What Will Hope do for Science Fiction?

**Arrgh** · September 9th, 2011, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by kcf

I suspect that any change will be some time in coming, less than hoped for, and that it’s too premature to see how science fiction will react, if it reacts at all. But, I still feel that hope and it cannot be denied.

Well, it's been about two years. Do you still feel that hope? Other than selling less, how has science fiction reacted?

**Shonsu** · September 10th, 2011, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Arrgh

Well, it's been about two years. Do you still feel that hope? Other than selling less, how has science fiction reacted?

Why oh why would you resurrect this thread? :P

**Omphalos** · September 10th, 2011, 10:06 AM

I just hope that SF survives.

**Arrgh** · September 22nd, 2011, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Shonsu

Why oh why would you resurrect this thread? :P

I was worried that the Hope inspired changes were subtle and that I might have missed them.

**krisbslick** · September 23rd, 2011, 07:49 AM

There is no Hope. Haven't you read enough science fiction to know by now that humanity is doomed.

Have a good day, while you still have a full day to enjoy.

**DDCOrange** · September 23rd, 2011, 09:22 AM

How about this for a topic. If politicians read more Scifi would they do better at their jobs?

**Shonsu** · September 24th, 2011, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by DDCOrange

How about this for a topic. If politicians read more Scifi would they do better at their jobs?

lol possibly

**Arrgh** · September 19th, 2012, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by kcf

I suspect that any change will be some time in coming, less than hoped for, and that it’s too premature to see how science fiction will react, if it reacts at all. But, I still feel that hope and it cannot be denied.

Another year has passed and I still haven't seen the Hope inspired changes. Anyone have links to some I may have missed?

**psikeyhackr** · September 19th, 2012, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Arrgh

Another year has passed and I still haven't seen the Hope inspired changes. Anyone have links to some I may have missed?

No it's hopeless.

http://grist.org/politics/obama-clim...t-a-joke-mitt/

psik

**psikeyhackr** · September 20th, 2012, 06:56 PM

Now this is interesting:

In this new book, Noga Applebaum surveys science fiction novels published for children and young adults from 1980 to the present, exposing the anti-technological bias existing within a genre often associated with the celebration of technology.

http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.p...ce-fiction-for

psik

**Steven L Jordan** · September 21st, 2012, 01:00 PM

SF is more than just a genre that responds, knee-jerk fashion, to the issues of the day... though it has obviously been known to do that. SF also looks at the Big Picture, the long-term view, which tends to smooth out the bumps and valleys created by changing political views and leadership.

The American government has made little progress towards obvious changes, pro or con, primarily due to its own inherent contentiousness. We are still in an era where big business overtly controls government, or minimizes government's ability to adversely impact big business, and the people accept bread and circuses to avoid making waves.

These trends have been influencing (American) SF heavily in the past few decades. I think we need to see changes to that logjam, in order to give writers a reason to see something different on the horizon.

But don't forget: A lot of SF is built around what sells, and scary dystopias have proven to be much more popular book-sellers than utopian lit.

**psikeyhackr** · September 21st, 2012, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Steven L Jordan

SF is more than just a genre that responds, knee-jerk fashion, to the issues of the day... though it has obviously been known to do that. SF also looks at the Big Picture, the long-term view, which tends to smooth out the bumps and valleys created by changing political views and leadership.

SF doesn't do anything. You are anthropomorphizing the literature.

The sf WRITER reacts and responds to the environment if that what s/he wants to do. S/he may be totally out of touch and the story may have nothing to do with reality.

Consider Bujold's Cryoburn. She has corporations packaging and reselling contracts on people in cryogenic storage even though some of them are dead. But most people don't know that. So it is obviously similar to the packaging and selling of sub-prime mortgages. But I have not seen anyone make that comparison about the story.

But it is the writer not the SF that is responsible.

Lots of SF has nothing to say about anything.

Like the Flinx series by Alan Dean Foster is entertaining but it does not really have anything to say about anything.

psik