1. Steven G. Smith says:

    We all need magic in our lives. Not exploring wondrous things and then it’s over, back to real life with no wonder or magic. I don’t believe that we were meant to have lives with no imagination, no wondering about other possibilities. I love nature and grew up exploring the woods with my dog and fishing until it was dark , then finally going home. Most people don’t see the birds, animals and various creatures around them because they don’t know how to look at them. That was my escape from a abusive relationship with my step dad as I was growing up. Much later I finally understood what was going on during that time when I saw the movie Country about a man losing his farm and lashing out at his son. Then I understood and was able to forgive him. But I will always love the beauty in nature around me. I have written beings about all these things. Keep writing about wonder.

    • Yes, nature is as beautiful and soul-stirring as it’s always been, and God’s revelation of Himself through His creation is powerful. But as you say, many people have lost the ability to see that wonder, or don’t take the time to even look at it. And others live in situations where they have little or no access to nature, which makes it all the more important to put its beauty and God’s grace into words when we can. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.

  2. Jay DiNitto says:

    “There was a popular expectation that science would soon answer all humanity’s questions, leaving no room for mystery.”

    I think you’re closest to the mark with this observation here. Science fiction is displacing fantasy because the technology has become so ubiquitous and far-reaching in stories that it simply replaces the practical need for magic systems.

    As you said, it’s a testament to how some authors regard the future of science. I don’t buy into this idea, as science is a product of the mind, and overtly-powerful comes too close to idolatry, whether or not the technology is possible or not.

    There’s room for high-tech and magical elements. Outside of books, there are some anime and manga series that do it well.

    • I don’t think science fiction is displacing fantasy — it’s the opposite way around in the YA market, for instance, where SF is a tough sell but high fantasy has just gone through a boom. SF and Fantasy do different things and scratch different imaginative itches, so I don’t see technology as likely to replace magic systems in fiction now any more than it has in the past. But I think the writers of the 70’s and 80’s definitely feared that such a thing would happen and were reacting to that. Thanks for your comment!

What say you?