Saw a comment about me from someone who hasn't read my work bemoaning "non-STEM people" writing scifi. I get this assumption a lot, and usually delight in casually saying that in fact I studied theoretical astrophysics, and what did THEY study? But I feel differently today...
Usually all I can see in these situations (besides rage) is the sexism. People assume I'm "non-STEM" because I'm a woman. It's so clichéd it's almost boring. But every time I defend my writing with my STEM cred, I feel like I'm conceding & playing into a system that I loathe.
Because, although my love of science is what drove me to study STEM, and to write scifi, I believe that a formal education in STEM isn't required to create great scifi. Scifi is more than science - it's all of humanity's hopes and fears about ourselves and our creations.
A story about technology means nothing without exploring the people it touches - their emotions and dreams, searching out the innate, eternal truth that our *humanity* is the force that guides us, not the tools in our hands. You don't need to be a scientist to tell that story.
Does it help to study science? It can! But what's more important is a passion for asking questions, for dreaming about the future, and for drawing patterns from history and our current society to mirror our nature & our society back to us.
Every time someone interrogates my "worthiness" to write scifi, and every time I wield my background as a weapon, I'm cutting into myself, my readers, and my community. Scifi is for everyone - to read, write, watch, play, and enjoy. The gatekeeping in this genre makes me furious.
Saying that only "STEM people" can write scifi is saying "only certain voices matter". It's saying that people aren't welcome at the table. And that's bullshit. This same logic can be found in the systems in place to keep women and people of color out of science, too.
The fact is that we live in a science fiction world. We're hacking our genes. We're searching for aliens. We're using tech to change the environment, our economy, and our minds. Gatekeeping in scifi is a restriction of these IDEAS. But they belong to everyone.
I'd love to see science's barriers torn down and its jargon done away with, to see it taught and discussed in a way that doesn't alienate so many. I'd love to see the stereotypes smashed, the sexism and racism fade, and bring WONDER and ADVENTURE back into scifi's pop culture.
I truly believe we need scifi more than ever, and we NEED to foster a love of science as it continues to shape and change our world. So I'll keep writing books full of passion and science, and I'll keep working my ass off to make them accessible and exciting.
But the next time someone interrogates me about my worthiness to write scifi, I'm not going to wave around my degree. I'm going to respond that I LOVE IT. Because that's all that really matters.
