums of Nuremburg.