To put a somewhat finer point on zmmz's comment: I think it's a mistake to think that genres other than sci-fi, such as Austen's work (which, by the way, are hardly mere "romance" novels in the popular sense of the word) don't "make you smarter" or are less "intellectually stimulating" simply because they deal with sexuality, class, taboo, etc. instead of game theory and metaethics. I think you may be confusing your particular intellectual interests with intellectualism itself. But my criticism stops there, because I totally agree with your broader point that smart "literate" people need to give sci-fi another look.
I do think that, to read your comments, you may somewhat underestimate others' esteem for sci-fi as a genre. In particular, I don't think it's true that, for most, "science fiction is somehow singled out in society as a special kind of crap." But, on the other hand, I don't think you're imagining things. (And let's not forget fantasy! I think just about everything we've said here about sci-fi is equally true of fantasy, both in terms of its value and it's under appreciation.)
> I think you may be confusing your particular intellectual interests with intellectualism itself.
I'm trying to articulate a very fine point myself here, so I might be failing at expressing it.
I agree that Austen's works, or other genres other than sci-fi are not "intellectual" or don't "make you smarter". They all have their niches and good books of each genre have lots of intellectual gems. Sci-fi is good at this particular mathy kind of intellectualism, the one that gives you game theory, and economics, and cryptography, that helps you to understand the increasingly complex world. The kind that puts your System 2 (as in Kahneman's System 1 and 2 of your mind) on overdrive, because what is discussed is something we rarely have natural intuiton for.
It's of course not The Only Knowledge. But (I believe) it's getting more and more important nowadays, and as for something that feels so vital, it's getting a disproportionate amount of hate and dismissal among general population.
I do think that, to read your comments, you may somewhat underestimate others' esteem for sci-fi as a genre. In particular, I don't think it's true that, for most, "science fiction is somehow singled out in society as a special kind of crap." But, on the other hand, I don't think you're imagining things. (And let's not forget fantasy! I think just about everything we've said here about sci-fi is equally true of fantasy, both in terms of its value and it's under appreciation.)