My first thought on this topic is that these two options are not mutually exclusive. As in many things, balance is the best way, but when reading books, it's fairly clear that some focus almost exclusively on one or the other. Some reviews also indicate that some readers so deeply  subscribe to the idea that art should reflect society that they reject anything that hints of a different way of being other than what they consider to be the norm, even if that behaviour is positive. On the other hand, some books I have read are so determined to show an enlightened world that the characters and subject matter are very hard to relate to or come across as preachy.  Avoiding sounding preachy is something any author trying to show an enlightened world view must grapple with. As readers it's a good idea to examine our views on this because it alters how we respond to books, and if the majority of people want art primarily to reflect society, then the kind of fiction (books &movies) that … [Read more...]