I can't tell one of the most successful authors of his generation anything about writing fiction. But for me whether optimistic or dystopian is irrelevant as long as the characters are human. That is sometimes messy and complicated, but generally people want things to get better.
I could agree with you, but for me they don't need to be human, they need to be *people*. Or some of them anyway. Some people are not human, some are not even organic.
I understand that it's an intrinsically humanocentric term. But I meant humanity as the concept of a fully realized set of emotions. Whether that is applied to an actual human or a sapient being of some kind.
Language is important.
No doubt, but communication using language is often imprecise. If you need people to use language in the way you perceive to be correct in order to understand their meaning; you must find everyday communication challenging.
I'm just saying, in a conversation about Science Fiction, the difference between "human" and "person" or "sentient" is very important. To me.
Do you mean sentience or sapience? As you said, language is important. If it's that important to you, perhaps you should apply the same standards to yourself as you apply to others.
I mean sentience, as I said.
So not personhood then, as sapience is a requirement for personhood.
Really? I see a lot of folks on the regular with zero wisdom. But apparently you make the rules? I have never heard that one.
I don't make the rules, and I sometimes lack wisdom...but I also don't hold people to a standard that I can't meet.
If as you said language matters, to the point where you will press the point with people. Maybe you should look it up. academichelp.net/humanities/p... It's why humans are homosapiens not homosentients.
Sometimes it's aimed at a utopian vision, and sometimes it's about getting a bit of peace for the character and their people. And while I know that some people marvel at watching it all burn because they love the fire...but those people are an exception rather than a rule.
Ultimately, that "bit of peace" is the optimism, though.
It is, but it can also be bittersweet...the knowledge that in the end, things don't change even though there is a port in the raging storm. Sometimes the best you can do is keep from getting wet.