On the lack of YA science fiction and science fiction readers

[nancylebov]

http://sartorias.livejournal.com/180716.html

I've been wondering why, while there's plenty of YA fantasy, some of it excellent, there doesn't seem to be much YA science fiction. sartorius has a substantial discussion, with some unnerving bits. Much as I love science fiction, I think that young people seeing nothing interesting or exhilerating about the future is even more serious than a print science fiction shortage. I hope they're getting their hope for the future from other media, but I'm not counting on it.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

Some time ago I raised a related point on the decline of science fiction relative to fantasy, and got thoroughly flamed for being so exclusionary. But that post says something which is true -- science doesn't excite young people the way it once did, and that reflects a loss in our culture.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

It's not just about science--most science fiction has only a sketchy relationship to science. Most science fiction could be more reasonably called technology fiction, and what distinguishes it from fantasy is that it at least purports to be about things that could happen.

one example

[(Anonymous)]

One such book that I strongly recommend is _Zahrah the Windseeker_ by Nnedimma Okorafor-Mbachu.

David Bellamy

[avram]

I dunno. My reaction is something that's also being brought up by some of the commenters in that thread -- kids have always liked SF that was about distant planets and weird aliens and cool starship battles. SF that's actually about science has always been a minority taste, especially among kids.