Ten years ago

“Each attempt becomes a reworking, as well as an extension, of previous worlds. In the 70 or 80 years since science fiction fandom first became, like Frankenstein’s monster, conscious of its own existence, the original, tentative worlds have been explored and reworked by so many writers, directors, readers and viewers that they are now firm enough for anyone to walk in. We can all imagine the moment of contact with an alien race, or the sensation of cracking open the airlock on a strange planet, so easily that we might be remembering it.†

Ten years ago.. Ten years ago I thought it impossible to have science fiction be euro-dramatic, i.e. solidly “realistic.” I thought it would be rather diffy to have robots and not be annoyed by them – for most people. But we change.

It turns out I stand corrected within the decade.

“Two of the great classics of 20th-century science fiction – Brave New World and 1984 – helped their readers to understand the human implications of technology in a way that no amount of history could have done.

Now this may be wrong-headed. What ‘bout the starry trek? Her?

What happy metaphors have we?

† https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/06/the-guardian-view-on-westworld-science-fiction-fresh-look-at-the-present 6 november 16