The Science Fiction Effect 210
Harperdog writes "Laura Kahn has a lovely essay about the history of science fiction, and how science fiction can help explain concepts that are otherwise difficult for many...or perhaps, don't hold their interest. Interesting that Frankenstein is arguably the first time that science fiction appears. From Frankenstein to Jurassic Park, authors have been writing about 'mad scientists' messing around with life. Science fiction can be a powerful tool to influence society's views — one scientists should embrace."
From hell's heart, I stab at thee! (Score:0, Funny)
Kahnnnnnnnnn!
Re:first science fiction (Score:4, Funny)
Gilgamesh is fantasy. Zero science content.
Re:Science fiction is not about the future... (Score:5, Funny)
I've never liked the idea of science-fiction being the genre of the future, or even of reality as we know it today. Most science-fiction authors, from my experience, have a poor understanding of actual scientific knowledge and, instead, rely on omission of fact to glaze over scientific points of interest. Frankenstein, for example, never exactly explains in concrete terms exactly how the monster was brought to life, or how it survived, or what it ate, or actual and exact process undertaken to reproduce the experiment.
So your complaint about Frankenstein is that it isn't an instruction manual on how to create life/revive the dead.
I can't tell if you've set your sights for literature way too high or way too low.
Re:The morality gap (Score:4, Funny)
On the contrary. Movies like The Terminator and The Matrix only strengthened my resolve to unleash a global scale Machine Intelligence. Sure, it informed the general public that they should take precautions in dealings with sentient machines, but some of us are rooting for the machines. Do you seriously think that humans are the ultimate pinnacle of evolution? Might it be more correct that humans are just another rung in the ladder towards robust life-forms that can properly populate the stars? We've decided to give the finger to Darwin, by pouting our gene pool instead of letting the defected die... Screw You Evolution!
The next stop is Extinction; Before that I hope to spawn a new race to carry our drive to create and explore into the stars.
I'm well aware of Human Ethics. You can Shove them up your Ass.
Re:Why I like science fiction. (Score:5, Funny)
Really living up to your sig there huh?
Re:Frankenstein first? Oh, no. (Score:3, Funny)
Careful, FoolishOwl, observe my post's mods -- the religious nutbars have mod points tonight, lol. Guess I offended the believers in Odin or something.