A new friend on WEbook asked the question “Is Science Fiction Dead?” the other day, and it got me thinking.
Here is how I answered him:
“I don’t think Science Fiction is dead, or even dying, I think it is changing. I would venture to guess that one reason people don’t read as much SF now as they did in the 50′s and 60′s is because the world has nearly caught up to what those early pundits were talking about.
“I remember dreaming about the far future… the year 2000, and how different the world would. be. When I got there I was both startled and disillusioned. Survival is always good, but I didn’t see flying cars and cheap trips to the colonies on other planets. I did see space stations, footprints on the moon, photographs from Mars, and a closer look at Saturn’s satellites.
“I’ve seen nanotechnology go from a Feynman lecture to a growth industry.
“We–readers–are becoming jaded to SF, not because it is poorly written, certainly not because it is boring, but because we have a hard time telling it from real life. I think this, too, is why we see more of a blend of SF with Fantasy.
“Me? I will continue to write both. I will also continue to write para-psychological thrillers, and mainline emotional pieces.
“But the first place I go in the bookstore–if I’m not looking for a text–IS the Science Fiction section.
“I love it.”
What do you think? Is it dead? Is it just waiting for a new leap forward to write about? I can’t wait to find out.
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You’ve really hit the nail on the head when you say the world has nearly caught up to what those early pundits were talking about. SF writers need to dig deep into their imaginations to find unheard of possibilities.