Jobs/School

[Kasimir he/him]

...Strange. Maybe it's just my luck, but back when I was in engineering, and even after I'd swapped over to the humanities, I'd always known quite a few people who were into fantasy. But then again, my sample size is always small, given I don't tend to associate with large groups of people. And although I felt really weird carrying a fantasy book into one of my classes, it turned out that my prof is a really big sci fi and fantasy fan, so things were pretty great. At least the more I look at my experiences, it does seem that in the humanities, there is this stigma to carrying around a fantasy book into class, but at the same time, my profs have generally been fans of fantasy too, to the point I'm starting to wonder if it's just really a personal perception/stereotype.

 

And of course, I never felt weird carrying fantasy books into an engineering tutorial because heaven forbid my TA actually look up and realise we're not carrying a textbook as we enter the classroom.

 

Although on an interesting note: the distribution of GoT fans peaks across the computing and humanities faculties, and is pretty small in engineering. No idea why

 

And yeah, I'm one of those cross-faculty traitors, if it isn't already obvious >>

Edited August 17, 2014 by Kasimir

[maxal she/her]

...Strange. Maybe it's just my luck, but back when I was in engineering, and even after I'd swapped over to the humanities, I'd always known quite a few people who were into fantasy. But then again, my sample size is always small, given I don't tend to associate with large groups of people. And although I felt really weird carrying a fantasy book into one of my classes, it turned out that my prof is a really big sci fi and fantasy fan, so things were pretty great. At least the more I look at my experiences, it does seem that in the humanities, there is this stigma to carrying around a fantasy book into class, but at the same time, my profs have generally been fans of fantasy too, to the point I'm starting to wonder if it's just really a personal perception/stereotype.

 

And of course, I never felt weird carrying fantasy books into an engineering tutorial because heaven forbid my TA actually look up and realise we're not carrying a textbook as we enter the classroom.

 

Although on an interesting note: the distribution of GoT fans peaks across the computing and humanities faculties, and is pretty small in engineering. No idea why

 

And yeah, I'm one of those cross-faculty traitors, if it isn't already obvious >>

 

Interesting how our real life experience may differ from one person to another 

 

Every single real life person I know who reads fantasy are science people and I can assure you GoT is widely popular amongst my engineer work colleagues. My sampling is not huge either, but as a social person I do tend to talk to many people. I was also hanging around both the electrical and the computer engineering committees back in University: WoT and Harry Potter were then very popular read.

 

It could also be things did change since I last was a student...    I graduated in 2003

 

I have encountered this negative stigma around fantasy so often........ People would judge my books because they were fantasy, not willing to even pick them up and read the resume to see what the story was about It usually came from people evolving in other faculties such as economics, accounting, business, politics and teaching

Edited August 17, 2014 by maxal

[Lance Alvein he/him]

I'm a video game programmer - While there are some people I know that I work with who don't read fantasy, I think most of them generally don't read.  I haven't really come across anyone who would judge books as bad simply because they are fantasy - but maybe that stigma has changed over the last 6 years?

[Voidus]

I think that unfortunately most people in the humanities departments tend to hold a low opinion of fantasy, although to be fair I tend to have a low opinion of almost all other genres apart from a few select authors
But yes I think it has to do with the fact that science, IT and engineering departments tend to be much more in touch with their inner nerd and so don't avoid fantasy simply owing to the popular opinion that it's somehow not 'real' literature.
Then there's also the fact that most people who enter the sciences tend to be very curious people who love exploring new concepts, and so fantasy is naturally a much more interesting genre given that it contains infinitely more possibilities.

[Tien'sPetLurg she/her]

I wish we were an accurate sample size. I think, to be on this site, is already one way of filtering the sample. Ex: I have not ever been a fan of a living author, much less found an online community, joined, posted and selected which posts to respond to based on interest/personal relevance. Who knows? Perhaps all of the lurkers work at The Cheesecake Factory---the "Penny(s)" in our Big Bang Theory analogy.  

And now someone is thinking "But I wanted to be Penny."  *Pats on the head* It's ok. You can be. (just don't make me Howard)

I've read very little fantasy. I got into Wheel of Time because I gave up tv and still craved an escape from reality. (I was hoping for a book about time travel when I picked it up.) I read all sorts of things but I needed a new flavor of fiction. I appreciate BS' books because they read like various types of genres with a semi scientific basis as explanation for his magic systems. There's a lot of mystery going on in a Sanderson book in addition to action, adventure and romance.

I don't know a lot of people who make the time to read anything other than web sites. I applaud those of you in college  who are reading for fun. The last thing I wanted in those days was another book in my hand. I didn't want to read the ones that were required either. I just wanted the next party.   Yes, I was somewhat of a Pod person then. 

There may be an unfair bias against fantasy. Many hear that word and think romance novel or add the word Science to it and picture some robot shouting "Danger, Will Robinson!" or giant creatures attacking a planet.
 

Don't hate on Gamera, now.

Reading is more active than watching. Some of us like to think (perhaps too much!) and we look for others who want to throw ideas around. Some people like fantasy football. Basically, humans are weird. hahaha
 

[traceria she/her]

Been following along with this recent topic train. As a result, I've been sitting here all morning mentally listing friends and family members that like fantasy (and in all cases, also sci-fi), and my list is split right down the middle:

 

Humanities: 5

Sciences: 5

Hybrids: 4 (This includes my husband, who was nearly a Chemistry major, switched to business, but is a lawyer who writes extremely well both professionally in his work and personally in his fiction, my brother who was a military history major but who is a pilot, a friend we know who does programming/coding but majored in English in college, and another friend who double majored in English and math.)

 

The common thread that I see among all these people is their love of and grande imagination.

[Cartith he/him]

I'm currently going to college for an English degree with a Creative Writing focus, and working at a grocery store. 

[maxal she/her]

And now someone is thinking "But I wanted to be Penny."  *Pats on the head* It's ok. You can be. (just don't make me Howard)

 

Howard makes me think of this work colleague of mine I had to explain to why he shouldn't wear white sock within his sandals... :ph34r: Especially not at work

 

 

I don't know a lot of people who make the time to read anything other than web sites. I applaud those of you in college  who are reading for fun. The last thing I wanted in those days was another book in my hand. I didn't want to read the ones that were required either. I just wanted the next party.   Yes, I was somewhat of a Pod person then. 

 

I was that person as well I loved the party and everything that came with it Don't you dare touch my Fridays And it did stop reading for a while, up until a friend of mine literally obliged me to read WoT. It did me soooooooo much good to read something for fun: to just relax and enjoy a good story. I used to spent so many hours in labs or in my books (except on Fridays, Fridays were party nights ), I nearly drove myself crazy. I nearly turned into a stress-out half-mad insomniac chasmfield Beer did not help, but reading did

 

My best piece of advice to students would be to keep some time alone to do stuff you actually like, such as reading. It helps, really.

 

I also found many people did read back then, which is how I got back into it, but it is also true most people just do not read.

 

 

There may be an unfair bias against fantasy. Many hear that word and think romance novel or add the word Science to it and picture some robot shouting "Danger, Will Robinson!" or giant creatures attacking a planet.

 [spoile

 

 

I think there is also the matter of horrible covert art............. Some books are just so visually repealing you just don't want to be seen with them... :ph34r: :ph34r:

[SmurfAquamarineBodies he/him]

I'm at Polytech ( more or less a community college ) working towards going to University doing Chemistry or Biochemistry, which ever I think will be more useful to fullfilling my nefarious schemes.

[Curiosity he/him]

Biochem.

[Anarkitty she/her]

I write homeschooling curricula. I have a reading program, a grammar and writing program, a curriculum guide/schedule, and miscellaneous other things. I'm also editing my husband's science adventures stories, and I homeschool my five children. And when BS releases a new book, I drop everything and read non-stop for two days.

[Lightsworn Panda he/him]

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