What do the hunt for a mythical Christian King of the East, a fabled river of African gold and fears of the impending Apocalypse have to do with Christopher Columbus? Turns out, quite a bit. The Age of Exploration has a weird speculative side.
Everyone knows that in 1492 an Italian sailor named Cristoforo Colombo sailed the ocean blue, stumbling across what we would eventually come to call the Americas. But while his voyage may have been the first of its kind, he was by no means the first explorer. With the exception of the Americas, the late medieval world from which Columbus emerged was one of long-established contact, as trade and curiosity sent out earlier explorers, seeking across both land and sea.
This past Monday FOX premiered its much-anticipated haunted Fall show Sleepy Hollow, a modern-day remake of Irving Washington’s classic tale. With a story that seems part X-Files, part National Treasure and just a wee bit Rip Van Winkle (also by Irving), the show takes risks, plays it safe elsewhere and exploits some popular tropes to spin out a semi-original tale that’s admittedly lots of fun.
Some time ago, in a younger life that seems far, far away, I decided I wanted to write. I was going to write speculative fiction, like the sci-fi and fantasy books I’d spent so much of my younger life reading. I was going to be a PoC writing awesome speculative fiction that no one had seen before, away from the run-of-the mill elves, dwarves and what-not. And the very novelty of my work would gain accolades and applause.
Then I woke up.
So it looks like little Anthony Freemont has wished me away to the cornfield for the month of August, hence my posting hiatus. I should find my way out sometime in September, and begin blogging again. In the meantime, remember, think happy thoughts. It’s a real good thing Anthony did! It’s a real good thing!
Phenderson Djèlí Clark 