First, I'd like to clarify: No, I am not saying that
because people are no longer so interested in reading about futuristic (and often imaginary) science for their leisure reading this constitutes a wholesale rejection of science
I am saying that
it is a symptom of a larger issue: the rejection of science (not technology, but scientific, rationalistic thinking; not at all the same thing), or at very least the denigration and grave distrust of it, fostered by numerous things mentioned in previous posts (as well as the media, which tends more and more to pander to exactly those lowest aspects of the human condition).
Nor am I saying that reading fantasy is bad; I am addressing the shift in popularity over the last 2-3 decades, and what I see, after a lot of thought, as probable
causal links for that shift in interest. There are always reasons for such a sea-change in the arts, though they sometimes are difficult to identify, or may not be possible to identify until long afterward. But these are things I see as connected to that and (as I said before) since the question of "why" surfaced, I am adding my input to that part of the discussion.
There was never a sneer intended there; as you know quite well, the bulk of my reading tends to be in the weird or supernatural field these days and, though this is in part because it is all connected to that massive research project, I wouldn't be pursuing that project did I not find such literature
worthy in its own right!
And postulating that people are turning away from science fiction because society is increasingly turning toward mysticism? Back in the sixties, when everyone was reading Tarot cards, and joining ashrams, and believing in fairies, science fiction was far more popular than it is now, when these same people have grown older and work in IT. (Back when I was reading Tarot cards and crystal balls, science fiction was far more popular with me.)
But the predominant society was still in the rationalistic, scientific paradigm at that point; the shift was appearing, but was by no means the majority until later. And, as I've noted, reliance and even an attraction for technology is not the same as science; modern electronic technology is a product of science, but the way it is viewed and used is much less so; it is itself often viewed in an almost anthropomorphic (and at times even with an air of the mystical and, to be honest, of mystification) way rather than with an understanding of the principles involved in either why or how it functions.
Therefore, as I have repeatedly attempted to make clear: No, they don't reject technology, but there is a general turning away from the rationalism behind the science which (among many other functions) provides the technology. This, in turn, is connected to the resurgence of various forms of mysticism, the increased acceptance of claims of "psychics" and the like (rather than being met with scepticism --
not the same as outright rejection, but rather needing good, thorough investigation before being given acceptance... the "extraordinary claims" bit); the "alien abduction" phenomenon, which is, in all essentials, simply a restating of the old "incubi/succubi" experiences of earlier times; the misunderstanding of even the basic facts of evolution and how it works -- let alone how it is supported not only by biology, but by dozens of other scientific disciplines, from paleontology to stratigraphy to medicine and genetics; and, most of all, the diminishment of rationalism and critical thinking themselves for a "populist" approach to science. Science ain't a democracy, and never can be. It isn't a matter of opinion, but of opinion based on demonstrable, verifiable fact (and which is open to falsifiability -- an uncomfortable paradigm at a time when people increasingly want certainty in their lives).
I am sorry if you feel offended by my posting my views on the matter; but, as I said, these are not off-the-cuff statements, but the result of many years of examining this shift -- not out of a wish to denigrate one genre or another, but out of a curiosity as to
why such a shift was taking place. And the fact is that, as supported by numerous studies, the scientific method has been on the decline in education, and understanding of it, as well as critical thinking, has been seriously derailed over the past few decades, resulting in a lot of damage, such as (to pick one glaring example) the rejection of innoculations for various diseases based on false information, resulting in the resurgence of such diseases as smallpox and the like (with consequent rise in child mortality in regions where this has taken place).
Now, I'm sorry, but I'd be a liar if I didn't say that I see all these things as part of a larger pattern: the shift in preference for fantasy (which relies on the supernatural and mystical for the very structure of the universe involved) over science fiction (which stresses the ability of human beings to understand and influence, possibly even control, the world and universe around us by working within the framework of natural physical laws) is a relatively small and unimportant part of that pattern, but I do see it as such a part. It isn't intended as an insult, but an observation on relationships between larger cultural shifts and tastes in literature. That is all. In my posts, I've been attempting to examine some of the causes for such shifts in the larger sphere, and where they may be having an effect on these tastes.
As I have also said repeatedly, I cannot claim a favorite between the two, as I love them both equally; they provide varying approaches to the human condition, and neither is
intrinsically to be more valued than the other; each has its faults and poor (or outright bad) writers, just as each has its sterling examples raising it to the heights of great literature. So I would hardly be issuing a sneer at lovers of fantasy, as I very much happen to
be one! But this does not prevent me from wanting to understand these changes, or keep me from investigating them to the best of my ability; nor do I feel I need to apologize for posting my thoughts on the matter, as neither disrespect, insult, nor any other sort of invidious reflection was intended on anyone who reads either form of what is, after all, under the larger umbrella of fantastic literature.....
