06-23-2010, 07:56 PM | #61 |
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06-24-2010, 01:25 AM | #62 | |
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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.) |
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06-24-2010, 01:26 AM | #63 |
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06-24-2010, 01:53 AM | #64 | |
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Also consider for that matter: Neil Gaiman, one of the best story tellers of the past couple decades, whether in panels or prose. I am now at the point in my reading where the "classics" I'm acquiring are classics of scifi and fantasy. I've got my Shakespeare (several different editions, plus Asimov's), and so I'm getting caught up on my Lovecraft, Burroughs, and special editions of Asimov and Bradbury. It took me years to locate some HR Rider (why???). They definitely show their age -- Burroughs especially, with the whole noble savage thing on Barsoom -- but they are at least as important to our cultural history as anything Twain wrote, and I'd argue will have had greater, longer-lasting impact. Certainly more people recognize and identifiy with Darth Vader or Mr Spock than have even heard of Nigger Jim, no matter how important his character was. For that matter, I also started collecting children's lit -- Winnie the Pooh, for example, and re-discovering Roald Dahl. More adults should read books intended for children; they're missing out. So for all this attitude of "no adult should ever be interested in these books" -- Moejoe completely missed the point of what it was he spent so much money studying. Sad waste of money, there. |
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06-24-2010, 09:22 AM | #65 | |
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Despite the fact that the code is pretty much a dead letter these days, it's influence remains, especially in the perception that comics are "For kids". |
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06-26-2010, 06:35 AM | #66 | ||
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06-26-2010, 09:42 AM | #67 | |
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for me the Taran series by Lloyd alexander are a perfect example of WHY they should. |
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06-27-2010, 11:49 AM | #68 |
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Going back to the original question, the Taxpayers' Tea Party is a reprint of a Baen book published in 1994. Amazon.com (US) lists both editions (1994 and 2010). My guess is that they figure they can get money by reprinting it since there is now a "Tea Party" movement in the U.S.
And for the record, I don't agree with the politics and was glad to see the option of the PC Webscriptions package for July |
06-27-2010, 12:00 PM | #69 | |
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We should have a thread on Orwell, because he's infinitely fascinating as a writer, essayist, satirist and as social commentator. |
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06-27-2010, 12:11 PM | #70 | |
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06-27-2010, 12:23 PM | #71 | |
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Steinbeck was a popular writer and he will always be that because he wrote 'stories'. He wasn't a sci-fi writer or a literary writer or any other reduction, he was merely (and there is no mere when it comes to Steinbeck) a good writer. Any expectation you have of Steinbeck is because of Steinbeck's writing and not because he was placed in a ghetto of literature. Our whole culture has steadily declined towards a form of extended juvenilisation. And that's not really a criticism, merely observation of the current state. We're living longer so there's an expectation that our kidulthood spreads further through the years than it did before. We get married later, have children later, and so all of this has an effect on the culture we consume (hate that word with a passion, but it is the only one that fits). I, over time, have taken enough doses of that culture to become dulled by its effects, I have built an immunity. I've read enough and am familiar enough with the genres that they hold very little interest to me now. Coupled with other works being made available to me through studymy tastes have changed and so have my opinions of what I used to love. When I was a child I spake as a child...etc You've already decried Fantasy; for different reasons than I decry all genres, but still ignoring that there might be a diamond in amongst the cut stones. So what makes your literary snobbery, or your elitism any different than my supposed snobbery? You get a pass, do you, because you like science-fiction and I have little time for that genre? And to call me a liar is an egregious and childish simplification of my viewpoint, or any of what I've said here. |
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06-27-2010, 12:34 PM | #72 |
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One SciFi author not mentioned here is John Scalzi. His Old Man's War series at first appears to be a fast paced military piece and it does have its fair share of action. However, as the stories develop it becomes clear that there is a clear anti-military, anti-authoritarian and anti-oligarchical message contained within.
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06-27-2010, 12:36 PM | #73 |
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On the edge of all genre literature is Michael Chabon. He happens to be a strong peace activist as well.
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06-27-2010, 12:43 PM | #74 | |
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Bradbury's lyrical and poetic tales of Mars colonisation (The Martian Chronicles) bare little in common with science-fiction, despite the presence of space rockets and space men. Chandler did the same with his Marlowe books, where mystery and murder took a back-seat to language and the introduction of Los Angeles as a character (nobody has even come close to this since). These examples transcend genre, so that you cannot expect anything from a cold reading of either description or from the cover. My rule of thumb is quite simple nowadays, if I don't know what to expect when I pick up the book and still don't know what to expect after a page or so, then I'll continue reading. Literary merit or otherwise, the book has to surprise me in some way, and that way is very rarely going to be with genre any more (just by dent of experience). |
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06-27-2010, 12:46 PM | #75 | |
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EDIT: Okay, I'll shut up now as I believe I've hijacked this thread way too much. Sorry, Harry for any inconvenience (although I do think the debate has been quite interesting). Last edited by Moejoe; 06-27-2010 at 12:52 PM. |
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