I don't think Star Wars hurt the reputation of "serious" Sci Fi, perhaps it occulled it for a while. The way I think it helped was in fleshing out a galactic milleiu (sp) for the masses. Serious Sci Fi fans at the time understood how to use their imaginations that take in wide galactic spectrums, such as Cordwainder Smith books, the Foundation series and Dune. I guess what I mean by that is rich universe crafting as opposed to limited space adventures, lumbering spacecraft and, say, Mars. The masses could now appreciate the detail of life teeming through the universe at least visually which, in turn, futher enhanced their reading.
Star Wars was also, unfortunately, a vicious double sword in that regard. It bombared us with visual overstimulation and alot of folks remain addicted to that stimulation whether they know it or not. And computers, DVDs, TV, etc..., obviously cater to that. Sci Fi literature was bound to suffer from that to some degree-I just think we lost alot of potential readers to the "laziness" of technological innovation. Perhaps it prepared some better for this new "hi-tech" world.
Before the movie came out I was just starting to scrape the surface of connectives, wormholes, "folded" space and quantum mechanics. Yes I thought warp drive was very cool, but in a way the initial run of Star Terk still appeared very "tounge-in-cheek" ala Adam West's Batman. It was on a little screen and you could still imagine a tiny model of the Enterprise zipping away on a string. The impact of Star Wars' hyperspace on a huge screen simply blew my head apart. Now the politics of Star Wars and all it's computer imaging can be discussed forever.
Back to literature for a minute that alternate, at least, of space travel helped me more readily accept concepts like traveling through Brin's Uplift universe, Zindell's manifold, Simmons' WorldWeb and Donaldson's Gap. It also made me look back on how the Navigators in Dune fold space/time with a new appreciation. I could ramble on endlessly--it was a romp, it was fun, classic architypes of good vs evil. It was, in a way, representitive of "a new hope" where the "good guys" had a chance of winning.
Nowadays it seems like that "hope" is getting stomped on pretty hard, but that's political discussion. ramble, ramble... ***** Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise. Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 10/6/06 10:29 am </i>
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