Posted on 01/25/2011 9:58:28 AM PST by Kaslin
I think what everyone should understand is that it is NOT S.F. writers who control the ‘mind’ of the public by the stories they write. They usually write MANY stories.
It is what the PUBLISHERS decide to print, in the long run, that controls WHAT the public is exposed to.
Thank you for an informative and reasoned response to the guy who has found yet another medium for story-telling and idea-sharing that has knotted his panties
Some of my favorite conservative sci-fi writers would have to include David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers series (and his other works); Robert Adams’ The Horseclans series and; Adams’ “Stairway to Forever.” I never finished the 2nd Adams’ series, but from what I remember it started off very conservative.
I have not read much Sci-Fi fantasy in years and have probably enjoyed many stories regardless of their political affiliation, but w/out a more comprehensive search of my memory/library those come to mind as good examples of conservative sci-fi writing in the past.
In addition to classics like CS Lewis and Tolkien of course. Even LeGuin’s Earthsea series I would characterize as conservative in it’s social mores.
“I’ve read some of Pournelle’s collaborations with Larry Niven. Based on those, I’d say he leans right...”
There was a whole conservative group, Pournelle, Niven, Drake and others, and the reaction to that was a group of liberal-leaning authors (like David Brin) who wrote more stories about people and society than science stuff. Cyberpunk grew out of that, an upwelling of deep cynicism.
It’s hard to find “hard science” fiction any more. I just read This Is Not A Game, sold as Sci fi, but it really was a drama set around alternate reality games and social networking. A good book, but clearly not Neutron Star (Niven) or The Kiln People (Brin).
“It’s hard to write an interesting story about a collective.
The genre itself has to deal with individuals making choices and living with the consequences, which will to some extent causes stories to drift towards conservatism”
You’re basically describing “The Blithedale Romance,” the absolute classic of the commune stories (though not at all a sci-fi novel). It’s a good but not great book, written by a master who could aptly be described as conservative.
I just listened to Vance’s Dying Earth book recently. I was unfamiliar with him, it definately made my drive more enjoyable. I’ll have to look for his books.
Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned David Weber?
They tend toward the liberal side of things and nothing shocks them ... except maybe someone with a conservative viewpoint, which is stunning because they'll have a live-and-let-live attitude toward all sorts of deviant behaviors that they personally wouldn't be involved in.
You can read a ton of out of print scifi from Baen right on your computer. for free.
click on ‘The Books’ on the left sidebar to see the list.
Where are today’s Han Solos, Mad Maxs and Capt. Kirks?
Nowhere,
All males (especially white males) are reduced to subservient whiners.
Instead of strong Alpha male role models all we get is Sarah Connor and Captn. Janeway over & over again.
Just look at V, manly man Marc Singer (A.K.A. The Beastmaster) and Micheal Ironside in the 1980s series were replaced by Murphy Brown in the new, also instead of white guy Freddie Kruger, the 5th columnist is a black guy, the women mouthpiece traitor reporter is now a white guy, the whole Jewish Holocaust thing is missing.
In the new Battletstar Galatica, Starbuck is now a chick and Apollo is the whiny male bee-atch and they created a whole new female teacher president role for Capt. Adama to be subservient to
The Terminator, John Connor when from a hard nose tough kid in II, to a whiny male bee-atch in III.
and on and on and on.
That's why Sci-Fi is bombing, there are no male role models for men & boys to relate to and once the “Wow she’s really hot” factor wears off, watching a 90lb waif beat up 250+ pound men gets old real fast and Scifi becomes unwatchable.
There’s our author Larry Correia. Monter Hunters International rocks! I am eagerly awaiting his next book.
RS
Do you 'share water' with her, brother ?
Still are.
“Where are today’s Han Solos, Mad Maxs and Capt. Kirks?”
Mal Reynolds?
I love that book. Cugel the Clever is quite the anti-hero.
Look into E. E. Knight’s Vampire Earth series. There is a manly protagonist for you.
“When the population is divided in half, and ten outlets are competing for one half, and one outlet is competing for the other half … well, duh.
IF one newspaper in the country was able to 'do the math' they'd be winners... too bad that's not going to happen.
LOL
I haven’t read all of them, but Stranger in a Strange Land is one that I have read. I honestly didn’t care much for it.
“watching a 90lb waif beat up 250+ pound men gets old real fast”
Not to mention that demands suspension of disbelief bordering on delusion.
I caught the qualifier right away. Was curious to see if others would not.
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