May Day and Science Fiction

Science fiction might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of May Day ... but are there connections?


May 1, 1954, was the birth day of Canadian American science fiction/fantasy author Joel Rosenberg.

There's an article at io9.com on May Day, 1871: The Day “Science Fiction” Was Invented -- What do you think? And how did you first "discover" SF?

Once you've pondered all that, check out these May Day/day references in various books:

    "It's a beautiful May day," Ofglen says. I feel rather than see her head turn towards me, waiting for a reply.
   "Yes," I say. "Praise be," I add as an afterthought. Mayday used to be a distress signal, a long time ago, in one of those wars we studied in high school. I kept getting them mixed up, but you could tell them apart by the airplanes if you paid attention. It was Luke who told me about Mayday though. Mayday, Mayday, for pilots whose planes had been hit, and ships - was it ships too? - at sea. Maybe it was SOS for ships. I wish I could look it up. And it was something from Beethoven, for the beginning of the victory, in one of those wars.
   Do you know what it came from? said Luke. Mayday?
   No, I said. It's a strange word to use for that, isn't it?
   Newspapers and coffee, on Sunday mornings, before she was born. There were still newspapers then. We used to read them in bed.
   It's French, he said. From M'aidez.
   Help me.

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He looked about his little troupe of six, who were once again lowering the line with the clumsy enthusiasm of a May Day tug-o'-war. "Comrade Shillibeer! You're about this man's size—give him your trousers."

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All this in the middle of a D.C. May day, the air going for a triple-triple, the sun smashing down through the wet air and diffusing until its light exploded out of a huge patch of the zenith. Sweaty gasping play, yes, but never a moment spent coaxing. Never a dull moment.

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"What is this?" he demanded. "Ye'd think 'twas May Day, and the lads and lassies all out gatherin' flowers in the wood, not the dead o' winter and snow comin' on!"

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Then there's the May Day Fairie Festival. It's not exactly on May Day this year, so if you're interested but not already in the area, you have time to travel!