I get it. You’re right about generic sf genre. But have you read the works that cross over to the literary? E.g, Gibson’s NEUROMANCER, Bruce Sterling’s SCHISMATRIX, Barth’s GILES GOAT-BOY, Pynchon, Calvino, Borges, Wm Burroughs, ….. even Beckett’s THE LOST ONES.
…. If you’re willing to bend the idea of the genre
This is good. I got a number of offline comments that said similar things, though your addition of Pynchon ff is good. As for the more "obvious" sci-fi names, I have been chunking through some suggestions -- some rather fervently made by readers of the blog post! -- and I haven't quite seen what I think they see in those books. In the end, the "costume, climate, and technology" shifts remain the most pronounced that I have seen, though some readers are determined that I join them in celebrating the greatly imaginative time-bending and creature-creation of able world-builders. But still: there is so much exposition. Not so in the back of of your list, though. I'll keep reading.
A lot of people love PKD (I’m one of them) but I think it’s best to see him as trying to make sense of a particular time and place (Berkeley, 1960s). Particularly the Valis Trilogy. The first time I “really” visited there it did indeed feel like entering his world — paranoia, fantasy, repressed violence. Perhaps it makes the most sense to see him as doing for Berkeley what James Joyce did for Dublin.
Samuel R. Delaney is on the record calling PKD a second-rate midwit. I think that’s a little harsh, and SRD probably falls victim to the world-building problem much more than PKD. PKD is often about the meta-problem, and he’s best when he’s getting you to watch his characters (or himself) world-build.
Also worth nothing that the writerly technology of world-building has advanced since Tolkien’s day. People have pointed out that both JKR and GRRM did extraordinarily well in this department, even though both are well below Tolkien intellectually and spiritually. JKR, in particular, was good enough that a lazy (and non-autistic) 10 year old could get absorbed.
I have been trying to figure out why the Orville's Season 3 Ep 2 was named Electric Sheep. Thanks for tying that together for me, I watched it last night but fell asleep. I will finish it tonight and see if they mention the P. Dick book or if we are supposed to just know it...
Michael, with your body of thought, I am surprised you have not read Dune. I get that it may be a bit too simple from a literary form, but the topic of AI has been something I have been thinking about since I was 15 and read my first Dune book. It started with the ban against thinking machines. When you read the prequels, you see into the Machine Wars directly. I have often said that when Erasmus (the silicon consigliere of Evermind) kills his chef because he detected saliva in his food with a single brain puncture, that is pure evil. Machines have no morals, no conscience, and they can't feel pain. When we unleash a species significantly more intelligent, powerful, and immortal compare to humans, what could possibly go right?
I get it. You’re right about generic sf genre. But have you read the works that cross over to the literary? E.g, Gibson’s NEUROMANCER, Bruce Sterling’s SCHISMATRIX, Barth’s GILES GOAT-BOY, Pynchon, Calvino, Borges, Wm Burroughs, ….. even Beckett’s THE LOST ONES.
…. If you’re willing to bend the idea of the genre
This is good. I got a number of offline comments that said similar things, though your addition of Pynchon ff is good. As for the more "obvious" sci-fi names, I have been chunking through some suggestions -- some rather fervently made by readers of the blog post! -- and I haven't quite seen what I think they see in those books. In the end, the "costume, climate, and technology" shifts remain the most pronounced that I have seen, though some readers are determined that I join them in celebrating the greatly imaginative time-bending and creature-creation of able world-builders. But still: there is so much exposition. Not so in the back of of your list, though. I'll keep reading.
A lot of people love PKD (I’m one of them) but I think it’s best to see him as trying to make sense of a particular time and place (Berkeley, 1960s). Particularly the Valis Trilogy. The first time I “really” visited there it did indeed feel like entering his world — paranoia, fantasy, repressed violence. Perhaps it makes the most sense to see him as doing for Berkeley what James Joyce did for Dublin.
Samuel R. Delaney is on the record calling PKD a second-rate midwit. I think that’s a little harsh, and SRD probably falls victim to the world-building problem much more than PKD. PKD is often about the meta-problem, and he’s best when he’s getting you to watch his characters (or himself) world-build.
Also worth nothing that the writerly technology of world-building has advanced since Tolkien’s day. People have pointed out that both JKR and GRRM did extraordinarily well in this department, even though both are well below Tolkien intellectually and spiritually. JKR, in particular, was good enough that a lazy (and non-autistic) 10 year old could get absorbed.
More generally yet, a lovely piece (hating) on world building is https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/2p80gc/a_short_essay_by_the_great_scifi_author_m_john/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I have been trying to figure out why the Orville's Season 3 Ep 2 was named Electric Sheep. Thanks for tying that together for me, I watched it last night but fell asleep. I will finish it tonight and see if they mention the P. Dick book or if we are supposed to just know it...
Michael, with your body of thought, I am surprised you have not read Dune. I get that it may be a bit too simple from a literary form, but the topic of AI has been something I have been thinking about since I was 15 and read my first Dune book. It started with the ban against thinking machines. When you read the prequels, you see into the Machine Wars directly. I have often said that when Erasmus (the silicon consigliere of Evermind) kills his chef because he detected saliva in his food with a single brain puncture, that is pure evil. Machines have no morals, no conscience, and they can't feel pain. When we unleash a species significantly more intelligent, powerful, and immortal compare to humans, what could possibly go right?