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Editor’s Foreword |
About the Essay by Kwame Cavil
I am very pleased to publish an essay in this issue by former professional football player Kwame Cavil, exploring the connection between sports and science fiction — and the inspiration he drew from that fusion of interests. Kwame was a star at The University of Texas at Austin with legendary coach Mack Brown and went on to play in both the NFL and CFL. Kwame is a high school teacher and coach now.
I have always been interested in learning about the backstory, the ideas and behind the scenes work that goes into producing something. I would like to share this one. It started with an idea I had for the Editor’s Introduction portion of this magazine: the idea that science fiction can play a role as a unifying force for the future.
I was looking for commonalities and I wanted to affirm my idea. Asking the only former professional football player that I know, if he might be a fan of science fiction seemed like as good a place to start as any. After all, we more typically associate science fiction with (glorious) geeks, than the jock set. My newly formulated worldview was at stake – well, not really, but certainly the introduction that I had been thinking about for this debut issue!
When I asked Kwame if he were a fan of science fiction, to my delight he said that he was! Resoundingly so, in fact. He loves science fiction and has been a fan of it since childhood. It had always been a source of inspiration for him. It had helped to shape his worldview, informed his vision of the future, and fueled his athletic ambitions.
I told him about this literary journal and asked him if he would be interested in writing an essay about what science fiction has meant to him. He enthusiastically agreed, articulating his concept for the essay on the spot and he left feeling inspired to start on it right away. I was also feeling inspired! It was clear to me that he would be writing from an original perspective. From time to time, we would discuss how the work was progressing and I would do a quick read-through. It was evident to me that Kwame’s essay would not only make a valuable contribution to this magazine, but more broadly to the science fiction canon. In exploring the unique synergy of sports and science fiction, Kwame’s essay provides what I believe to be the first treatment of such – I have not seen similar.
It would be this conversation and others that ultimately confirmed my interest in proceeding with the editorial introduction: The Aspirational Humanhood of Science Fiction.
In the essay, Kwame’s voice shines brightly in conveying the importance of science fiction in his life. I am honored to present his essay to you on the next page. Enjoy!
— The Editor