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While identifying appeal factors is important, recognizing the individuality of the reading experience is also essential. Two points Catherine Sheldrick Ross highlights are relevant: mood effects desired reading experience, and the meaning derived from a text is shaped in profound ways by what an individual brings to the experience. Science fiction readers want to satisfy different tastes at different times. Depending on their mood, they may prefer the comfort of an established series with its familiarity of characters, or they may prefer a work that is challenging and disturbing. Different readers may also interpret the same work in different ways. While one reader might find Star Trek novels appealing because of the adventure element or because of their treatment of the relationships between characters, another reader might identify the ideas upon which the Star Trek universe is grounded as most important. The difference in response results from the different ways in which readers attach value and subscribe meaning to texts.

Works of science fiction do not always fall into neat and convenient categories. Often, a single work can fit several subgenres (e.g., Frank Herbert's classic Dune). Furthermore, the categories used to organize science fiction works in this guide are not necessarily comparable-some concern subject or plot elements (bioengineering), some a distinct trend or school (New Wave), and some an overall message/theme (social criticism). Kofmel's study of readers suggests that this diversity in the ways science fiction is characterized aptly reflects how readers actually view the genre and select titles.

Kofmel identifies eight categories that reflect readers' perceptions of science fiction: purity, hybrid, heritage, relational, functional, theme, mode, and device. These categories resonate with Genreflecting subgenres and themes as well as with some of Saricks's appeal factors. For example, the category of 'heritage' denotes works in a particular historical tradition or context, like New Wave or classic SF. In their characterization of science fiction works, readers also mention two additional aspects related to story line or plot: the purpose of a story (e.g., cautionary) and its underlying message (e.g., things-man-was-not-meant-to-know).

Ultimately, what all this suggests is that readers' advisors should be particularly sensitive to diversity in the ways science fiction works can be characterized, as well as the variety of ways in which reading preferences can be expressed.

References:

1.         Chelton, Mary K., ed. 'Introduction to 'Readers' Advising for the Young SF, Fantasy, and Horror Reader,' by David G. Hartwell.' Reference & User Services Quarterly 42, no. 2 (2002): 133-38.

2.         Clute, John. Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995.

3.         DeBolt, Joe. 'Patterns of Science Fiction Readership among Academics.' Extrapolation 19, no. 2(1978): 112-25.

4.         Herald, Diana Tixier. Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. 5th ed. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.

5.         Wolfe, Gary K. Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy: A Glossary and Guide to Scholarship. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.

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