I liked Slow Sculpture, I really did. The science is clearly BS, but it was an enjoyable read. The big issue I have with it is the moral. I think it's wrong.
Sure. In my interpretation, she's saying that you can take "twisted, sick" people (in the mind) and make them into something beautiful, and this is where my problem is. You can influence kids maybe, but not adults. When we're adults we become quite set in our ways. There are exceptions to this of course, but it's generally very hard, nigh impossible, for people - especially "twisted, sick" ones - to make such a turnaround. And, generally when it happens, it's the result of some sort of massive event like a near-death experience. Not very bonsai. Insofar as treating a relationship like a bonsai tree I don't have this issue.People are living, growing things, too. I don’t know a hundredth part of what you do about bonsai but I do know this—when you start one, it isn’t often the strong straight healthy ones you take. It’s the twisted sick ones that can be made the most beautiful. When you get to shaping humanity, you might remember that.
I agree and I actually grazed right over that point when I read the story without really digesting the implication. I also find it a bit questionable if that's really true of bonsai. In a general sense, I do like the bonsai metaphor though. I find it interesting that this seems to be the focal point of the story but has nuts to do with sci-fi, in a Hugo winner.