Modern Fantasy and Sci-Fi Deserve a Chance

As a fantasy and sci-fi lover, I'm so frustrated by the pervasive belief that modern fantasy is bad actually. Yes, there are aspects of modern writing that could use improvement, but I'd argue the main weaknesses in modern writing have more to do with capitalism and having to adapt to waning attention spans than the writing itself. In my view, many people's gripes with modern story telling have more to do with a hesitancy to embrace a shift from antagonist bad guys to antagonist systems, a desire to remove reality from fantasy, and an unwillingness to interrogate their own subconscious racism. Writing changes with time; let's talk about why.This episode discusses: Start Wars Episodes 7-9; Rings of Power, The Scapegoat of Escapism, The Great Gatsby, and So Much More!Videos referenced in this video: Dan Doug - “Do Modern Writers Remember How to Write Fantasy.” Anthony Gramuglia- “YouTube Critics Are Lying to You.” Anthony Gramuglia- "No, Modern Villians Have Not Gone Downhill"Mr. Zod- "Right-Wing Grievance Culture Posing as Literary Criticism"Abby Cox called-“No, Tik Tok Isn’t Destroying Publishing or Books.”Francesca Fionrantini-“What the Right Gets Wrong About Lord of the Rings”Kavernacle-“Why the Far Right Love Lord of the Rings”Timestamps:1:46- How John Boyega's voice helped me find my own6:40-Dan Doug's video10:45- Chapter 1: Star War Episode 8 Was GOOD, actually15:26- Criticism of Luke's self-imposed exile19:36-Changing demographic of Star Wars fandoms21:27-Directorial Choices25:21-Chapter 2: Escapism, Realism, and Symbolism in Fantasy Literature27:13-Escapist Fantasy to Escape Trauma and Accountability30:52-My Blackness Needs a Backstory37:44- Americans Can't Read40:00- Blade Runner45:15- Gatsby and Paired Passages to teach how Symbolism and Realism work together59:16- A lot of Modern Writing is Trash, but Older Writing is Too1:02:47- Chapter 3: The Dangers in Symbolic Writing1:04:27- The Problem with Palantir1:07:03- Orc Babies and Authorial Intent1:15:56-Final Thoughts1:18:35-Book Recommendations