Published on 12, July, 2020
Do you generally read or write fiction and/or fanfiction?
I spend my life reading and writing stories of various types, and I wondered if this is normal for autistic people. I thought we were supposed to have very limited imaginations and interests and that was how we got diagnosed. But my imagination is vast, I tend to live in a fantasy world rather than the real world because it is nicer tbh!
What is your imagination like?
My imagination was based more around how things worked, drawing things, deconstructing toys etc
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I avoided reading most fiction when I was at school.
I did some Shakespeare, 1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies etc. But on the whole found reading fiction rather unstimulating, or I just couldn't remember what I'd just read.
Instead, I spent most of my time reading encyclopedias, the dictionary, and science and engineering books.
It was only in my late twenties, maybe early thirties, that I discovered I enjoyed reading sci-fi and speculative fiction. Finally something I could engage with.
Not being a strong reader, because I get caught up on the rivers between the text, forget what I'd read, get stuck repeating the same phrase until all meaning has gone etc... I started easy and then overwhelmed myself immediately:
Robert Matheson: I am Legend - 160 pages
followed by:
Iain M Banks: The Algebraist - 534 pages
The change in difficulty was phenomenal for someone who doesn't read much fiction.
I love Iain M Banks 'Culture' and non-culture sci-fi novels but they're hard work and I have to be in the mood. The language is so dense at times, but a lot of fun. I'm still trying to tackle them many many years later, but I keep getting distracted. One day I'll get through them all.
For some reason, I've never been interested in reading the Iain Banks novels. For those who don't know, he wrote sci fi with 'M" and non sci fi without the M
Ursula K. Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness.
Also, a lot of great stuff on the Gollancz sci fi masterworks list.
And some weird fiction:
Some China Miéville although not a massive fan.
Love Jeff VanderMeer stuff: City of Saints and Madmen and the Southern Reach Trilogy are particularly good.
I spent most of my time reading encyclopedias, the dictionary, and science and engineering books.
me too, whenever I got my hands on any :P
When I was a kid I pestered my parents to get me:
(How It Works) The New Illustrated Science and Invention Encyclopedia : volumes 1-26
They didn't have much money but they came through. I spent hours upon hours looking at the cutaway diagrams and imagining all the possibilities. It was probably the best present I ever got... apart from a bicycle several years after everyone else
I got rid of them when I left home. Something I kinda regret 30+ years later.
for me anythinmg that required money was a no go, my pocket money coming from various sources except parents, was ending in a hidden stash until; I had enough to buy myself proper winter boots.
but
In Poland it used to be obligatory tio provide own chilldren with books for every sybject at school every year a new one. So end of August for me was better than Christmas, filled with anticipation andc excitment, I had all books read before scchool year startedc every year :P