Your banner could be here! Find out how!

Nature vs. Nurture

by

Tim Goyette

Okay, Boys and Girls, it is time to put our thinking caps on.  Today we are going to examine that preeminent concern of our day: ‘Why don’t some people like Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?’

I don’t want to be critical of our friends who don’t appreciate these genres.  I’m sure we all know and love quite a few people who, except for this one fault, are absolutely wonderful.

It’s not that they are stupid nor are we naïve.  It’s something deeper than that.

Almost all children in the world at a young age are told stories and/or legends from their cultures that have fantastic components.  They may include magic, powerful beings, amazing creatures, and more.

As children we all seem to love them.  Somewhere along the line, though, some of us lose our taste for these types of stories. 

In many cases it is to go on to another genre.   I have an uncle who likes to read war stories, but only those that represent actual and true events with as little embellishment as possible.  The best for him is soldier’s letters from the front lines. 

In other cases the person seems to give up on literature all together.  For them watching has replaced reading.  However, we’ll save this topic for another day.

People tend to like both Science fiction and fantasy.  Sometimes it is one more than the other.  It is probably because they both have fantastic components to them.  Be it cloning, space travel, dragons or demons, there is something ‘not real’ about them that we really, really like. 

Personally I think the big factor is self-concept.  If we view our selves as too grown up, too sophisticated for these genres then we learn to move on.  I don’t think this is a conscious decision, where we decided to leave it behind, but because we are drawn to those things that build up our sense of self. 

Quantum Museletter! Be the first to know when new stories and artwork have arrived. Subscribe to Quantum Museletter by filling out the following form. Enter the code above to verify entry: Your email address: Your name (optional):