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Is dumbed-down science fiction a gateway or an embarrassment?
I commonly hear the complaint that our genre, namely science fiction and fantasy, is not taken seriously. Despite the contributions of such luminaries as Ted Sturgeon, Zenna Henderson, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, etc., our field is generally considered to comprise purely low-brow fare.
Is it really a surprise? When is the last time you watched an accurate science fiction movie? How often do lurid pictures of steel-brassiere clad women grace the covers of our magazines, regardless of the content therein? How distinguishable are these covers from those of the comic books?
Things are getting better, I think. The number of science fiction magazines has dwindled to a manageable half-dozen or so, and in a sort of literary Darwinism, their stories are of superior caliber (generally). Every month, several genre books are published; some of them really push the envelope both in writing and subject matter.
Which is why it's disappointing when I come across a throwback like Robert Buckner's Starfire, published this month by "Permabook."
(read the rest at Galactic Journey!)
I commonly hear the complaint that our genre, namely science fiction and fantasy, is not taken seriously. Despite the contributions of such luminaries as Ted Sturgeon, Zenna Henderson, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, etc., our field is generally considered to comprise purely low-brow fare.
Is it really a surprise? When is the last time you watched an accurate science fiction movie? How often do lurid pictures of steel-brassiere clad women grace the covers of our magazines, regardless of the content therein? How distinguishable are these covers from those of the comic books?
Things are getting better, I think. The number of science fiction magazines has dwindled to a manageable half-dozen or so, and in a sort of literary Darwinism, their stories are of superior caliber (generally). Every month, several genre books are published; some of them really push the envelope both in writing and subject matter.
Which is why it's disappointing when I come across a throwback like Robert Buckner's Starfire, published this month by "Permabook."
(read the rest at Galactic Journey!)
