Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/oracle-vs-inspiration.html
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The future was so much cooler in the past…
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Literally. It’s going to be hot and ugly from here on in.
I guess I fall into the cynical loss of hope category.
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I found a useful reference to this subject in “The Logic of Failure: recognizing and avoiding error in complex situations” by Dietrich Dörner.
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Societally, culturally, and environmentally, some of it has been eerily spot on. Try these on for size:
John Brunner - The Sheep Look Up, Stand on Zanzibar and just about any others.
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 at least.
David Ely - A Journal Of The Flood Year.
George Orwell - 1984. Tell me it’s not happening.
Jack Womack - Random Acts Of Senseless Violence.
Meanwhile, in days of future past:
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Try Womack, mentioned below. Should resonate.
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Well, yes. Somebody has an idea. Somebody else thinks “yes, let’s make this happen”.
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One way it affects the future is that many scientists started as science fiction readers.
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I think this is why I tend to be a Star Trek fan, because the future that Roddenberry imagined was pretty positive (though not perfect, especially by the time of DS9). He did manage to imagine a future where humanity has dealt with many of the problems that have plagued the modern/capitalist era. He gave us some reachable goals, at least in terms of humanity working together.
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I’ve read that 1950’s-60’s rocketry controls were much inspired by E.E.Smith’s 1930’s space-opera texts; that many NASA etc engineers grew up on Heinlein and Clarke; and of course we live in a world of Star Trek designs. SF hints at necessities.
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Of course (some) science fiction predicts the future
Just not with a good accuracy
It’s an entertainment genre
It’s FICTION
Laws of robotics are still discussed
BTW, once upon a time, the term was scientific romance.
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Crossover episodes are always weird.
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Imagine if Barbara Cartland had written classic space-opera SF.
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“Thrills and Moon”
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451 is so much more predictive than 1984 imho
a society of mass media lovers who “hound” critical thinkers? makes you think!
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And it was written to put food on tables and rent paid. Only the editor need be satisfied. If you must prophesy, get paid for it.
No learning without undistracted reading.
