Is Going Green and Eating Organic Just an Epic Pooh?, page 1

In 1978, British science fiction writer Michael Moorcock published Epic Pooh, a controversial critique of the epic fantasy genre. A copy can be found here.. The article’s notability lies in that Moorcock takes to task many authors of this genre, particularly J.R.R. Tolkien with biting criticism.

Criticism not just on what Moorcock perceived as deficits of writing style, but political criticism as well. He characterizes the works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others as a form of “corrupted Romance” heavily associated with “Anglican Torysim.” It is an interesting read, but not necessary for purposes of this thread. Moorcock’s assertion that there exists an attitude of anti-technological and anti-urbanism in said authors’ works lead me to thinking about how his argument could be applied to the “organic/whole foods” and “green living” movements.

Do you feel these contemporary movements have an underlying distrust/dislike of technology and may be inherently anti-urban? If so, since the majority of people now live in cities, could this anti-urbanism be a form of misanthropy? When we seek to “go green” or eat organic, are we playing into the pastoral myth, glorifying the rural idyll all the while rejecting (to some varying degree) social progress and political change?

My belief is that superficially people simply want to live a healthier lifestyle and feel as though they are contributing to preservation of the environment. Yet under the surface I think many who follow these lifestyles may have a touch of the feelings described above. Please share your thoughts.

Note: I am not and will not make values judgments one way or another. I present this for discussion as I have long found Moorcock’s piece interesting and was intrigued by alternate applications of his theory. Also, this is my first thread and any constructive comments/criticisms are welcome.