We saw Solo: A Star Wars Story yesterday, and I'm happy to say it's a good movie. That's a relief too, considering that I'm in the group of people who hated The Last Jedi. Besides breaking too much from the Star Wars tradition, my main gripe was that it was too focused on making modern political statements, and failed to move the actual story forward in a manner consistent with the current storyline. I know there are those who disagree with me. They feel a good, popular franchise should take a stand on current political events. This is where the real divide came in, as the "traditionalists" like myself believe the Star Wars universe has a fantasy bend that takes it away from our reality, and shouldn't be influenced by politics or current events.
Ironically, I faced the opposite conundrum when I was writing The Earthside Trilogy. I was told during beta-reads that Metamorphosis (Book Two) read more like a political thriller than a sci-fi novel, and I would out rewriting half of the novel to bring it more in line with the other two books. It wasn't possible for me to entirely remove politics from the book, because politics are involved with more parts of life in our world/country now, and I don't believe that will change in the next 81 years. In fact, the government's practical shutdown of our space programs and their scrambling to catch up once it was obvious that they missed the approach of two alien civilizations were a major part of the trilogy - so much so that one of the main characters is a United States Senator. Simply stated, it was impossible for me to remove politics because politics would realistically get involved, and have a hand in shaping the story.
Do politics belong in science fiction? I believe it depends on the basis of the story. If you're looking into the actual future of the planet and/or humanity from this point, then it certainly will have to be a part of it. I had a discussion with somebody on Facebook a few months ago about how political events happening right now do matter to my writing, because the shape of the future I create depends on how things develop from these events. The key is to keep a lid on your personal politics. That's where it gets tricky. Of course an author will shape the future based on their personal ideals, but it must be written it in a way that doesn't obviously lend to one party/ideal or another. In The Earthside Trilogy, I never mention party affiliations for any politician that are in the trilogy. It's simply the character and their actions. It doesn't matter if they're Democrat or Republican.
So what's the answer? I think it depends on the reality base of the fiction. If the story is using the current reality of Earth and humanity as a basis, then you'll have to bring in politics because politics would inevitably get involved. Despite their merits or failings, politicians are our representatives. I believe they see themselves as our protectors and would take up that mantle if there were a threat to humanity. However in a case like Star Wars where the basis is fantasy completely separate from this world, I say the answer is no. You can create whatever reality you want , so what's the point of having debates and statements that have nothing to do with the world you're in? It's hardly an escape to dive into your world if it's trying to break into ours.
It's something to think about. But whether you like it or not, I think it's clear that my high school psychology teacher was absolutely correct when she said that two topics that are guaranteed to get strong reactions are religion and politics!
That's all today. Take care, and have a great week.
Bye!
Ironically, I faced the opposite conundrum when I was writing The Earthside Trilogy. I was told during beta-reads that Metamorphosis (Book Two) read more like a political thriller than a sci-fi novel, and I would out rewriting half of the novel to bring it more in line with the other two books. It wasn't possible for me to entirely remove politics from the book, because politics are involved with more parts of life in our world/country now, and I don't believe that will change in the next 81 years. In fact, the government's practical shutdown of our space programs and their scrambling to catch up once it was obvious that they missed the approach of two alien civilizations were a major part of the trilogy - so much so that one of the main characters is a United States Senator. Simply stated, it was impossible for me to remove politics because politics would realistically get involved, and have a hand in shaping the story.
Do politics belong in science fiction? I believe it depends on the basis of the story. If you're looking into the actual future of the planet and/or humanity from this point, then it certainly will have to be a part of it. I had a discussion with somebody on Facebook a few months ago about how political events happening right now do matter to my writing, because the shape of the future I create depends on how things develop from these events. The key is to keep a lid on your personal politics. That's where it gets tricky. Of course an author will shape the future based on their personal ideals, but it must be written it in a way that doesn't obviously lend to one party/ideal or another. In The Earthside Trilogy, I never mention party affiliations for any politician that are in the trilogy. It's simply the character and their actions. It doesn't matter if they're Democrat or Republican.
So what's the answer? I think it depends on the reality base of the fiction. If the story is using the current reality of Earth and humanity as a basis, then you'll have to bring in politics because politics would inevitably get involved. Despite their merits or failings, politicians are our representatives. I believe they see themselves as our protectors and would take up that mantle if there were a threat to humanity. However in a case like Star Wars where the basis is fantasy completely separate from this world, I say the answer is no. You can create whatever reality you want , so what's the point of having debates and statements that have nothing to do with the world you're in? It's hardly an escape to dive into your world if it's trying to break into ours.
It's something to think about. But whether you like it or not, I think it's clear that my high school psychology teacher was absolutely correct when she said that two topics that are guaranteed to get strong reactions are religion and politics!
That's all today. Take care, and have a great week.
Bye!
RSS Feed