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Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Stepsisterly treatment?

H

Hazra

New Member
I enjoy reading fantasy and science fiction, but when I tell people I enjoy these genres, I usually get the look which says "Oh my God! Didnt you like grow out of that?" I don't understand the Cinderella treatment at all. Fantasy has some really thoughtful writing, so why the perception that it's for ages 10 and below?
 
Would you say horror receives similar treatment? All three can have some poor writing, but the same could be said for just about any genre. I guess some people feel that if it features wizards, monsters, and/or magic, it's not "serious literature" or worth reading. Sometimes they may have a point, but most of the time . . . no :).
 
Exactly. Because of the inherent imagination necessary to write and enjoy fantasy, people assume it is childish and adolescent. An unfortunate stereotype indeed.
 
The problem is that Science Fiction (perhaps more than Fantasy) are novels about ideas and their impact, while most people are more interested in reading about people and their relationships; adding to this is the problem that most SciFi authors are (and this must be said) bad writers, particularly where dialogue and character building are concerned.

But I agree that there are SciFi novels who are very thought-provoking, not only through the ideas they convey, but also by the believability of the worlds they present and it's a pity (but not surprising: most people are not that interested in ideas; they just live by them) that this literature is considered adolescent by most.

One exception is horror fiction: most of the time it's infantile and poorly written (much more than SciFi and I know that I am a radical; as far as I am concerned, it ended with Lovecraft), but its titles are huge successes.
 
I don't think science fiction writers are any worse than any other group of writers. It's just the usual intellectual snobbery.
 
sci fi and fantasy seem to have bad reps based on BAD sci fi fantasy books.. and the hard core fans that have dress up parties where everyone comes dressed as the main character and it causes QUITE a fuss.. lol

but think about how many people like the lord of the rings? thats a fantasy series... the chronicles of narnia are also shelved in the fantasy section... eragon... the neverending story... STAR WARS AND STAR TREK! just throw that in their face next time "oh so u havent seen lord of the rings or any of the star wars movies?" its liking the same kind of story.
 
brolie said:
but think about how many people like the lord of the rings? thats a fantasy series... the chronicles of narnia are also shelved in the fantasy section... eragon... the neverending story... STAR WARS AND STAR TREK! just throw that in their face next time "oh so u havent seen lord of the rings or any of the star wars movies?" its liking the same kind of story.
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To which many, including myself, would respond that "Yeah, they're entertaining, but it's not exactly great literature, is it?" I mean, seriously, Star Trek? If that were the best SF/Fantasy had to offer, I would say that the "stepsisterly" treatment would be very fair. Fortunately, there's far more interesting stuff out there.
 
Thank goodness Star Trek and Star Wars (and Warhammer 40k) are not the best that scifi has to offer.
 
beer-- i completely agree! i read fantasy when i just want a story not a deeper meaning and authorial intent. that's like watching goodbye lenin vs stepbrothers. heh

spark- hahaha
 
I've had similar bad reactions from people when I mention science fiction novels, and I think part of the cause is that the impression some people have of SF as a genre is largely defined by TV and movies rather than books, and unfortunately, SF TV and movies are all too often cheesy/geeky/juvenile.
 
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