Scratch marks

I see a lot of introductory posts around here that among others enumerate a narrow list of fandoms the author is into, and it makes no sense to me. Like, I'm into sci-fi and fantasy. That's a fandom already. To make it more specific, let's say space opera. But why, oh, why would I obsess endlessly over one particular franchise and nothing else? Even in my teenage years, the Star Trek club in my city was just a gateway into all kinds of speculative fiction. Not to mention, more of a pretext to meet people and make friends to hang out with. Which is infinitely more important than having likes and dislikes. Even then, I remember someone who worked hard to learn by heart the most obscure details about the Dune franchise, and gatekeeping me based on that. Because, isn't it, you can't be said to like a book, or film, or game, unless you dedicate 80% of your brainpower and time to it. Casual fans, go home!

And you know, funny how selective these fandoms are. Never heard of a fandom for Asimov's robot stories for instance. You'll say those predate fandoms as we know them, but that's not quite true, and there is a fandom of Larry Niven's Known Space, for instance, which is roughly from the same era. A small one, but it's there. Worse, there's a fandom for Michael Moorcock's Elric stories, but not the Dancers at the End of Time, never mind his other series. Even though the Dancers would make for an amazing setting to roleplay in. Only the late Ursula K. LeGuin seems to be appreciated as a writer: people who like her books like both the Ekumen and the Earthsea stories, as a general rule.

But then, there's someone who keeps asking me what foods I like, as if it was possible to like just one, or a few, to the exclusion of all the wonderful cuisine out there. Another person keeps asking me who I like in particular from our circle of friends. Which would make sense if they were asking in a romantic sense. But no. They're asking me to play favorites. Like, seriously? Don't you see how that could be more than a little problematic?

Give me variety any time. All kinds of people. All kinds of media. All kinds of aesthetic. To live in this age of plenty and pigeonhole myself on purpose would be a terrible waste.