The more things become markets, the more they behave in boom-bust fashion, like housing and the economy. Books are a product marketed solely for profit. So publishers take few risks and push the same derivative pap that they saw sell last Quarter. For them a risk is a bad idea, because they keep their jobs not by being good but by not losing too much too soon. It is the standard middle-management problem: risk aversion. I go into bookshops a lot to look up SF titles. I buy very little - endless glossy covers and tosh inside. Just like Hollywood, publishers milk the cow until it dies - and then plead for subsidy.

My answer is this: Shakespeare had no subsidies and there was no mass-market then. People read less because so much of it is not worth reading, as well as declining literacy. Improve the first and you will improve the second. Also Shakespeare's plays were part of a whole moral debate with religious and philosophical passages relating to the plays being sold along side tickets and oranges. When people are terrified of going to hell and there is no longer a clear religious message handed down to them from on high stories about the moral mistakes people make and how to avoid them are a lot more important in their daily lives. If you think about it modern literary trends follow modern fears, relationship problems, political manipulation, technology, and if your memories and what you believe is really reliable.

People who read crappy contemporary SF should also go to Hell. Fortunately “My Favorites” does not fall into this category. It came as a pleasant surprise so to speak. I’d never read most of the stories in this volume, because, you know, it’s Ben Bova. What a nice surprise! ( )

My Favorites: A Collection of Short Stories by Ben Bova is a very highly recommended collection of fourteen of Bova's personal favorite short stories. All the stories in this collection have been previously published and for this compilation a brief introduction by Bova proceeds each story. Fans will be reminded why they have enjoyed Bova's writing for years and will appreciate and enjoy re-reading his favorite stories. New readers will enjoy this diverse introduction to Bova's writing and will likely be inspired to start reading his many novels and other short stories. As with all short story collections, some will resonate with individual readers more than others, but I though that over all it represents an excellent choice of diverse stories. This is a wonderful choice of stories by an award winning master writer.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Blackstone Publishing
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/10/my-favorites.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3606346196 ( )

Short stories are not a favorite read of mine as they generally deal with one-dimensional characters. However, Ben Bova is a master of the short story. While the stories in this anthology were written early in his career, Bova added an accomplished writer’s editorial polish to them before including the stories in this book. I found them to be extremely well written and a joy to read.

Often, Lessor authors end short stories with cliff hangers intended to make you ponder and say ‘Wow’. But such stories leave me with a mystery or a puzzle that can’t be gladly resolved and leave me troubled. Life is already troubling and having more of it in my daily life is not what I want from my reading. I read science fiction to escape.

My favored short stories are those like the ones in Bova’s new book, My Favorites: An Anthology, as they entertain and are a perfect length for morning train commutes or doctor's office waits. Bova’s writings leave me feeling content at the story's conclusion.

My Favorites: An Anthology is a book of short science fiction stories that are a joy to read, provide an escape from daily stress, and are the perfect length for the frustrating waiting times in our daily lives. ( )