Old masters like Jack Williamson, Hal Clement and Poul Anderson are still doing creative new work, and the last ten years have seen the rise of new stars like Stephen Baxter, Greg Egan and Robert Sawyer. An eye on the real world Science fiction is about change, and in the last decade there's been more change for SF writers to explore than ever before. Biotechnologists, physicists and computer scientists are breaking into strange new worlds, and writers like Nancy Kress and Greg Benford are using the latest discoveries in their books. The space program is also gathering momentum again, driving and occasionally taking inspiration from near-future space writers like Allen Steele and Michael Flynn. While megacorporations may have a stranglehold on the mass market, there's no shortage of creativity, and structural changes on the horizon may give the genre room to breathe.
New technology is so make it cheaper and easier to publish small quantities of books.
Of course, small presses are nothing new to SF culture, which has always relied on independent or even amateur publishers to produce beloved books that aren't viable commercially. Meanwhile, almost in the shadows, a new publishing system will be growing. Small presses and e-publishers will quietly sign up science fiction's unique voices and promising newcomers. They'll build up networks of fans in web-based communities, and use the excitement they generate to attract new readers. By 2006, you might be a member of the Vernor Vinge fan group, waiting to receive an email telling you his new book is ready.