BlakeCharlton.com

Spellwright, Sci Fi, Syfy, and Irony

Spellwright has been chosen to be the “Sci-fi Essentials Book Series” selection for February 2010. This means it’s been it given the stamp of approval for co-branding by the cable network formally known as “The Sci-Fi Channel.”

I’m flattered to be chosen. But consider three things: One, Spellwright is a book about the power of misspelling. Two, the former Sci-Fi Channel changed its name to “the Syfy channel” to avoid the negative connotations associated with the spelling “sci fi.” Three, as of now the brand on Spellwright’s cover reads “A Sci Fi Essential Book,” not “A Syfy Essential Book.”*

Taken together, I think these three events are almost-but-not-quite ironic. And, yes, I’ve emailed Alanis Morissette to see if she’d like to work this fact into that song entitled “Ironic,” which is ironically not about irony.

*I’m pretty happy about this last one given that if I a “syfy essential” sounds like something needed to write C++ or Ruby or Some-Computer-Language-about-which-I-know-nothing.