1. History of the Future ST197 – Jan Plan 2001

2. 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

3. “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

4. 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

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

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

7. 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

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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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?

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

14. 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

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

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

17. A Canticle for Lebowitz Three parts –written 1955-1957 Life after nuclear war –Religious –History repeating itself –Science & God 1961 Hugo winner

18. Dune Huge best seller –Published 1963-1965 –Won 1965 Hugo and first Nebula award Mixes elements –Feudalism –Ecology –Politics SF established in books

19. 2001 Epic –Long, Slow –Based on Clarke –Stapledon influenced Mystic transcendence –Alien influence –Dawn of time to birth of star child

20. Barbarella CampySexistParody

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

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

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

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

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

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

27. 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