Is Technology Changing the Definition of Science Fiction?
LTK: Do you feel that with the current level of technology in society today – it’s getting harder for Sci-Fi writers to “push the envelope” and go where no one has gone before? JCS: Well, I think there are two things going on here. First, it is true that 21st century technology has become so highly specialized that it makes it increasingly difficult to feature it in a compelling science fiction story without subjecting the reader to a long, involved info-dump. A hundred years ago, H.G. Wells could write about traveling to the moon, and people could easily wrap their heads around the concept. But when you start writing about esoteric things like string theory, or the latest in exotic materials research, it starts to sound like a lot of handwaving and magic. Second, I think science fiction has written itself into a corner, to some extent. The genre has far outstripped what we are capable of in terms of real-world technology. I mean, science fiction has had starships, warp drive, AIs, ali
Related Questions
- I have heard for several years that "smart-card" technology will replace current card technologies and yet it hasn happened. What, if anything, is changing this trend to smart cards?
- Technology seems to be changing every day, is something better coming down the road?
- How is the definition of design changing?
