To put it simply, just about every day I read the news and say to myself, "I couldn't make this stuff up," or a similar and more colorful utterance. The Russians build the Shkval torpedo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-111_Shkval). Second Life invents a fungible virtual currency, Linden dollars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linden_dollar), without a penny backing it. Ethnic cleansing becomes a lifestyle (reference Darfur, Rwanda). Nerves are coupled to machinery to reactivate missing limbs (go search for it). Even specialists in a field get fried by paradigm overthrow in their own work on a frequent basis. Do we think an SF writer will do much better?
We couldn't even predict the spud gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_gun). I guess the question today is: "Why try to predict it if you can just do it?" We might better consider writing SF parody or satire of the everyday craziness, but such imaginings have become revolting reality all too often. But I guess we might want to try. At least with alternate histories, we know what has already happened. The Man in the High Castle comes to mind... Dana Alicia Henn wrote: > I would add that near future SF is more difficult to write because > you're proven wrong quickly, as opposed to 100 years after you're dead > and don't care. You have to write something you can live with. > > Alicia > On Sep 11, 2008, at 11:20 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > >> ...Not so easy: >> >> http://futurismic.com/2008/09/11/why-near-future-science-fiction-is-diffi >> cult/ >> >> >> Frank >> >> Check out my web page at: http://www.geocities.com/stardolphin2/link3.htm >> >> "A perfect test teaches you nothing, but you learn a lot from >> failure." >> - Rocket engineer Wernher von Braun >> ____________________________________________________________ >> Turn your passion into a profession. Click here to find a film >> school near you. >> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3l7QB2DVhbMlsTCkVtE7wCGqNht5rf8IvRqd532iJnswuyJv/ >> >> > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
