A Traveller in Time - The Critical Practice of Maureen Kincaid Speller edited by Nina Allan

Publisher – Luna Press Publishing

Published – Out Now

Price – £16.99 paperback £5.99 Kindle eBook

MAUREEN KINCAID SPELLER [1959-1922] was a reviewer, critic and lifelong science fiction fan. Active in SF fandom from the early 1980s, Maureen started reviewing for the BSFA magazine Vector in 1986. She served on the jury of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, chaired the Tiptree Award and taught the SF Foundation Critical Masterclass in 2016. Her criticism has appeared in a wide variety of venues, and her extended critical analysis of the 2012 BSFA and Clarke Awards was shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Related Work.

In 1999 she was nominated for a Hugo in the Best Fan Writer category. Her passionate advocacy of new critical voices saw her appointed Senior Reviews Editor of the groundbreaking speculative fiction magazine Strange Horizons in 2015.

"When Maureen fell ill in the spring of 2022, my first reaction, like that of many, was one of profound shock. Her untimely death has robbed us all, not only of her presence, but of the work she was yet to do. Maureen had long spoken of her desire to put together a collection of her criticism, and the original intention for this volume was that she would personally be involved in the selection and curation of her favourite pieces. Time was sadly against us, but the desire to preserve Maureen's work, to have it readily available to audiences old and new, has never felt more urgent. A Traveller in Time is by no means a complete collection - there is lots more out there to discover - but my hope is that it presents a faithful snapshot of Maureen as she was in life: spirited, passionate, knowledgeable and endlessly curious."

Nina Allan - Editor

I came into blogging via twitter and crossed Maureen Kincaid Speller’s work and an only very occasional DM but I loved reading their thoughts, blogs and reviews when I saw them. A sense of humour and insight came across even in 140 characters. It is quite sad that I never got to meet her in person just to say hello and the world lost a great critic in 2022 quite suddenly. She is definitely missed by the wider community and genre conversation. Fortunately, her work has been collated into a new collection edited by Nina Allan – A Traveller In Time – The critical Practice of Maureen Kincaid Speller which offers a vast selection of Speller’s essays, reviews and thoughts on a range of subjects to remind us of that voice and intellect which has a passion for the genre shining out throughout.

Sometimes you don’t want to read a review if you’re going to read the book but there are some critics who you just want to know what they thought – because you value their opinion and you’re also going to enjoy how they explain it. There is no right or wrong way of writing a review but for me when Speller had something to say even if I ended up disagreeing with it I’d have fun reading the article. Speller is a wonderful writer and when they’re on form it’s always delivering a smart argument and discussion of thoughts which knows all the points it wants to make, has the receipts to prove it and isn’t afraid to put a joke in or even a moment of self doubt. Reading many of these articles for the first time you just have fun watching a skilled critic who knows how to keep us hanging on her every word.

In the starting section ‘Astonished by Science Fiction’ we get a starting point of almost autobiography in ‘{And Then} – a writing life beyond reviews’ how she initially never felt she could be a reviewer and like so many sort of falls into it but it also explores the inherent sexism of the genre that seemed like it would never want to hear a woman talk about SF. A blogger who found social media to be a joy (ah those were the days). It gives you a feel for a critic who would always find away to now tell us their thoughts.

There is a beautiful study of a New Yorker SF themed cover that Speller uses as a framing device to explore science fiction and its various audiences that is really well played on the insights into the genre’s strengths and insecurities. Fun is had with exploring Margaret Atwood’s general weird views (and limitations) on SF and yet I did slightly find the discussion of Hugos, Clarkes and snooty critics one of those things many people write but all slightly sound the same. They’re hardy perennials of blogs and in some ways all offer most light and no heat.

Much more enlightening was the section entitled ‘Writing in the margins’ Speller explores feminist SF collections and frames around that a fascinating discussion of women and their characters in SF that put the book in context and helps show the collection’s strength and weaknesses. These are reviewes designed to make you think. Speller could praise and criticise as with her review of a collection named Afro 2 which praises an editor for looking for diverse voices and then firmly nudges them with a sharp elbow that no women made the cut.

My favourite section is Lost Landscapes and New Horizons – We get Speller exploring the power of the Christmas and BBC Ghost stories old and new – which rightly buries Mark Gatiss and dismisses the temptation for people to enhance stories that didn’t need enhancing while also explaining why the original versions work better. Throughout the collection is Speller’s love of Alan Garner but it’s the love of a critic and what is interesting to me is how Speller explores how their view of a classic author which changes over time – what are the recurring motifs; with modern eyes what works better and what has aged poorly. Those thoughts evolve and it’s the ability for a critic to reflect and slightly change their mind that makes Speller really interesting – they’re not an infallible God on a throne but someone telling us this is what they’re currently thinking and feeling and admitting that may change again with time. The highpoint of which is ‘The Critic and The Clue: Tracking Alan Garner’s Treacle Walker’ this is so much more than a book review; Speller explores the limitations of big print reviewing; how reviewers struggle sometimes to explain what works and why and can easily default to lazy terms and then we get Speller’s own fascinating thoughts where a knowledge of the author’s work allows you to see those themes recur; how they’re evolving and also not to don rose-tinted glasses. The big question asked of Treacle Water - Does it stand on it’s own two feet? It’s a gorgeous piece of writing and Speller’s final notes of saying “The questions should always be: ‘What is this piece of fiction doing, does it work and if not, why not?’ is just a brilliant way of testing us reviewers - are we doing our own jobs even when you’re a blogger and not a critic it’s a useful question to ask. This piece is worth the price of the book alone.

I loved Speller’s defence of books for children such as the Percy Jackson series and avoiding the more staid classics certain critics recommended. that we find in ‘Reading For The Future’ and a subtle exploration of Diana Wynne Jones is praising Farah Mendleson’s own non-fiction exploration of Jones’ work.

The section named Seeing Stars is also fun. Speller’s infectious approval of Arrival and how it makes the short story work is really well crafted but bubbled with enthusiasm for an SF film that worked. The reaction to The Force Awakens is measured but also a reminder that we move on in our own tastes and yet there are moments of joy to always be found. The takedown of the Sherlock Christmas Special is sharp and throws no punches and has a beautifully brutal final line! I would have liked a few more book reviews but the tempting and exploration of Osama, The Book of The Phoenix and Europe in Autumn to name just a few are short and sweet explorations of those questions asked earlier.

A Traveller in Time is a reminder why critics matter. A reminder why critics need to be good at communicating what they are talking about and a reminder that Maureen Kincaid Speller was one of the best the genre had. It’s well worth your time to pick this collection up.