Comments on: An outsider’s view: is science fiction obsolete?

By: taoist

taoist — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 05:44:15 +0000

Lyle, I just checked out Charlie Stross. I do like Accelerando, it incorporates the networking sort of ideas I usually find lacking, and the government and social situations are reasonable guesses that aren’t just anarchies or despotisms.

The funny thing, however, is that Charlie Stross’ latest book, “Toast”, opens with an intro that discusses my very point: most science fiction is obsolete, and society is changing so quickly that the life span of science fiction is getting incredibly short– Hence the name of his book.

By: Lyle Hopwood

Lyle Hopwood — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:22:13 +0000

Taoist, try Charlie Stross. Accelerando or Glasshouse would be a good place to start. I don’t think you’ll like his idea of government, but he certainly doesn’t do 80′s computers.

By: taoist

taoist — Sat, 26 May 2007 15:11:01 +0000

Yes, no government is by definition anarchy

By: morva shepley

morva shepley — Sat, 26 May 2007 08:34:46 +0000

The cyberpunk novels I’ve read, such as those by William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, are set in societies where capitalism and free enterprise rule. The governments seem non-existent – is non-existence the same as anarchic? But, the stories are told from the societies’ underbelly. Life might be different for the middle and upper classes.

Elizabeth Moon has a series of books set on a private space yacht. The main character had trained in some sort of space army, but whether that was government run a la Star Trek’s Star Fleet, or not I’m not sure.

By: taoist

taoist — Fri, 25 May 2007 22:59:11 +0000

I like science fiction and read a lot of it, but you’re right, I may not be as tuned in as many. Let me rephrase the dilemma I see. When I browse the local Barnes and Noble for sci fi books, it seems like all the stories I see take place in non-democratic societies that are either anarchies or huge Orwellian socialist machines — no matter how benevolent. The computers are generally machines that are ignorant of one another, or else, if the characters say the machines are networked, the networking is about as primitive as you see in the early 80s.

Cyberpunk oftentimes at least has semi-realistic networking, but is nearly always set in some weird anarchic society.

Rainbows End is one of the few novels I’ve read that seems to take place in the future we’re headed towards, as opposed to the future as it was envisioned 20 years ago, before the internet. Michael Flynn’s Firestar series (which I’m planning on reading soon) might also have at least decently democratic and capitalistic societies to seem realistic, although I’ll be pleasantly surprised if the society is computerized.

If I’m completely unaware of an entire genre in Sci-fi, I would love to read books people recommend that have the features I find missing. Please recommend them to me in my original post.