Comments on: Guest Post: When Did “Science Fiction” and “Apocalypse” Become Interchangeable?

By: Fantasy Literature's Fantasy Book and Audiobook Reviews

Fantasy Literature's Fantasy Book and Audiobook Reviews — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:01:11 +0000

[...] When Did “Science Fiction” and “Apocalypse” Become Interchangeable?: Guy Stewart laments the apocalyptic trend taking over Young Adult Science Fiction. World Wide [...]

By: Susan McNerney

Susan McNerney — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:58:11 +0000

I would be more worried about the apocalyptic trend if there wasn’t also a vampire trend. I don’t believe young people are really worried about vampires, so I’m not sure why I’d believe they are more worried than usual about the apocalypse.

And both trends are probably tapped out in the agent/publisher pipeline by now, from what I’m hearing. So, this too shall pass.

By: The Great Geek Manual » Geek Media Round-Up: July 16, 2012

The Great Geek Manual » Geek Media Round-Up: July 16, 2012 — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:02:01 +0000

[...] When Did “Science Fiction” and “Apocalypse” Become Interchangeable? [...]

By: Guy Stewart

Guy Stewart — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 22:48:28 +0000

None taken! I’m glad we both had a chance to clarify our discussion — no one can move anywhere unless we ALL have as good an understanding of the undiscovered country as possible. Thanks!

By: Aimery Thomas

Aimery Thomas — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 04:59:36 +0000

Sorry, Guy, but I think that you might have misinterpreted my comments. I never suggested that you said any of those things in your well-written post.

My rhetorical questions were posed to the community in general. I’ve always had the greatest respect for educators, and no offense was intended.

By: Guy Stewart

Guy Stewart — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:54:08 +0000

Aimery: I never said any of that. I never implied it, either. And the two (of many) young adults with whom I spoke didn’t WANT a syrupy vision of the future. I didn’t want the wool pulled over my collective eyes, to be prevented from comparing and contrasting dystopic futures critically, told that regardless…”everything’s gonna be all right somehow”, force fed positivity with my mouth agape and eyes sealed shut until my tiny liver exploded, nor treated like I was blind and treated as if I was a captive goose. I’ve been a classroom teacher for 32 years and I’ve never treated a kid that way.

That being said, I also don’t think that my generation’s failure to establish a colony on the Moon, a long-term presence in space, cure the common cold, create a cheap and limitless energy source, stop pollution and create an equitable distribution of Earthly wealth AUTOMATICALLY means that young adults today will fail as well. The end is not automatically nigh because I HAVE failed as an adult. I am saying that I can, as an elder PRESUME that brilliance, intelligence, courage, vigor and ideas I cannot today comprehend CAN be nurtured in the next generation and THAT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO just as I was nurtured in the past. To assume that this next crop of maturing Humans will have to “live with” our legacy does them no honor. I will work then to nurture and to inspire — what other elders do is entirely up to them.

By: Aimery Thomas

Aimery Thomas — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 06:52:01 +0000

I would suggest that more sinister flavours of sci-fi are popular right now because people of all ages are genuinely concerned with the state of the world in which we live, and are increasingly willing to be forthcoming about their belief that our future isn’t looking terribly bright. The abundance of overt negativity in the world naturally inspires their reading and viewing habits.

In specific regard to young adults, what should science fiction authors and writers do?

Should we pull the wool over their collective eyes and proclaim to them that it is wrong to compare and contrast a dystopic future critically with the times in which they live?

Should we tell them that regardless of the pain and dysfunction that they are very capable of witnessing on the nightly news, that they should presume that “everything’s gonna be alright somehow”?

Should we force feed our children with positivity, mouths agape and eyes sealed shut, until their tiny livers explode? The young are not blind, nor can we treat them as captive geese.

(full comment on my blog)

By: Ken M

Ken M — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 04:01:24 +0000

Best darn guest post on SFWA in quite a while! Thank you for the reminder.

By: Mishell Baker

Mishell Baker — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:52:01 +0000

The answer is simple but sad: young people intelligent enough to enjoy science fiction are intelligent enough to know their futures are bleak as hell. Their version of hope is reading about individual people who manage to at least eke out personal, individual triumphs in a world where the myopia of those in power has left the next generation with next to nothing.

I am one of the most optimistic people I know, but for me, optimism means believing that I can weather what’s coming. The world is not what it was when the baby boomers were growing up, and intelligent young people have adjusted their expectations accordingly.

By: David Greybeard

David Greybeard — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:43:13 +0000

I totally agree.