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My Science Fiction Rabbi

JL;DR SUMMARY Andrew Fox explores the unexpected parallels between Judaism and science fiction, both cultural outliers with rich traditions of 'what if' storytelling. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

TraditionJewish WritersStar WarsCultural IdentityAssimilationBar MitzvahScience FictionMarginalized CommunitiesFandom

Places mentioned

Miami, Florida, United States
"We planned to put out our own fanzine and solicit contributions from fans around the countryperhaps even internationally! We convinced our parents to drop us off at Florida International University, site of the International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts (not a sci-fi con, but a scholarly conference of professors and professional writers), where we presumptuously buttonholed acclaimed writer Gene Wolfe for an interview (he was exceedingly gracious)."
Dallas, Texas, United States
"When I learned that my idol would be a featured guest at ConDFW in Dallas, I contacted the programming manager, made plans to attend, and drove the seven hours from my home in New Orleans."

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Cairo Item ID 86102
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Retrieved 2026-06-25 05:31:50 UTC
Curated 2026-06-25 08:31:02 UTC