Is Science Fiction Finished?

[troutman]

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Science Fiction seems more popular to me than ever.

Now science fiction appears on the verge of getting beamed up to the great Enterprise in the sky, with sci-fi writers concerned that they are facing the unique irony of looking at a future where their writing could be a thing of the past.

"Science fiction is facing a crisis of confidence," sniffed last month's Popular Science magazine in an article entitled Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? "

[octothorp]

Originally posted by troutman@Sep 8 2004, 11:56 AM
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Science Fiction seems more popular to me than ever.

Now science fiction appears on the verge of getting beamed up to the great Enterprise in the sky, with sci-fi writers concerned that they are facing the unique irony of looking at a future where their writing could be a thing of the past.

"Science fiction is facing a crisis of confidence," sniffed last month's Popular Science magazine in an article entitled Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? "

Oof--silly gaff in the article: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 411? I think that's off by 40 degrees.

Otherwise, an interesting piece. I have to wonder whether much of it is really a decline in science-fiction, or simply the genre moving to a new medium: television and movie theatres are chalk-full of science-fiction pieces, and suprisingly, not all of them are crappy. I haven't read much science-fiction lately, but I get the sense that the genre is becoming more about stories and plots and less about cultural change, which is what is used to be about. I think that science fiction is just going through a lull. Someone will find a way to revitalize it the way that Harry Potter has repopularized fantasy.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Don't forget video games.
They are definately another media where science fiction is on the rise. Most games have pretty intense stores these days, and as the gameplay gets more involved, the better the stories will become.
Science fiction is definately not dead, it just moved next door.

[Cowperson]

I love old time science fiction from the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's when everything was possible in the mind of the writer and nothing was doable in real science. Who could prove them wrong?

A little different these days.

I picked up a great compendium of science fiction short stories a few months ago - the best of 2003 I believe. Some wonderful, imaginative plots coming out of that group.

One example: A group of human police who live in a time bubble, enforcing time laws for humanity. A few of them are lovers. Whenever one of them gets killed by time criminals, its up to the other partner to go back in time and recruit the dead person once again, then bring them forward to real time. On the occasions they do this, they're familiar with the moment, even what the person is wearing and what books they might be reading and carrying and of course, they have intimate knowledge of the persons likes and dislikes. The deceased person, killed in a horrible manner only only hours before, alive once again and often younger yet doesn't know the stranger saying hello to them.

I have my prized HG Wells collection, authored in the 1800's. Great stuff for the time. The First Men On The Moon is probably my favourite, although The Time Machine is great as well.

Science Fiction is dead? Not likely. Maybe when you have real robots!!

Cowperson

[Looger]

hmmmm cowperson, sounds like those lazarus long books heinlein wrote.

seriously, i am a huge sci-fi buff, have read (for the sake of argument) <1% of what's out there, and there is plent of originality and new ideas all the time.

if sci-fi were, say, the steel industry or something, i could take this argument with a grain of salt.

it is individually produced and individually read. if there's trends in buying, well unfortunately for the publishers, the author can't re-tool their thinking like record producers re-tool original acts into nickle-creed.

it will survive but as soon as people start group-thinking their creative effort to a large degree, it has all been over for awhile.

they keep writing and i keep buying, what exactly is the problem here?

[Resolute 14]

I would tend to agree with the author just based on my own reading habits. I love SF/F, but I have been turning increasingly toward fantasy rather than Science Fiction. In fact, the only science fiction book I have gotten in the past year is Stranger In A Strange Land, and then only because it was a gift. The last ten or so books I have bought have all been fantasy.

[troutman]

The HUGO awards:

http://www.sfsite.com/09a/hugo183.htm

The World Science Fiction Society gives the awards annually for achievements in science fiction. This year's winners were presented at Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention held in Boston, September 2-6, 2004.