The Sci Fi Channel has been getting a lot of flack for daring to change its name to the Syfy Channel, effective this July 7. I thought I'd be pop in to say, I have no problem with the name change at all. Here are five reasons why:
1. Words don't mean anything intrinsically - one of their great benefits is that, with the tiny exception of onomatopoeia (as indicated in the word "buzz"), words have no necessary connection to what they describe. This allows us to talk and write about vast and complex things very economically - indeed, to communicate about things that don't exist at all (can anyone take a photograph of "concept"?).
2. As philosopher Karl Popper pointed out, it's not usually worth the time arguing over definitions - or, what words attach to what meanings. What counts are what the labels are describing. Of course, if someone is deliberately using a word incorrectly - calling Barack Obama a Muslim, for example - then that should be pointed out. I often also point out that Obama's policies are in no sense "socialist". But, in the end, all that really counts is what Obama's policies are, and whether we agree with them or not. Applying this to the Sci Fi -> SyFy Channel, all that really counts is what it broadcasts.
3. Sci Fi itself is a name not very beloved by science fiction fans. The last time I referred to my writing as "sci fi," to another author, I was politely advised not to use that term, and instead speak of "sf". That was about 25 years ago.
4. Science fiction is itself not such a great term, even though every time I hear it my ears still perk up. Hugo Gernsback created the name in the 1920s, but it was something of a misnomer even then. H. G. Well's The Time Machine (1895), for example, is surely science fiction, but it has much more philosophy and social criticism than anything resembling science.
5. When I was President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 1998-2001, I noticed that one of the least productive debates among writers was whether a work was science fiction or fantasy. Again, all that really counted was whether the work was good, and/or, for the less idealistic among us, whether it sold and made money. (Of course, if a work has nothing to do with either science fiction or fantasy, then giving it either label would be misleading.)
Which brings us back to the Sci Fi Channel. Call yourself whatever you like. I'll keep watching you, as long as you keep putting on series like Battlestar Galactica, which I'm looking forward to seeing the two-hour finale of this Friday.
5 comments:
Great post. But I still think it's a ridiculous name change that might backfire on them and turn into another "New Coke" fiasco. As a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I fear it's another step to marginalize speculative fiction and broaden their brand to include non-sci-fi programming. I hope Sci Fi Magazine won't suffer the repurcussions of the name change -- the print publishing industry has enough woes as it is without having to force the genre magazine to struggle with a meaningless monicker like "Syfy"
But sci-fi is barely a tad more meaningful than syfy.
But good to have your comments here on Infinite Regress, Nick!
Urgh, those doubles Ys look soooo... twee. And goofy. No sir, I don't like.
Tell Me Y by Dion and the Belmonts was always one of my favorite songs...
Welcome to Infinite Regress, su-beat.
Hi Paul! To pass on a warning I accidentally and fortunately came across, I read that the BSG finale tonight was actually 2 hours and 11 minutes long. I usually watch the HD feed at 7 PM (PST), but it appears to actually start at 6 PM (PST) and then runs the rest of the night every 2 hours and 11 minutes. So it's probably worth checking TV guide to see how they're dealing with it on your end. I'm glad they moved it up as that 9 PM hour is pretty crowded (Dollhouse and Friday Night Lights) here.
I think the reason for #3 in your list is that people tend to associate the populist, Star Wars kind of stuff with Sci Fi (or SyFy saying it aloud), which to them reflects poorly on the serious Science Fiction. I tend to be fortunate that I just like what I like and sometimes it comes from either category, whether it's book or video, laser guns or Dyson spheres. So I think I'd have to agree it's essentially no big deal and mostly reflects that age old issue that the perception is that the mainstream doesn't have a lot of respect for genre work.
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