there has always been a question if life reflects art or does art reflect life. I always thought it was a give and take process where a writer will see something interesting/unusual and write about it then when someone else (possibley on the other side of the world) picks up that book and is inspired in thier own way by what they read and takes action accordingly.
My sister has a PHD in astro physics - one of her favorite authors as a child was Heinlein's juvinile books (Have spacesuit will travel, The Star Beast, The Rolling Stones...etc)that had a suprising emphasis on science. She does credit the books as having an influence on her interestes when she was in school.
I think it's cyclical. Life reflects Art reflects Life. But it runs the risk of "the idea becoming the institution" or self parody
Example: The rap movement in the 80's and 90's, people like Tupac, Snoop and Biggie talking about growing up in the streets and committing crimes because that was the only avenue they had available to them. They sang the songs of their life and their beliefs. The children who listened to them however, took this to mean that if they lead those lives like them, they would be rich and popular as well, and it shows in the music that
they bring out, which is a shallow, conformist version of that which came before them.
I tried to think of a positive Life/Art cycle, but I am far too medicated to come up with one