Why I Don’t Say “Science Fiction” Or “Fantasy” To Regular People

Author Richard Kadrey writes why he doesn't say "Science Fiction" or "Fantasy" to regular people. An excerpt:

The moment you tell regular people that you write fantasy or science fiction they look at you like you just said you’d had a lobotomy and that your favorite color is “fish.” This condescending attitude strikes me as strange. “Avatar,” the most successful movie of all time, while dumb science fiction, is pretty damned science fictiony. If you ask many people their favorite movie you’re going to hear “Star Wars” or “Lord Of The Rings.” Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings are also two of the most popular book series in history. Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book was just awarded the Newberry medal. But something funny happens when you say that you write these kinds of books. People’s eyes glaze over. You’re suddenly one of those funny guys they tell jokes about, socially retarded weirdos who play dungeons and dragons all day and live in their mom’s basement.