Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
Now, I'll admit that my attitude is a by-product of an academic education studying literature at the Masters level.
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Now, let me say that my perception of science-fiction's juvenile nature (along with most other genres) is in part because of my age. I'm in my mid-thirties and it would be a very dull life indeed if I still could muster enthusiasm for the same levels of literature I did at the age of fifteen.
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Oh, please.. I don't think your age has anything to do with your perception of scifi, nor "academic education studying literature at the Masters level". I think it is simply "attitude", in the "throwing thereof" sense. If you don't like a body of literature, just say so. Don't try rationalizing it with older-than- or more-studied-than-thou lines.
It's an unfortunate fact that science fiction fandom, as a whole, is in fact *aging*. The younger crowd is much more media-centric than book-centric, and that's been increasingly true for the past 20 years. Go ahead, go to a literature-focussed scifi convention (if you can find one.. they're dropping like flies).
All the authors I know are in or near their 60s (or older -- John Dalmas is over 70). Most of them *are* academics -- VE Mitchell's grad work was in geology, and wasn't LeGuin a professor?
These people write largely for their friends: hardly juvenile or literary philistines (unless paid specifically to write a children's book). If that's truly where you believe your perception stems, I question how extensive your exposure to scifi truly is.
As for scifi author politics, I find at least the fanbase tends toward self-identified libertarian, with the more conservative elements thereof attracted toward the military scifi authors.
(For the record, I'm in my late 30s. I rather enjoyed Starship Troopers -- both movie and book -- as well as the rest of Heinlein's work even though he would probably find me a flaming left-wing nutjob "parlor pink".
My partner, early 40s, also for the record loves Ender's Game, despite serious religious and political differences that would keep Card from being truly welcome at dinner.
Academically, I got my degree in astrophysics, but strongly considered majoring in English lit. I still remain in touch with my HS English teacher after twenty years.)