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Recent science fiction for children
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From: Sylvia Engdahl <sle>
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 18:40:02 -0800
I'd like to take this opportunity to ask a couple of questions about which I've been wondering.
First, though I've had no direct contact with young people recently except those who've e-mailed me about my books, in the 70s I knew of many who would not read fantasy because they considered it "irrelevant"
(never mind that this isn't actually the case; good fantasy has a lot of relevance to life that they didn't see). Science fiction, on the other hand, was sought; even if set on a planet as imaginary as any fantasy world, young people considered it relevant to the future and therefore of concern to them. I should think this would be even more true today, although the enthusiasm for Harry Potter may have led them to seek both. Yet I don't know of much science fiction being published for young people. Is this a problem? Are there many readers for whom you find it difficult to find material?
Second, it has troubled me that almost all science fiction published in the past for young people, at least almost all that I know about, takes a very negative view of the future -- it's dystopian, or shows technological advance in a bad light, or views aliens as hostile, etc. Some of this science fiction is of high literary quality and offers an affirmation of human values; I'm not suggesting that young people aren't enriched by it. But taken overall, without hopeful views to balance it, I fear that it may leave them with the feeling that the future isn't something to look forward to. I realize that a legitimate function of science fiction is to point out undesirable trends and potential dangers; I have even written some like that myself--but I feel strongly that this shouldn't be the only picture of the future that children encounter. Do teachers share my feeling? And can you name any science fiction novels for children that are optimistic about the world our descendents will live in?
Sylvia
_____________________________________________________________________
Sylvia Engdahl - sle at sylviaengdahl.com
Author of CHILDREN OF THE STAR and ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS
Visit my Web site, http://www.sylviaengdahl.com
_____________________________________________________________________
Received on Mon 26 Nov 2001 08:40:02 PM CST
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 18:40:02 -0800
I'd like to take this opportunity to ask a couple of questions about which I've been wondering.
First, though I've had no direct contact with young people recently except those who've e-mailed me about my books, in the 70s I knew of many who would not read fantasy because they considered it "irrelevant"
(never mind that this isn't actually the case; good fantasy has a lot of relevance to life that they didn't see). Science fiction, on the other hand, was sought; even if set on a planet as imaginary as any fantasy world, young people considered it relevant to the future and therefore of concern to them. I should think this would be even more true today, although the enthusiasm for Harry Potter may have led them to seek both. Yet I don't know of much science fiction being published for young people. Is this a problem? Are there many readers for whom you find it difficult to find material?
Second, it has troubled me that almost all science fiction published in the past for young people, at least almost all that I know about, takes a very negative view of the future -- it's dystopian, or shows technological advance in a bad light, or views aliens as hostile, etc. Some of this science fiction is of high literary quality and offers an affirmation of human values; I'm not suggesting that young people aren't enriched by it. But taken overall, without hopeful views to balance it, I fear that it may leave them with the feeling that the future isn't something to look forward to. I realize that a legitimate function of science fiction is to point out undesirable trends and potential dangers; I have even written some like that myself--but I feel strongly that this shouldn't be the only picture of the future that children encounter. Do teachers share my feeling? And can you name any science fiction novels for children that are optimistic about the world our descendents will live in?
Sylvia
_____________________________________________________________________
Sylvia Engdahl - sle at sylviaengdahl.com
Author of CHILDREN OF THE STAR and ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS
Visit my Web site, http://www.sylviaengdahl.com
_____________________________________________________________________
Received on Mon 26 Nov 2001 08:40:02 PM CST
