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Science Fiction
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"The science fiction method is dissection and reconstruction. You look at the world around you, and take it apart into its components. Then you take some of those components, throw them away, and plug in different ones, start it up and see what happens."
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In the near-future of Time is the Simplest Thing interstellar explorers could project their minds to planets revolving around other stars. Upon their return, the travelers could bring back small samples or technological knowledge.
When this novel was written, there were fewer choices on television, and families were much more likely to watch a single television together - establishing the idea of an entertainment center in one room.
I'm fascinated by Simak's grasp over what people really need from their entertainment; they want to be "hauled into" the story. When this novel was written, mass entertainment was a purely passive form of entertainment; you sat and you watched.
In today's world, we are accustomed to being pulled into the world of the story. In hands-on museums, we are encouraged to try an experiment for ourselves. In amusement parks, like Disney's Animal Kingdom, we are drawn into a story about the animals we are seeing, rather than just sitting and looking.
Finally, the Internet itself is an interactive medium; we look and we make choices constantly about what to see or do next. Recent research shows that, in some age groups, television is actually losing audience share to the Internet, as people choose to surf or shop - creating their own experience with their choices - rather than sit passively and watch.
Be sure to look at Ray Bradbury's parlor wall from Fahrenheit 451, a story about the perils of mass media that is perhaps too attractive. Also, compare to peeper from Simak’s 1957 story Shadow World and to the Perky Pat layout from The Days of Perky Pat (1963) by Philip K. Dick. The immersive home video from Steven Spielberg's 2002 movie Minority Report is an impressive visualization of a similar idea. Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
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Science Fiction
Timeline
ESTHER Tennis Robot V. Fact (1934) And Fiction (1952)
'THE red tennis robot scooted desperately across the court...'
Japan's LignoSat Space Wood Satellite And Dan Simmons' Treeship
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Skyline Robotics Instantiates Heinlein's 'Window Willie' Skyscraper Robot
'Do you know what window washing used to cost by the hour?'
Drone Bombings In Moscow Foreseen 100 Years Ago
'Once the target is confirmed, it uses an IR laser to send a coded signal back to the parent, clearing it to attack.'
I Didn't Know You Can Already Buy Flesh Putty
'I filled your bullet hole with flesh putty and the lattice.'
'A Sign in Space' Gives Practice In Decoding ET Messages
'... it will be easy to form an alphabet which shall enable us to converse with the inhabitants of the moon.'
Melting Permafrost Endangers Infrastructure
'From the tower's huge octagonal base radiate wide silvery strips...'
EELS Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor For Enceladus
'It was about five feet long... a black bullet head and red camera eyes.'
Lazy Lawyer's Trust In ChatGPT Misplaced
'The Law Society has strict rules on the use of pseudo-intelligent software...'
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