Decadence

(Did you mean something else decadent?)

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

The condition of society, especially the arts, in a period which follows the high point of a culture and precedes its complete breakup. Rome was in such a state for centuries; according to Spengler's thesis in The Decline of the West, the entire Occidental world shows the characteristic features. Decadence is of course strongest in the cities; in the United States, in the Eastern cities and Hollywood. The Futurians of New York were fandom's number one exhibit; but they delighted in decadence, regarding it as a sign that a new order was on the way to replace the old. (Another alternative to a gloomy view is DeCamp's belief that modern technology has made it virtually impossible for the world ever again to slip all the way into barbarism.) A decadent period may still produce very worthwhile literature -- a sort of Silver Age following the Golden -- but is more likely to run to extremes of technique. Emotional content has branched into two trends, which also apply to the other arts: (1) technical and abstract, which most people find insipid; (2) sharp and pungent, seeking for higher emotional feeling. In all fields there's a striving after something which may provide the basis for a new and vigorous art to arise. In poetry modern decadence has been marked by vers libre and such; photography having replaced painting in the visual arts to a large extent, a new justification for the older medium is sought in interpretations or abstractions; in music there is a striving for dissonances, unusual rhythms, and effects. In humor doubleinversion and the New Yorker sort of detached amusement at everything predominate. Eroticism is strong. Social customs in our decadence come under the headings of thrill-seeking and bohemianism.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

The condition of society and especially of the arts in a period which follows the high point of a culture and precedes its complete breakup. Rome was in such a state for centuries, and according to Spengler's thesis in The Decline of the West, the entire Occidental world shows the characteristic features; and his foresite has been borne out by later events. Decadence is strongest of course in the cities, particularly, in the United States, in the Eastern cities and in Hollywood. The Futurians of New York are fandom's number one exhibit. They delite in decadence, however, regarding it as a sign that a new order is on the way to replace the old. Another alternative to a gloomy view is de Camp's belief that modern technology has made it virtually impossible for the world ever again to slip all the way into barbarism. A decadent period may still produce very worth while literature, a sort of silver age following the golden age, but it is more likely to go to extremes of technique. In poetry our decadence has been marked by vers libre and something we mite call dadaism. In humor double-inversion and the New Yorker sort of detached amusement at everything are predominant. Fotografy having replaced painting in large parts of its old field, a new justification is sought in interpretations of abstractions. In music there is a striving for dissonances, unusual rhythms, and effects. Emotional content has branched into two trends, which also apply to the other arts: (1) cold, technical, and abstract, which most people find insipid; (2) sharp, pungent, and seeking for higher emotional feeling. In all fields there's a striving after something which may provide the basis for a new and vigorous art to arise. Eroticism is strong. Social customs in our decadence come under the headings of thrill-seeking and Bohemianism.

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