Life And Art

Art reflects life but does it adequately reflect its complexities? Characters in popular fiction regularly use weapons; I am reading an account of the contemporary arms trade showing how economic, political and military interests converge with technological advances. Thus, a lot more happens than heroes killing villains. Discussion of the great novelists, e.g., see here, is beyond the scope of this blog. Robert Heinlein's Future History shows technological advances and their consequences which are:

social and psychological on Earth and the Moon;
military in space;
economic on Venus;
religious and political in the later US;
culturally beneficial longer term.

Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization shows social complexities over time, particularly in its pivotal novel, Mirkheim. SM Stirling's Draka series analyzes every aspect of the Draka Domination, including their social interactions and military hardware.

Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Mark Millar and Garth Ennis show how the mere existence of super-powered beings would warp global politics. Apart from this one fantastic premise, these fictional narratives are fully credible and realistic. Millar has the US denying that it will deploy Persons of Mass Destruction abroad, then sending Steve Rogers (codename: Captain America) to rescue hostages...