The Golden Age, Sex and Why I am NOT a Prude dang it!!!

By Larry Stanley

A lot of folks who know me often ask why I like my Sci Fi mostly from an older era. I finally decided that maybe I should offer an  explanation of why I prefer that older science fiction.

In many ways, Sci Fi is a limited culture. We have to find new readers everyday. It is also an acquired taste, unlike comedy, action/adventure, or even to a lesser extent, romance.

Most people are born with a desire to experience laughter (comedy) or love (romance) and they will always accept those two elements in a story. Almost any story, from Alien to Casablanca involve these two situations.

It is the same with action/adventure, we all have an innate desire to see just what is over that next hill, or if the ‘Grass really is greener’ beyond the fence.

But in most cases, the desire to read about BEM’s, space flight, alien cultures and ray guns is something that we have to learn. We happen to pick up a book and start reading, and either we toss it aside with a sneer and a muttered “As it that could ever happen” or we fall in love with the idea and dig around until we find everything we can about what we just read.

Most Science Fiction readers and lovers of it were introduced to it at some point in their lives by someone else. Like I said, maybe by accidentally picking up a book or someone talking them into reading one. I don’t include movies or TV in this situation, since a lot of people go to the movies to socialize or have the TV on when they are busy with something else, whereas a true Science Fiction fan will go to a Sci Fi film and hope the rest of the crowd is muzzled and chained to their chair during the film and will watch a TV show until they know lines, plots, characters and actors. Then be embarrassed at a convention when they see the ‘Fanboys’ and ‘Fangirls’ spouting off all this knowledge about Star Trek or Star Wars.. And then suddenly realize that they are the ones arguing a certain point or a plot line.

I love it when I see someone who considers themselves a ‘casual fan’ start arguing weather Data could actually fall in love with Tasha Yar, or did he simply respond to input to his systems.

But, back to books. We have to introduce new readers to Science Fiction. And we have to do this on a constant basis, or Science Fiction writers will be on the street corner with a hand painted sign reading “Will write for food”.

And to do this, we really need to start young. Which is the problem I have with a lot of Science Fiction today. Not the plot lines, or situations (usually) or the characters. The stories do need to be complex, but always at a level for the audience you are aiming at.

And what we need to remember is that often the very audience that we are striving to reach is getting younger and younger.

Ten years a collection like Cosmic Tales Adventures in the Sol System would have been aimed at readers in their late teens (18-19) into their mid-50 or older. Now, the readers of books like this are still in high school.

Many of the new readers of material like this are as young as 13. Just go into a book store, hang around the Science Fiction section and look at the people who come in.

And without a doubt they understand what is being talked about and sometimes have a better conception of the actual science needed to accomplish the plot lines.

And therein lies the problem. We need to remember that when we write something, the audience might not be old enough to go to an adult movie without an adult in tow. We need to be more creative in our use of language and even in the situations we place characters in.

I know several people who would not let their children (12-13-14-15) watch a film with an overabundance of swear words or even gratuitous sex, but have no problem writing that same language or scene in a book or short story, that will be read by kids that age.

Now, before anyone gets upset any further, I am NOT suggesting censorship.

What I am suggesting is more creativity. It used to be that cursing was considered a demonstration of low intelligence. That a person who swore simply did not have a good vocabulary.

In today’s society, it seems instead to be a demonstration of laziness instead of low intelligence. I’m not talking about ‘Damn’ or ‘hell’ or even the occasional ‘Son of a bitch’. I am talking about the constant use of terms like ‘F*ck’, ‘B*tch’, ‘C*nt’ and other words that are not only rude, but are quite often insulting.

Many of the older writers used sexual activity in their stories. But it is not described or explicit. Why should it be? If you have had sex, you have a pretty good idea of what the people involved are doing, no matter how many of them there are, how limber they are or who has the whipped cream and chains.

If you don’t know, find a date Fanboy or Girl.

Yes, sex is a part of life and even of our society. But, if I want to read porn, I will go down to the Love Boutique and buy a few books. At least there, my sex is not interrupted by space men. Or, I could actually buy a book that is a porn book that takes place in space. They have them.

Uhm… I mean, I am sure they have them. Not that I ever shop at the Love Boutique. I just happened to need a parking space and change for the meter… Never mind.

But people like Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Laumer, Harrison and so many others, while sex did occur between their characters, did not make that the point of the story. And when a writer sinks to graphic detail of sexual organs, using common terms it is a sign of a lack of creativity or of laziness.

I don’t know too many adults and few teens who do not know what a penis is or looks like. Same with a vagina. Most have even seen one of them in person. So do we actually need a story to describe how endowed someone is?

Saying that a woman character in a story is well built is one thing. Telling that her “Tits were as round as melons, with an ass that stuck out like Jlo in spandex. You could see her twat wiggle in her pants every time she took a step” is unnecessary.

And yes, I have seen this and worse comments in some stories. To describe a man as ‘hung like a horse’ is one thing. To describe the length and width of the penis, including how ‘the veins throbbed with every pulse of blood and the glans enlarged as his breath steamed against her belly’ is uncreative to me.

I have reviewed adult books and Comics before. Hard core, dyed in the wool porn. And every time I have done so, a child could read it and still not have a parent offended by the review. The original book, maybe. But never the review.

And I am not a good writer. But, I try to be creative in what I write. It might take a little longer but I am willing to take that time. And yes, there is a time when language like the above is needed.

When a person is telling a true story or something that happened to them, I can see it being needed. But, I think we should warn the reader that there are scenes and language included in the story that might not be appropriate for some younger readers.

And yes, ultimately it is the individuals responsibility and the responsibility of a parent to pay attention to their reading material or their children’s. But guess what?

In today’s world and society, that has become tougher. And it gets tougher everyday. Kids are bombarded on every side with images and ideas that they are not ready for. That they are not prepared for. And too many times, a single parent is in charge of the home. And they simply can’t watch their child or what they are doing all the time. They have to work, sometimes more then one job to provide for them. Even with two parents, too often they have to be involved in too many other projects to keep as close an eye on their kids as is needed.

Yes, they work, they help the kid with  homework, they even go to sports games when they are able. But, when the kid is alone and picks up a book to read a parent can’t always take the time to read it ahead of them.

We have a responsibility to others, no matter how much we hate that idea. We are in many instances “Our brothers (and sisters) keepers”. Sometimes it is our job to watch what someone else can get into, and try to keep them from getting hurt, or affected by what they are doing.

Especially the young.