Susan Stone-Blackburn: An Analysis

Susan Stone-Blackburn’s essay shows how SF critics ignore psychic powers because they are more interested in other things such as faster than light technology and powerful weapons. The main focus of psychic powers is on wonders of the mind rather than material wonders. She claims that any kind of futuristic technological advancement is possible, even credible. But futuristic powers of mind are usually neglected, even though both, “violate currently accepted scientific theory” (241). According to Blackburn, SF critics often regarded psychic powers are trivial, or “even pernicious to the extent that it hampers our efforts to establish academic credibility for the study of SF” (241). Her central argument is that psychic powers should be regarded