On Thursday night I went to a BYU class taught by Brandon Sanderson. In case you are not a science fiction/fantasy geek, (which you most likely aren't) Sanderson is a pretty big deal in the current world of literary nerdery. In fact, he was asked to finish the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan's wife and publisher. Which, considering it has sold over 40 million copies, and it's the 12th book in the series, blah blah blah, he isn't just your average professor teaching at the Lord's university.
He's a big freaking deal.
He is teaching a class on how to write science fiction/fantasy. I decided to go listen after hearing about it from a friend. While sitting there awaiting his arrival, it was interesting observing the people gathering in the class. They were pretty much everything you would expect from a group of aspiring fantasy authors; World of Warcraft "Horde" t-shirts, lots of cargo jeans, jet black button up shirts, and plenty of greasy hair parted down the middle. A literal hoard of nerdery, if you will.
I don't think I have ever been surrounded by that many people, and felt really confident that I was the most attractive person in the room. In fact I never have, as I don't consider myself to be too far beyond average. I certainly was the only one wearing clothing not purchased from Hot Topic/Mervyn's.
When Mr. Sanderson finally showed up, he was also just about what I had expected; hair parted down the middle with the "wet look," a weird fitting sweater thing that made his body appear somewhat akin to a pear, and quite possibly the most ill fitting jeans I have ever seen a person wear. I don't know if I could have trusted a fantasy author vested any other way.
I guess even when a nerd at heart becomes filthy rich, the nerdery can not be cleansed from his sweet, nerdy heart.
It was wonderful listening to people asking questions about building races of elves, how to create fight scenes, and how to write about dwarves and halflings and keep it original.
Secretly, I loved all of it. I don't care what anybody thinks; I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the science fiction/fantasy genre of literature. I will never, however, have a soft spot for World of Warcraft. Which, unfortunately, precludes me from becoming their king and liaison with the normal world.
6 comments:
I will always love sci-fi and fantasy as long as I live. more sci-fi than fantasy though. mormonism seems to have an oddly large proportion of successful sci-fi/fantasy writers.there was guy in my ward in elkridge who wrote star wars novels.
I would have LOVED to attend that class.
Hail Gandalf!
I know his sister... in law. I do, really. He's a pretty good writer.
Love your descriptions, of people. Your a gifted writer, I can't wait to read your Science fiction/fantasy series.
Let's be honest. Fantasy/sci fi is my secret guilty pleasure. Although I'm a bit of snob in that regard, because there's far too much rehashing of the no-longer-original Tolkien
WoW is an entity entirely its own.
Are you running for King of the Nerds? I might be convinced to vote for you, provided you're the voice of change in the nerd world.
And I met Mr. Sanderson when he wasn't famous and when no one would read his novel. He is a strange cat. Oh, and his then-girlfriend signed one of his books for me.
There you are, plenty of random thoughts.
So I have stepped away from your blogs, blogging in general really, fo a while and decided to pick it up again. Its funny that you wrote about science fiction cuz I just started reading it again for the first time since i was 14. Have you ever read the Ender series, by Orson Scott Card? He is also a brother in the priesthood and if I am not mistaken, lives right there in Orem. Anyways, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I'm on the 3rd book and loving it.
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