The Appeal of Science Fiction
Capsule thesis: The appeal of science fiction is lost on those who are not convinced that they have a future. One must believe that they personally have a future to care remotely about the future for anyone else. This perhaps may explain the decline of science fiction. It seems to me that too many people have given up on the idea that future will involve them. The future is for the rich, the white, the whatever. Not for them. If we as science fiction writers can convince everyone that there is a place in the future for them, then they will start to care about the things we have to say.
Discuss.
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Yeah, China was definitely something I was thinking about when I had the thought. Certainly, I don't want to be too reductionist, and I agree that this is probably just one of many, many factors. I should have phrased my post better.
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I like the argument but must disagree a bit. There was a very lengthy time between my 20th and 25th years where I was clinically depressed and often said OUTLOUD that I never expected to reach the age of 30. It was during those years that I came to find SF and read most widely and deeply....moreso than now (I am 37 now). I believe I sought the escape of SF exclusively because what I was studying at the time (Literature) only reinforced for me the futility of living and thinking within present boundaries and the world we all know....I did not believe I would survive until the year 2000 but I wanted to spend what time I had left in another place while I waited. Now I can see that what may be limiting SF's appeal is not the people reading it but the topics chosen by those writing it. I think that SF has "grown up" and grown apart from its reader-base. I leave it for another arguement to determine what that base is....but I think most modern SF has lost touch with what made it great in the beginning in an effort to become more respectable and widely-read. Point being....only SF reader want to read SF....why try to get mystery, science, fantasy, romance and other readers to come into the fold? Anyways....
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Steve, thank you for your comment. You make a very good point about the escapist value of SF. I think good SF can definitely do that.I also think it can give hope.
As a SF writer, my reason for getting anyone else to read SF is purely mercenary. If I want to make money, I have to make sure someone wants to buy what I am selling.
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hello, please i need help i have this assigment where i have to write a magazine feature article
explaining why Science fiction has such appeal to modern audiences??????
in my feature article i must refer to the conventions in independece day the film?
if anyone could help me i would really appreciate it thanx
Interesting premise. I'd suggest that the current (alleged) explosion of interest in SF among the population of China supports this idea. But as with all such questions, you're trying to reduce an incredibly complex question to a binary digit - I think there are many factors at work, though this is definitely be one of them.