There are two strains of Science fiction, and what I think marks the difference between good science fiction and bad science fiction. And it has to do with the political view of writer. Robert Heinlein is one of the few conservatives who are actually good, and the most famous of his works is the film “Starship Troopers,” which brilliantly satirized the book’s nationalism, militarism, and service to one’s country by making it what it really is; fascism. Heinlein’s vision of the future is often limited, fascistic, and short sighted. Then there are writers like Kim Stanley Robinson, who are more liberal in their view of the future. He is out of the tradition of Isaac Asimov, whose writings seem to have faith in man even in the face of corruption. Kim Stanley Robinson, like most in that more liberal strand of science fiction, is thoughtful and philosophical. Looking at the world with such a vision, playing out and exploring the ethics of things we have not had to deal with, his work fits neatly in the more liberal camp science fiction. And it is through that liberal vision of the world that he is able to see that Libertarians, as Noam Chomsky said, believe in “unaccountable private tyranny.” They want a police state, like their political ancestors, the Confederates. Share if you agree.

  1. right-about-now posted this