A Psychological Approach to “Hard” Science Fiction

“A Psychological Approach...” outlines a theory relating the appeal of “hard” SF to the psychological characteristics of its readers. It seems safe to suppose that reading serves (among other things) the function of “maintenance “— of confirming or reinforcing certain trait-preferences. In the case of “hard” SF. MB argues that the reader in question fits Liam Hudson’s description of a “converger.” She or (more frequently) he takes a rational approach to life and seeks to screen out emotion and irrationality. The appeal of stories like “Neutron Star” or “Nightfall” to the “converger” lies in their portrayal of problem-solvers as admirable types and of rationalistic approaches to problems as the only kind feasible—themes that fulfill a “maintenance” objective by assuring the “converger” that rationality will ultimately triumph over chaos. On the other hand, the antithesis of the “converger” will not—if theory holds—share this liking for “hard” SF. The tastes of the “divergers” will instead run to fantasy and “New Wave” SF: what they find congenial are escapes from rational calculation and explorations of the psyche. This theory no doubt has its shortcomings: but it may also provide a start for a new way of examining the sociology of readership. (RMP)

Epistemology · Psychoanalysis · Psychological science · Computer Science · Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology