Re: Fantastic Fiction: The Plight of Modern Young Adult Science Fiction

On 10/4/24 09:35, James Nicoll wrote:

Fantastic Fiction: The Plight of Modern Young Adult Science Fiction
 Is there a shortage of modern Young Adult Science Fiction and if so,
what can be done about it?
 https://seattlein2025.org/2024/10/04/fantastic-fiction-the-plight-of-modern-young-adult-science-fiction/

Well comments are closed of course at the referenced site but Harry Turtledove has a series of youth books set in a Universe where
for purposes of trade and scholarship, families move between worlds
where things came out a bit differently. From Ancient Rome to the
Disunited States of America (California and others have the bomb).
If youth SF is suffering it is because the publishers
are indifferent to the market which may be being satisfied with
the DC comics which are it seems never ending in promotion
of heroes who happen to get super powers from deadly radiation
doses.
The situation is better in manga where Planetes and
Zipang stand out. Planetes is about realistic garbage collection
in space. Zipang is about a Japanese Self Defense Force ship
being sent to Battle of Midway on June 4th, 1942. The ship's
captain decides to try to avoid interference but being attacked
by both sides that stance fails.
Just my opinion that these are standouts.
bliss