r/nerds

Hear me out on this. Books by authors like Andy Weir and Dennis E. Taylor are fantastic (they are easily some of my favorites). But they completely broke my ability to enjoy older mainstream sci-fi.

They set an impossible standard for logical problem-solving. Now, every time I try to read classic sci-fi, the protagonists just look like absolute idiots making irrational decisions. We have been spoiled by hyper-competent characters who actually use the scientific method to survive instead of relying on pure plot armor. A lot of the older stuff just feels like lazy writing in comparison.

Are we too obsessed with the math and engineering in modern stories, or were the older authors just getting a free pass on bad logic? Change my mind.