Where Has Sci-Fi Gone?
I read an interesting piece today on Our Future: Thoughts about why Science Fiction writers are no longer making outlandish predictions about the future in their fiction. Citing a paper by futurist Ray Kurzweil, the blog writes, "Fiction writers are no longer able to think beyond the predicted 'technological singularity' that many believe will occur in or around 2030. That is to say that the human mind can no longer comprehend how life could be beyond the next thirty years when taking into account the advancements we have made in the past few decades." Basically, the author argues that we have made such exponential advances in mere decades that to ponder beyond is simply out of our range of comprehension.
I have to say that I disagree. I don't believe the reason we no longer try to predict the future is because we can't fathom it. I think we no longer do it because we fear embarrassing ourselves when the future turns out to be mundane. Predicitons of the future just 60 or 70 years ago had us in flying cars and living on the moon by the year 2000 (Take a look at David Szondy's Tales of Future Past and you'll see what I'm talking about).
Obviously, that didn't come to pass. So I feel like we've curbed our expectations about what science can do for us in the future simply because we don't want to look foolish. Essentially, why predict that by the year 2030 we'll have flying cars if you'll be around to see yourself proven wrong?
What do you think? Have Science Fiction writers given up on prediction in favor of fantasy? What could be the reason for that?
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I believe some of what you say has validity. But I think the real problem is that man cannot come up with anything new. Look at all the creatures, for instance, that have been portrayed in movies and TV. Few, if any, have ever gone too far beyond what we already know. Most are created by adding make up to a human form. If not then it's a dressed up animal or a magnified insect. No really new species have been created. Even some of the weird things that were thought up for The Outer Limits (OS) turned out to be formless creatures that made little sense. Same with Cloverfield. All those little scurrying spider-like dudes and one huge formless freak.
Mankind has little ability to conceive beyond what he knows.
You see, I think we do have the potential to see beyond what we know. Science Fiction would not exist if we did not. The question is, if we CAN see beyond what we know, why don't we do it ANY MORE?
You're right MarcusTee, what we're seeing more nowadays are remakes and regurgitations. Where has all the fresh imagination gone??