I think this is another example of politics being downstream from culture. A lot of the mainstream SF publishers have been pushing post-apocalyptic SF or fantasy, and this has had an effect on the subculture formerly noted for being rife with gearheads and tech nerds. I can't remember the last time I saw the L-5 Society (or their successors, the National Space Society) have a table at an SF convention.
I think this is another example of politics being downstream from culture. A lot of the mainstream SF publishers have been pushing post-apocalyptic SF or fantasy, and this has had an effect on the subculture formerly noted for being rife with gearheads and tech nerds. I can't remember the last time I saw the L-5 Society (or their successors, the National Space Society) have a table at an SF convention.