From the back cover of The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction, 9th Series, Copyright 1958:
“Life Magazine says there are more than TWO MILLION science fiction fans in this country. From all corners of the nation comes the resounding proof that science fiction has established itself as an exciting and imaginative NEW FORM OF LITERATURE that is attracting literally tens of thousands of new readers every year!
Why? Because no other form of fiction can provide you with such thrilling and unprecedented advantures! No other form of fiction can take you on an eerie trip to Mars . . . amaze you with a journey to the year 3000AD . . . or sweep you into the fabulous realms of unexplored Space! Yes, it’s no wonder that this exciting new form of imaginative literature has captivate the largest group of fascinated new readers in the United States today!”
Leaving aside the hype (I now see where the global exclamation point shortage came from), the gist is clear: science fiction was vibrant and growing. It inspired. It pointed the way to a positive future.
And, as silly and sophomoric as that Golden Age SF seems today, the ability to promote positive change, to create hope, and to urge ourselves to move forward is something we need to return to. As Gareth Lyn Powell says, “Sometimes you have to inspire.” And, as Jetse de Vries says, Optimistic SF: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.
Because, for every financial meltdown, there is a 12-year-old kid pushing the boundaries of solar power. For every global warming crisis, there is a return to space. Or two. And for every genetically-modified, factory-farmed food item, there are the nearly unlimited opportunities for communication and commerce in a shared, decentralized, persistently connected electronic medium that is changing the world daily.
This has been your semi-monthly positive-ish message from StrangeAndHappy, Inc.
September 26th, 2008 / Comments Off