Quote:
Originally Posted by DiapDealer
Is "reasonable scientific speculation" the going definition of the Science Fiction genre these days?
|
I think it affects its popularity in that if you want to tap into the zeitgeist, you have to write about something that is "reasonably" within reach. Back in the earlier days of science fiction, it did look like we were on the verge of moving out into space. People were hungry for speculations on what that would be like. Today, we know that space travel is very difficult and still very slow on any scale. We no longer believe we're about to embark across the universe. So, what used to be speculation is now more or less fantasy, and the masses are no longer interested in space stories. I think this holds for the writers as well as the readers. Now, it seems that the most popular science fiction being written is about life here on Earth.
I would still call stories about galactic space travel science fiction, though, even though the technology is more fantasy than science.