The Golden Age

I'm reading a book of science fiction short stories titled The Best of John W. Campbell. For those unfamiliar with the genre or its members, Campbell was an important writer and editor. In the latter role, he became known as the most influential editor in the business, and his place at the helm of Astounding magazine (now Analog) ushered in what is recognized as "The Golden Age" of science fiction.

His stories imply that he's a proponent of evolution, which I don't find particularly enjoyable. But one can't accuse him of being a liberal. In his story, "Out of Night," he makes the following observation:

"Man will fight and die for what he has not; woman will fight and die for what she has. Man will sacrifice everything he has for something he hopes for, an ideal; but while woman will fight for an ideal, she will not give up the good she has to gain it."

This is an interesting commentary on human behavior, and agree with it or not, it's a far cry from contemporary political correctness in fiction, of which we're all so familiar. A nice change of pace. This explains, in part, why I read very little current scifi and very much of the older stuff.