There are no Utopias. There are only differing degrees of Dystopia and Weirdtopia. We are living in a dystopic and weirdtopic reality. The whole problem that sci-fi is facing today is due to this situation.
Culture itself is an alien symbiote of humanity. Culture has an intelligence which is of such an alien and different order to human intelligence, that comparing the two is like comparing human intelligence to information processing in the cell membranes of single celled creatures. Culture has long co-evolved with humanity, but is itself alien and at times starkly inhumane. A human’s relationship to culture is like a human’s relationship to her gut bacteria. There is a long evolved symbiosis, but also much potential for horror, and no capacity whatsoever for empathy.
Utopias are boring, because there are no unintended consequences. As beings born of unintended consequence, of the evolutionary process, we sense their artifice with every fiber of our being.
Weirdtopia writing is a useful exercise because, at the very least, we are trying to come up with an interesting unintended consequence.
There are no Utopias. There are only differing degrees of Dystopia and Weirdtopia. We are living in a dystopic and weirdtopic reality. The whole problem that sci-fi is facing today is due to this situation.
Culture itself is an alien symbiote of humanity. Culture has an intelligence which is of such an alien and different order to human intelligence, that comparing the two is like comparing human intelligence to information processing in the cell membranes of single celled creatures. Culture has long co-evolved with humanity, but is itself alien and at times starkly inhumane. A human’s relationship to culture is like a human’s relationship to her gut bacteria. There is a long evolved symbiosis, but also much potential for horror, and no capacity whatsoever for empathy.
Utopias are boring, because there are no unintended consequences. As beings born of unintended consequence, of the evolutionary process, we sense their artifice with every fiber of our being.
Weirdtopia writing is a useful exercise because, at the very least, we are trying to come up with an interesting unintended consequence.