I have read your conference of the prizes UPC of Barcelona in 2003. IMPRESSIVE. Everything what you was saying was true, and because of it I do not impress myself when you said that the readers of science fiction we were in the habit of being more intelligent than the average. Rewarding, yes, and very flatterer. But it was true. I was thinking that already anythink could not make me feel better, but, not even a page down below you say that Catalunya's University was kept to report of the exclusivism because we strains for supporting our language and culture. Mr. Card recognizing our major pride! Many politicians (even the chosen ones for the village) are not capable of making anything similar.
In spite of saying that my father (that he had never read anything your) on having read this he asked for Ender's game me...
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I'm glad you liked the interview. We really love Barcelona, by the way - one of our favorite cities. (Get Kristine to tell you the story of how she thwarted an unusually obvious pickpocket on the subway ...)
In the meantime, though, Catalans have every reason to be proud.
As to science fiction readers being more intelligent than average, I think it's partly because the mental process required to read science fiction is so difficult. You have to be able to process more than one idea at a time - you're reading a story, but you're ALSO building a mental image of a new and unfamiliar world WHILE you're getting emotionally involved with characters and puzzling out ideas. It's just plain harder to read science fiction.
Also, science fiction readers tend to be people who want to keep envisioning different ways the world might be. We don't want to read the same thing over and over (well, except for Star Trek and Star Wars readers). That suggests that sci-fi readers are more open to possibilities - perhaps better able to adapt to and even embrace change.