Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan
Fiction can reflect society... or it can provide an alternative to society, in order to suggest a better way, or warn of a danger in the present way. Even in these cases, the fiction doesn't have to be completely pessimistic or optimistic, but offer some pessimism in some areas and optimism in others.
Take Star Trek, portraying a supposedly sunny future of exploration and friendly aliens, and a near-paradise of Earth; but only after planetary wars and collapse, and under constant threat from other aliens. As MrsJoseph suggested, it can be a very half-full/half-empty state.
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All true.
But people write about things they consider significant and they extrapolate from what they themselves experience or know. Even when trying to present an alternative, that alternative will be reflection/derivative of the society they come from.
I don't think very many people can divorce themselves entirely from their society and its mores and ethics, its concerns and aspirations, even when consciously trying to distance themselves from them. They'll still filter through.
As you point out, even a series about a bright sunny future like STAR TREK felt compelled to address the issues of the time like the cold war, racism, etc to make themselves relevant and accessible to their audience. Similarly, their technological vision had perforce to be built around the trends and tropes of their times.
Or, look at classic adventure SF which in more recent times has been criticized for being militaristic and authoritarian, even fascistic by some; people who conveniently forget most of it was written during a time of war (imminent, current, or recently concluded), when even the most democratic and individualistic of societies was forced to close ranks and surrender to central authority to survive. One could hardly expect writers from such of a background, even when seeking to present an alternative society, to be totally free of their native culture.
We are all products of our times and culture and, no matter how much we might try, our works invariably reflect them in one form or another.