Saturday, August 06, 2005

Why the future could be British

"For the first time in its 63-year history, all the writers nominated for the prestigious Hugo award for the best novel are British."

Bruce Sterling nails it:

"Ambitious sci-fi scribbling Britons can further exult in the fact that their Prime Minister understands global warming and isn't a Creationist."
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2 comments:

Mac said...

There are tons of brilliant American SF authors. No shortage here. But British SF is fresh and hot right now in a way that a lot of American SF isn't. But I'm not worried about it.

3:06 PM
Kyle said...

Mac -

Certainly a nations leader sets a tone...a moral gestalt...for his people.

In this country, this gestalt has turned to a bound-by-the-past sensibility, ans a rather morose mindset that harkens not to a bright future, but whether there is a future at all.

Blair does not determine what fiction his nation produces, but he inspires by leading with vision, which is the first aspect of great speculative fiction.

Blair inspires it through his vision.

Bush does not.

The contrast has less to do with Blair's successes as with Bush's failures. This nation is not putting forth high-quality "product" on many fronts, and the attitude of mediocrity responsible is trumpeted at the highest level.

Kyle
UFOreflections.blogspot.com

5:27 PM

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