GUEST BLOGGER: KIMMO LEHTONEN

From the land of Linux and Nokia, Kimmo Lehtonen is a Finnish writer of speculative fiction. His third novel, Lueminut (Readme), is available on the web under a Creative Commons license, but unfortunately only in Finnish.

I am a SF activist and science fiction writer - or writer of speculative fiction as we like to say these days to make a clear distinction between the scifi in television and movies, and the literature genre.

I have been mesmerised by science fiction ever since I could read - or maybe even before that (by the images of early Star Trek and Apollo landings). I have sometimes wondered what it is that makes some of us so compelled to all kinds of speculative and fantastic and leaves others totally indifferent to it? Neuro-chemical anomalies in the brain or learned behavioural patterns?

Maybe one day scientists will discover that some individuals are drawn into the sense of wonder in the same way that some are addicted to danger and extreme experiences. Maybe it is in the genes.

As an organiser in several of the past Finncon events I have met with many of our distinguished guests and discovered that most writers and fans of speculative and fantastic seem to have a oddly synchronised mind sets. That is why guests far away from home and their native cultural contexts feel comfortable amongst other fans. I hope that Jeff will too.