SF/F/H as a mirror on society
Feb. 19th, 2012 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Discussion of the changes in the genres.
I was less than satisfied with the discussion of the darker elements in modern day fiction because it lay itself wide-open to Lewis's tu quoque: we're looking for more adult matter, in a manner that reminds that a febrile desire to appear very grown-up is, in fact, childish.
Paranormal romance and the wider acceptability of all sorts of relationship. I pointed out that it may be an attempt to get more danger and forbidden into the mix -- and that steampunk, by moving in Victoriana, can certainly drag in taboos and forbid things, which produces conflict, which is the heart-and-soul of the story.
One panelist took up the notion of class conflict in The Diamond Age, which certainly ran with it.
I was less than satisfied with the discussion of the darker elements in modern day fiction because it lay itself wide-open to Lewis's tu quoque: we're looking for more adult matter, in a manner that reminds that a febrile desire to appear very grown-up is, in fact, childish.
Paranormal romance and the wider acceptability of all sorts of relationship. I pointed out that it may be an attempt to get more danger and forbidden into the mix -- and that steampunk, by moving in Victoriana, can certainly drag in taboos and forbid things, which produces conflict, which is the heart-and-soul of the story.
One panelist took up the notion of class conflict in The Diamond Age, which certainly ran with it.