I’m surprised not to have seen more comment in the spec-fic blogosphere about the president’s NASA plans. The space program is pretty near to my heart and has been since my first episode of (dating myself here) the original Star Trek. I love how our fictional visions of space exploration influence our space exploration and other aspects of “the future” — cell phones and medical scanning devices being two big examples.
Although I have to agree with Obama’s basic premises, I do think a space program of some kind is really important for both technological and psycho-social reasons. But rather than a political discussion here, what I’ve been thinking about is this — do young people today really have much awareness of either the history of space exploration or our current activities? When I was young, any space shot was important enough to stop classes at school so we could tune in on the TV. Now, the shuttle missions and space station seem like background noise that very few notice. Fictional space stories and movies seem to take up WAY more space…. (er, no pun intended) in the common consciousness.
(I’ve just realized a bunch of my posts have a theme — the possible eclipse of real life by larger-than-life fiction. Hmm.)
Anyway, what I meant to ask was: How much do the young readers you encounter know about, or think about, space and space exploration? Is that aspect of sci-fi the stepchild? Is there room for more good, realistic fiction there… or would it fall on deaf eyeballs?
- Joni, who very much hopes she can afford one of those trips into orbit before she dies
Chris Eboch
Greg R. Fishbone
Nick
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Parker Peevyhouse
Joni Sensel
I think my children (6 and 9), who have watched The Elegant Universe perhaps too many times, are convinced that internal combustion for space travel is so last century, and they are assuming that practical applications of string theory and the like are right around the corner, and that’s what NASA should be working on.
I also think they are so used to other entities waiting on them hand and foot (sigh. parenting fail) that they will be expecting robots to go off and do all the dirty work for them….and that might be one reason why they are slightly disenged with space travel. Why send people up into space when robots can do it all?
But maybe I should go home and ask them, before putting any more words into their mouths.
Well, robots might make sense, so your kids are probably right about that… even if it is a little less adventurous (and, er, a little harder on Mom).
My day job is all about convincing kids that space is cool and we really don’t know much about it and that manned space travel is something we should be pursuing. Kids get it. Adults are the ones arguing about the worth of space travel.
Kids love space travel. Science fiction shouldn’t be the ugly stepchild of writing for any age group. I think it allows for a hopeful view of the future, more than just about any other YA genre.
Wow, what’s your day job, J?
This also makes me wonder if anyone can recommend a few titles for books about going into space that would be fairly “realistic” for now… what I mean is, not TOO far ahead of where our current technology and exploration horizon are. Anyone?
Well, of course, Mike Stellar by K.A. Holt (right here)!
My kids at school also enjoy The Comet’s Curse by Don Tesla.