I wouldn't be so quick to judge. It's pure research, and String Theory has pioneered a lot of new ideas that have successfully cross-pollinated into other fields. Even the LHC employs String Theorists with good reason.

Seems a mistake to write it off as "not delivering" simply because it hasn't given us exactly what we originally expected.

On a more social level, a focus on "delivering" and "impact" in pure science seems like it can be taken to the point of shooting ourselves in the foot. Think of all the discoveries from pure exploratory research that we recognized as useful only after the fact.

so quick? it's not as if string theory is just getting started.

That string theory is already compatible with everything we know about reality is a titanic achievement.

If you think it's not, go ahead and list all of the other alternatives that also have a hope of unifying gravity?

Except that string theory requires supersymmetry, and the latest LHC results are not happy for supersymmetry.

As for other unifying theories, loop quantum gravity is somewhat popular. And Wikipedia has a nice list of alternative theories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_gravity#Other_approach.... String theory is far from the only game in town, despite what string theorists would have you believe.

String theory is in fact compatible with a large number of possible realities. That's the problem.