Great subject. I'm not sure they're mutually exclusive though, or that there couldn't be a negative impact too. I'd rephrase the question:
'Is fiction an escape, and can it change reality?'
To this question I'd say it's primarily an escape, unless we're lucky enough to create in our work. Even by being an escape it changes the world, in that we might not be doing other things we could or should be, perhaps even pressing things.
It seems to me fiction has the power to change the world on other levels too. It can plant suggestions, make certain ideas familiar and maybe even natural, and it seems to act almost as a challenge or beacon in some cases. Would certain technologies have appeared with the same speed if the idea hadn't first been set down in fiction?
Whether or not the change fiction brings is an improvement will be a subjective assessment, even through the measure popular at any given time, and especially given we might be unable to imagine what went before, or could have happened instead.
6 comments:
Great subject. I'm not sure they're mutually exclusive though, or that there couldn't be a negative impact too. I'd rephrase the question:
'Is fiction an escape, and can it change reality?'
To this question I'd say it's primarily an escape, unless we're lucky enough to create in our work. Even by being an escape it changes the world, in that we might not be doing other things we could or should be, perhaps even pressing things.
It seems to me fiction has the power to change the world on other levels too. It can plant suggestions, make certain ideas familiar and maybe even natural, and it seems to act almost as a challenge or beacon in some cases. Would certain technologies have appeared with the same speed if the idea hadn't first been set down in fiction?
Whether or not the change fiction brings is an improvement will be a subjective assessment, even through the measure popular at any given time, and especially given we might be unable to imagine what went before, or could have happened instead.
It depends what mood I'm in.
Both. But it does depend on my mood and what I'm reading. New Crusade follower.
Both, I'd say!
Hi from a fellow cruseder!
For me, it's an escape. For Stephenie Meyer, it improved reality...
A lot of great responses here!
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