No it's exactly like complaining that there is no good music being made today because the average new song isn't as good as the best song from the 80s.
My complaint is that in most cases people are comparing average Science Fiction to the best of Classical Literature, but this tells you nothing about the best of Science Fiction.
Sure the average Science Fiction novel isn't as good as the best classical literature. But that's not the implication of the original comment. The implication is that Science Fiction is inferior--it's meant for entertainment, not capable of holding up to serious literature. Science Fiction is merely enjoyable, not sublime.
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No it's exactly like complaining that there is no good music being made today because the average new song isn't as good as the best song from the 80s.
My complaint is that in most cases people are comparing average Science Fiction to the best of Classical Literature, but this tells you nothing about the best of Science Fiction.
Sure the average Science Fiction novel isn't as good as the best classical literature. But that's not the implication of the original comment. The implication is that Science Fiction is inferior--it's meant for entertainment, not capable of holding up to serious literature. Science Fiction is merely enjoyable, not sublime.