Rasmot Hates HFY: a barely held together ramble about a certain writing sub-sub-genre.
As you can tell by the title of this one, this is going to be a fairly lengthly rant about a very specific genre. For those of you who either enjoy or write this specific genre: this is your time to get off the ride. I have a very strong opinion about HFY that I have had for the better part of a number of years now. You're welcome to your opinions and likes about this genre. Hell you're welcome to disagree with either all, or a lot of what I have to say. But I will not be changing my opinion about HFY. You write what you want to write, or read what you want to read. But if I contain this any further I will pretty much end up like Praxis.
For those of you sticking around, I thank you for doing so and hope that this will either be insightful or perhaps entertaining. I will be adding a spoiler/read more after this, so keep that in mind.
--Part one: What in the ever-living hell is HFY?--
So as some of you might've gathered from the title of this ramble, HFY is a sub-sub-genre of writing. Specifically it is a sub-genre within Sci-Fi writing. In fact I would go as far as to say that it is often a sub-genre of Space Opera. Which pisses me off to no end. But I am getting ahead of myself there. So as such let me give a bit of history.
Before it was called HFY, it started as a small if innocuous thought experiment on Tumblr. Now it could have also started on Reddit. But I am more than certain that the majority of the conception of it began here on Tumblr. What was this thought experiment? What if Humans/Humanity were considered "Death Worlders" by the galactic community. This is also sometimes known as the "Humans are Space Orcs" theory. Now one could say that it goes earlier than that and that Humans are "confusing" to Aliens simply in how they act or are made. But the part where it really started to take-off was in that thought experiment that Humans are essentially the "Orcs" of the greater galactic community.
Very tough, born on a planet that in many ways hates them, and I could go on and on. But you can get the general idea behind the concept. As such when it came to Reddit, it was put into the writing tag of "HFY" or "Humanity, Fuck Yeah!" And while I could leave it at that, there is a lot more to it. So why does it bother me so much? Well . . .
--Part two: "I hate this! I find it utterly repulsive!" (Star Trek Generations)--
As someone who is a very large fan of Science Fiction, I have watched and read quite a number of things in relation to the genre. From the original series of Star Trek, to even the more strange and interesting Farscape. I have immersed myself deeply within the genre. In fact my favorite sub genre of the genre is Space Opera. The idea of a grand and wider universe full of different races with their own opinions and motivations. As such I tend to enjoy 4X Strategy games that involve Space Opera. In fact one that I started with all the way back when I was steeping myself in the genre was "Sword of the Stars". One of the more unique 4X games that put in a lot more into making all the races unique from each other in the ways that they operated and how they traveled across space.
But I have always had one problem with all the Space Opera and Sci-Fi that I have read and steeped myself in. And ironically one of the better series, Star Trek, had a scene in one of their movies that encapsulates my problem.
"It's a Homo-Sapiens only club!" - Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
And this extends to far beyond just Space Opera. There is a lot, and I mean A LOT of Sci-Fi that is either Human-centric, or very focused on humanity. Now some series manage to do a little short-hand and convey an interesting idea. Like say the Galactic Empire from Star Wars and how it is an oppressive human-only regime. But then it kinda undercuts itself by having the main characters of most of it's entries be humans. In fact they are often a very specific type/breed of human.
Let me just say that I do get it. These stories are often written by humans. So as such you will often have a human or humanity being part of, if not the central crux, of the story. And there are ways to either offset that or weave in interesting themes and stories into everything. And there are times where this is actually done! Again Star Trek is often a really good example of this. There are stories and thoughts and themes that run throughout all the various series. And all of them help to create this interesting weave that often ends up being a nice quilt of sorts.
Warm, Soothing, Comforting.
I love Star Trek, I love Farscape, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda was my jam, There are so many series and movies and stories that I have delved into and enjoyed and always gotten an immeasurable sense of enjoyment.
And then along came HFY.
--Part Three: The "Human" problem--
Now when I first saw this concept I got a bit of a chuckle out of it. Mostly because a lot of it was due to silly scenarios. Like aliens being confused about the mental process of humans, or the idea of human ingenuity, or even about the habit of humans adopting things or sticking weapons (knives) onto said adopted things (roombas). It was pretty much a silly/fun thought idea and I thought nothing more about it.
But then people started writing HFY stories and I had to take a much closer look. About Humans being "secret masterminds" of war. Or Humans living on what the galaxy considers to be a "Death World". Or the idea that Humans are tougher and stronger than most alien races. Or the idea that humans are somehow braver than the majority of alien races.
And it started to get me really REALLY angry. For the longest time I couldn't figure out exactly WHY it was making me angry. But it was. And then came a flood of HFY stories on both Reddit and Youtube by various narrators. And still I was struggling to fully comprehend why it was angering me so. There were even ones that I enjoyed! But they always had the problem of a Human being a "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu". Before long it started to click to me as to WHY I was getting as angry as I was.
Humanity was always put as Number One.
They were always the Strongest, the Fastest, the Bravest, the Smartest. And all the other races, no matter HOW UNIQUE or interesting they were, were always put in the dust. Now this is nothing entirely new to Sci-Fi, but it is usually a lot more subtle about it. Even pulp Sci-Fi was far more subtle about things. And yet here was this sub genre of a sub genre that was being absolutely brazen about things. And that's when I came to a sudden conclusion.
HFY is completely Racist.
--Part Four: Living in the Shadows--
Some of you may sit there and balk. Some may say "well that's not entirely true . . ." And here's the thing. I get the initial knee-jerk reaction. But what I get even more is my own feelings on the matter. Especially when it comes to being viewed as an "other" in society.
That is where the crux of this lies. When it comes to society, I am considered as one of the many categories of "other". I'm not a part of the main "bulk" of humanity. Especially when it comes to how I operate mentally. I talk "weird", I think "weird", I act "weird". Most common people really don't know what to do with me, or even how to act around me in most circumstances. I have what one could call "Resting Bitch Face". I walk on my tip-toes. I am frankly taller and bigger than most people. And yet in many ways I am more agile and gentle. I try to hold myself back as often as I can.
In my own little way, I am an Alien.
And this was forced unto me even when I was younger. I always had a vivid imagination and was always considered strange or "weird" in comparison to other people. So imagine the sense of comfort when you partake/immerse yourself in something that seems to VALIDATE your existence. That makes you feel like you BELONG for a change. That you're not some sort of other or lesser being because of how you act or are. That it is perfectly acceptable to be who you are.
That is what Sci-Fi, and more importantly Space Opera, did for me. It allowed me to put myself outside of the context of humanity and make that alright. And for years that was more than fine. In a weird way, the places I was in were mostly fine with me being that way for the most part. There were sore spots of course, but nothing too bad. And then I came to Texas. And a sense of deafening loneliness. That I was simply too weird for the majority of the people in the state. That I was a confusing piece in a grander puzzle. Why couldn't I be more like them?
"Why can't you be normal?"
Now mind you I wasn't alone in that regard/respect. There were a number of people that were like me. Far more weird and different than one would believe. But still, that haunting loneliness stuck with me. It had been there for a while, but it only seemed to be magnified with time.
Which is why Space Opera became more and more of a comfort to me. Here was something I could immerse myself in. To feel more REAL in. Where I didn't need to "preform" to the standards and envelope of the world around me. It was my escape. It was my salvation.
--Part Five: Barely contained Hatred--
Let it not be said that I just don't "get" HFY and why it's written. This is not a case where I don't simply understand. But this is a case where even WITH that understanding, it still causes a problem. Because it is a "solution" to a problem that really didn't exist. As I said a while back, the vast majority of Sci-Fi has a very human-centric skew. And I normally don't have a problem with that because as I said, it is usually very subtle.
HFY is nowhere NEAR subtle. It is very clearly trying to puff up the chests of humans to make them feel like they're unique in a wider cosmos. When that is FAR beyond the truth. The simple matter of the truth is that there would be more species and cultures that are like humanity than there would be that are not.
Cultures that are as tough as humans.
Cultures that are as brave as humans.
Cultures that are as smart as humans.
And all the flaws that would entail. Humanity is not some super special unique race within the cosmos. There are probably a number of races that are either similar to humans or perhaps even better than humans. In the grater scheme of things, Humans are like any other species or culture. And I suppose that is the anxiety and fear that fuels a number of HFY authors. This idea that Humanity is not unique, that it is not very special at all. But instead of embracing that and following complex and interesting ideas about how many civilizations and cultures can come to the same conclusions/ideas, instead they have to create a fantasy about humans are special or unique.
We live in an age with constant conflict between factions of people. Of disagreements and misunderstandings. Where many want to put themselves above others just simply because they don't look or act the same. And here is HFY throwing more gasoline onto the fire.
Perhaps I'm rambling into the void. Or perhaps I am connecting on some similar wave-length or thought line. At the end of the day there should be more stories about over-coming differences and being able to coexist. Rather than trying to fluff up one group of people over others.
So as a closing thought, let me put in a question for you to ponder. Say humanity were to venture into the stars. Say they were able to meet other races and cultures. Would you prefer that they see their differences and similarities and focus on what makes them similar to each other rather than not? Or would you prefer humanity to puff up it's chest and declare itself superior to everyone else no matter the consequences?
I have my preference . . . but that's just me.
