From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!SSteinberg.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Title: Harper's article.
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.233
Posted: Wed Dec 29 05:36:00 1982
Received: Sat Jan  1 04:00:01 1983

I have my own theories about who likes what KIND of SF flavored
literature and why but I should point out that Harper's is into
presenting this kind of article.  A two part cover story titled
"Panic Among the Philistines" points out the general bankruptcy
and alienation of modern authors of MAINSTREAM fiction.  A lot
of John Updike fans were really upset but I couldn't help
agreeing.

Another article expounded the view that environmentalists are
all spoiled upper middle class brats who are trying to keep the
working class in line by limiting the exploitation of natural
resources.  Since I fit right in this pocket I was rather
offended.

This iconoclastic approach has been rather prominent ever since
Harper's managed to squeak past its last cash crunch and
apparently has kept the magazine solvent.

One approach might be to treat Harper's as a magazine of
Speculative Fiction (or just plain speculation) in which
authors try changing or extrapolating accepted wisdom.  Modern
literature is not particularly good, rather it is awful.  The
environmental movement is a neo-feudalistic force.  If you toss
in a grain of salt the slander is often a lot easier to take.

                                        sas