History of the Future ST197 – Jan Plan 2001

Idea of the Course Largely but not exclusively Science Fiction –Claim: “Get used to the future, it is where you will be spending the rest of your life.” But, the future of SF is already historical –“Classics” of field written in 1940s-60s –Often draw on much older ideas So we can learn more about the past than the future

“Science fiction was an historical literature… In every sf narrative, there is an explicit or inplicit fictional history that connects the period depicted to our present moment, or to some moment of our past” –Kim Stanley Robinson, 1992

About Me B.Sc, M.Eng in Systems Integration –computer science with business perspective M.A., Ph.D. in History and Sociology of Science –History of technology –Use of information technology in business –Sociology of organizations Computer consultant –Data base design –Project management –Web application development

Have taught –Economic History –Science Fiction –Computers, Culture and the Internet –Data base management systems –Introduction to Business & Management

Course Involves ReadingThinkingTalkingWriting 20% Midterm 25% Final 30% Class Participation 25% Paper (about 8 pages)

How Selected? Has to be good –Most have won “Hugo” and/or Nebula award Fit with themes and each other –All US (excepting Stapledon) –All set on Earth/Near Future (excepting Dune) –Even coverage of 1940s-1980s A lot of good stuff missed out

Origins of the Future Utopian ideas –Plato –Moore Scientific Revolution –Remaking of world – Newton, Copernicus –Intellectual progress Industrial Revolution –HG Wells, Progress, Darwin

Things To Come 1936 epic –Global war –Fall of civilization –Triumph of Science and World State Based on Wells’ book

Last and First Men Not exactly a novel First epic future history –19 species of mankind –3 planets –hundreds of millions of years In tradition of HG Wells –evolution & eugenics –mysticism

Science Fiction as Genre American –Thrives 1920s-1960s –Based on magazines –Teenage boys “Golden Age” –Asimov –Heinlein –Clarke

Defining SF SF vs Sci Fi vs Speculative Fiction SF vs Fantasy (tech vs magic) Some definitions –Based on Science? –What If? vs If This Goes On? –Set in the future? –Admits natural explanation?

Tricky Cases Fitting everything in –Alternate History –Impossible ideas Faster than light travel Telepathy Suspension of disbelief Not getting too much Publishing category?

1940s Short Stories The Green Hills of Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein "The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein "The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin "Runaround" by Isaac Asimov "Evidence" by Isaac Asimov

The Demolished Man Published 1953 –Won first Hugo award Telepathy & Detectives –Futuristic New York –Writing very stylish by SF standards

Them! Giant Mutant Ants Menace LA! –Cold war paranoia –Fear of radiation –1953

A Canticle for Lebowitz Three parts –written Life after nuclear war –Religious –History repeating itself –Science & God 1961 Hugo winner

Dune Huge best seller –Published –Won 1965 Hugo and first Nebula award Mixes elements –Feudalism –Ecology –Politics SF established in books

2001 Epic –Long, Slow –Based on Clarke –Stapledon influenced Mystic transcendence –Alien influence –Dawn of time to birth of star child

Barbarella CampySexistParody

Ubik Weird, Philosophical, Trashy –Nature of Reality –Drug culture meets 1950s –Written 1966 Dick’s work filmed as –Blade Runner –Total Recall –Screamers

Man Plus Space Exploration –Won 1976 Nebula –Creation of cyborg for Mars mission Bleaker, more cynical

Neuromancer Most influential SF novel of past 20 years –Won all awards Cyberpunk –videogames –MTV –“street” culture Virtual Reality

Blade Runner Cyberpunk setting meets Dick plot Nature of humanity, empathy 1982

Blood Music “Hard” Science Fiction –Biotechnology –Near future Transcendence –Updating classic theme –Nominated for Hugo, Nebula

The Matrix More cyberpunk –Hong Kong action movie meets existential crisis Conceptual breakthrough

Relevance The future is a very powerful idea –Advertising –Politics Ideas of the future have changed our world –Engineers, computer scientists, NASA people History is interesting