SCIENCE FICTION DOUBLE FEATURE: Two ongoing disputes/discussions here in blogland. First, Unqualified Offerings has a lot of interesting stuff about science fiction in general, with passing mentions of its libertarian undercurrents.

Second, Pigs & Fishes responds to Charles Murtaugh‘s claim that “the Crucial Flaw of all Science Fiction [is]: there are no children, and no parents.” I haven’t read widely enough to pitch in on this one, but I am interested if Murtaugh posts more on this subject, since the treatment of children in fiction–especially science fiction, where there’s such a huge temptation to wave uncomfortable facts away, but also such a willingness to take on bizarre or alien viewpoints (like the viewpoint of a child)–really interests me.

Also, All But Dissertation points out an upcoming book that I expect Murtaugh will be all over: “Consciousness and the Novel, by David Lodge (Harvard, Oct.). The critic-cum-novelist suggests that literature may be the perfect complement — not antidote — to hard science.”