Here's another not-fiction post. My apologies, and I won't make it too much of a habit, but I think it's valuable! It's mostly about science fiction, but those of us who aren't writing SF right now do sometimes, or at least read it, so I think everyone can weigh in.
In my internet ramblings I found this two-page article by Isaac Asimov, "The Sword of Achilles," which appeared in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1963. I think, as usual, Asimov has been proven right, if only in relation to the number of people working on AI who were inspired by his three laws. Essentially, although science fiction* may not always get the future right, it seems to inspire a lot of people to think about the future and what we could do with it.
Most days, I wish I had chosen science instead of the humanities. Many of us actually are practicing scientists, and I suspect the rest of us have an enthusiasm for science unusual among folks who haven't been exposed to science fiction. What do you think? Is this a slight correlation, a cause-and-effect chain, or none of the above?
As a related question (and one important to the writer of science fiction): who is the science fiction reader? What brought you to the genre, and what keeps you here? And what is the cultural impact of science fiction--is it some sort of catalyst for the development of the people who will develop the future, or is it just entertainment? Should authors be judged in part by their contribution to the development of science, or should they be judged purely on the level of entertainment (or quality of writing) they produce?
I'll weigh in after some of you weigh in, but I want to see what you think before I muddy the waters...
*Asimov defines science fiction here as "an adult literature interested (sometimes seriously, sometimes satirically) in the type of world and society that will develop as a result of changes in science and technology." Essentially he means hard SF. I like the definition, but I think there is also some value in the general public being exposed even to science fantasy in order to benefit the development of technology and science--take the huge impact of Star Trek or Star Wars on opening people up to the idea of technological development, at least.
In my internet ramblings I found this two-page article by Isaac Asimov, "The Sword of Achilles," which appeared in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1963. I think, as usual, Asimov has been proven right, if only in relation to the number of people working on AI who were inspired by his three laws. Essentially, although science fiction* may not always get the future right, it seems to inspire a lot of people to think about the future and what we could do with it.
Most days, I wish I had chosen science instead of the humanities. Many of us actually are practicing scientists, and I suspect the rest of us have an enthusiasm for science unusual among folks who haven't been exposed to science fiction. What do you think? Is this a slight correlation, a cause-and-effect chain, or none of the above?
As a related question (and one important to the writer of science fiction): who is the science fiction reader? What brought you to the genre, and what keeps you here? And what is the cultural impact of science fiction--is it some sort of catalyst for the development of the people who will develop the future, or is it just entertainment? Should authors be judged in part by their contribution to the development of science, or should they be judged purely on the level of entertainment (or quality of writing) they produce?
I'll weigh in after some of you weigh in, but I want to see what you think before I muddy the waters...
*Asimov defines science fiction here as "an adult literature interested (sometimes seriously, sometimes satirically) in the type of world and society that will develop as a result of changes in science and technology." Essentially he means hard SF. I like the definition, but I think there is also some value in the general public being exposed even to science fantasy in order to benefit the development of technology and science--take the huge impact of Star Trek or Star Wars on opening people up to the idea of technological development, at least.
