--- Neil Faulkner N.Faulkner@tesco.net wrote:
.... It is an alter-reality in which the deficiencies of real life are either rectified (through idealism) or exposed (through cynicism), but either way requires the adoption of an essentially childlike mind that asks the fundamental questions: How, Why, Who, What if? And 'what if?' underlies an awful lot of science fiction.
The same questions and the same mindset are also very pertinent to the radical visionary, or the active revolutionary, who can only imagine the kind of world s/he is trying to create (and maybe learn a few hard lessons about realpolitik along the way). Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why Blake in fanfic is often depicted as politically naive when he is in fact - or at least should be - the most politically aware member of the crew. Ironic, in a way, that fans should favour Avon, the character who in terms of the context of the series is actually more of a real life mundane.
As you point out realising that the status quo is corrupt can lead to two responses - cynicism or idealism, which is what Avon and Blake represent. Their respective positions are spelt out neatly in the computer room on the London. Blake believes the system is corrupt and wants to destroy it. Avon believes that the system is corrupt and wants to rip it off.
To put matters in the context of our society, we are saddled with our own system with all the various injustices that it entails. It's major competitor died out in 1989, and signs of it's mortality were apparent long before that. As people, increasingly, feel they cannot change the status quo they retreat into cynicism, which is why people are more likely (IMO) to identify with Avon than Blake. (The Victorians who believed in progress would, I think, have found Blake more sympathetic.) We're stuck, for the forseeable with our Federation and cannot solve all our problems by blowing up Star One. It's been tried and failed. So next time you see a post banging on about how great Avon is, remember, it's not infatuation, it's post-Marxist guilt.
Fandom, like SF, like punk, like radical politics, strips reality down to its bare essentials and asks fundamental questions. That, I think, is the root of its appeal. That the answers are not always adequate underlies much of the deficiencies of all four.
Hmm. The same could probably be said of religion.
Stephen.
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