Well, not that sci-fi has ever been a great source of technological wisdom, and I definately see where you're coming from, L4, and would more or less agree - I can't see anyone (well, very few people) today who would run in with a knife over shooting any kind of firearm.
But I'd say that it's partially due to the fact that armour doesn't effectively protect against firearms (well, it might, and if it does, then my argument is half moot), and that firearms aren't disdained as a weapon of war. So two factors would need to arise: a) that armour is able to protect against firearms, and b) that close combat is once more seen as the ultimate expression of prowess and honour and suchlike. The latter is pretty much true in the 40k world, especially in terms of the Space Marines and their opponents of similar levels, and I would say, in that world, the former is also true.
It also brings to mind Dune, wherein laser weapons would react with energy shields to cause massive explosions, and I think prjectiles moving at high enough speeds would be stopped by the shields, and so one had to use hand weapons to duel with opponents. Now, as I said, sci-fi isn't necessarily an indicator of how things will be, and I think that unless we find some vastly more efficient way of armouring someone effectively against firearms, few people are going to rush in to use swords any time soon.
|