Sensawunda

That's the thing:

"I think the sense of wonder that science fiction offers is closely related to the feeling of awe that science itself offers."

-from an interview of Ted Chiang 

A story can be good and not evoke this.  It can be very original and still not have that thang.  The thing I go to SF for that other fiction doesn't do.  That's what does seem to be missing lately.  As the critics keep saying, there's a lot of.competent and even great writing out there, but very little that gives that science fiction fix. 

I don't think this about diversity as in representation of more marginal peoples.  I think it's about diversity in terms of interests in different styles of fiction drawing new writers in; some bit of herdishness and magazine core feel and focus drawing more of the same; the very strong influence of TV and movie scifi - which has a very different focus and feel; the difficulty of envisioning nearish futures at the moment without missing something key that's already clearly in motion to other eyes, and the difficulty of optimism that isn't cheerleading and pessimism that isn't dehumanizing and lacking a sense of agency in some important way.  Writing stuff with the SF feel is very hard.  It takes energy, verve, and real research and application of some sense of logic.  Right and left brain work.  I think the other factor is so many people grinding out work to contract and focused on volume.  As the economy sucks and people are stressed and working too hard, and having difficulty seeing the opportunities, the change, and the posibilities vs. the obvious failures.  (SF also takes some mental distance, which can be a flaw.)  All coming together.