Over at the Castle, Bad Cat Robot expounds (in short form) on the need to bring back the sense of wonder in science fiction.
Ah, yes: the good old days! When the hero would invent a star-drive, build a space-ship, and go gallivanting off around the galaxy, fighting and/or befriending bug-eyed monsters along the way! And, if a villain was needed, a lawyer or pointy-haired manager would do nicely!
And, indeed, this is the sort of thing that used to inspire a new crop of budding engineers: the notion of creating cool new toys (yes, folks, toys can be created, not just bought), using them to do awesome stuff, and making the galaxy a better place.
Not only is it inspiration to the young, it's escapism for those stuck in the world our future turned into, in which even a small and mildly innovative project drags on interminably, and no mighty deed would ever get past corporate management and government regulators.
So bypass the publishing cartels, and go back to writing the good stuff. Perhaps it'll inspire the youngsters, and show them the future we've lost. And maybe, just maybe, they'll try to salvage it from the present we have.
Comments