Subtext

Although an audience should “get” your work, I think one of the worst things an author can do is lead the audience by the nose. Unfortunately, that can lead to misinterpretation about a story from time to time, and that can be frustrating.  I bring this up because a few people have asked me about Homecoming. They see a straight sci-fi story that doesn’t seem to have much external tension or chance for the highly technologically advanced humans to lose, so they poo-poo’d my story. So I’ve had to tell them something I thought was obvious from the book – it’s not a sci-fi story; it’s a story about human nature and idol worship set in a sci-fi world.

For those who don’t know what Homecoming is about, it’s set several thousand years in the future as humanity returns to Earth after being driven off by a race of biological machines. Their entire history revolves around the flight from Earth and the heroic savior who kept them alive. As they get to Earth, they begin uncovering that history is a bit more complex than they’d been taught, and they have to come to terms with how that affects their own view of themselves.

Don’t get me wrong – a few people got it. But I was honestly dismayed by the number who didn’t. Sure, I’m griping, but I thought reading for subtext was implied. Maybe this is just the gap that is usually created between an author’s vision and how the audience reads the story. Still, this would be much easier if everyone just fell in line. 😝