Books about the future are often judged by whether come true what they say, or not. No wonder, when came the 21st century, the world swept friendly cry of frustration, "Well, where are our flying cars," Many people still resent the science and technology that do not meet bizarre expectations created by the early 20th century fiction.
However, the problem is not part of science fiction to predict the future. It only considers the options. Handy for future writers is the fact that it is unknown. It is a black box, in which, as noted famous poet and fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin (Ursula K. Le Guin), «can be anything - and no one will argue." "The future - it is a safe and sterile laboratory for our ideas - she said Smithsonian, - a way to comprehend the reality of the method."
Some authors are experimenting with possible future, predicting where we can bring modern social trends and current advances in science and technology. For example, William Gibson (William Gibson), who coined the term "cyberspace" and who now will never allow to forget about it, published in the 1980s, great novels and stories about the global world with hackers, cyber-warfare and violent reality show. For other authors, the future - this is primarily a metaphor. Famous novel Le Guin "Left Hand of Darkness» («The Left Hand of Darkness»), released in 1969, depicts a distant world, which is inhabited by genetically modified hermaphrodites. It was an obvious thought experiment: Le Guin wondered how it will look bezgendernoe society.
Since science fiction is acceptable as possible, and a fabulous future, to scientific side of things it can be treated as extremely carefully and lightly. For each author, carefully tracking the latest developments of physics or computer science, accounting for authors using "impossible" technology for the development of the plot (Le Guin, for example, invented for this purpose "ansibli" - means for instantaneous interstellar communication) or to it was easier to handle public issues. Since HG Wells uses his time machine to show the reader the distant future and the disastrous fate of mankind.
They sometimes come to life is crazy at first glance, the idea. This is partly due to the ability of fiction spur the imagination of those readers who have enough technical knowledge to turn fantasy into reality. In 1865, Jules Verne's novel "From the Earth to the Moon" put forward the idea of movable light spacecraft. Now engineers around the world are actively working on solar sails.
Astrophysicist from the Seattle-based technology company LaserMotive Jordin Kare (Jordin Kare), famous for his theoretical and practical work in the field of lasers, space elevators and solar sails, readily acknowledges that science fiction has strongly affected his life and his professional career. "I went in astrophysics, because I was interested in how the universe works on a large scale, - he says. - But I went to MIT, because there went the hero of the novel by Robert A. Heinlein (Robert Heinlein) «I have the suit ready to go» («Have Spacesuit, Will Travel») ». CARE - an active participant in science fiction fandom. "Many of the people involved in the most advanced research, related to the world of fiction."
Microsoft, Google, Apple and several other companies have sponsored a series of events in which the authors of science fiction first communicated with employees of these companies, and then met with the developers and staff development departments. Perhaps the best example of the close links between science fiction and technology - the so-called design-fiction - works of art created by the order of technology companies to model new ideas. Some corporations hire writers who have to create stories that simulate the use of potential products.
"I like the design and-fiction, literary and modeling - says novelist Cory Doctorow (Cory Doctorow), working in particular on Disney and Tesco. - There is nothing strange in the fact if the company to understand whether or not to engage in certain technology, bought us stories about the people who use it. It's something like a virtual tour of the building architects. " Doctorow, who worked in the software industry, familiar with both sides of the process: "I participated in the engineering disputes in which it came to how the product will be perceived by the user. Literature can help to understand it. "
In the early 20th century in the American science fiction usually predominated positive images of the future. The progress of science had to make a better world. By mid-century, after the terrible world wars and the invention of the nuclear bomb, the mood changed fiction. Subjects became darker, and science has ceased to be a purely positive factor.
In recent decades, anti-utopian tendencies were even clearer. Maybe it's the performances that most of society still does not receive the benefits of technological progress. Speaking of which, John Clute (John Clute), well-known critic and co-editor of "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction," cites the prophetic words spoken by Bertrand Russell (Bertrand Russell) in 1924: "I fear that science will be used to reinforce the power of dominant groups and not to make people happier. " According to Clute, "Now many fear that the world in which we live, designed by those who benefit from his device."
Kim Stanley Robinson (Kim Stanley Robinson), author of such bestsellers as Mars trilogy, "2312" and "Shaman» («Shaman»), shares this fear that, in his opinion, has the popularity of the novel by Suzanne Collins (Suzanne Collins) « The Hunger Games »(« The Hunger Games »), with its rich ruling class, sowing fear and despair among the potentially rebellious, impoverished population through violent gladiatorial games. "Science fiction embodies what people think about the future - says Robinson. - Therefore, in 1930, 1940 and partly in 1950 was dominated by the "big ideas." People thought that the future - somehow - be better than the present. Now they do not think so. The rich take for themselves nine-tenths of the world and make others fight for leftovers, and if we oppose it, we are told that we extend the class strife - and we just crushed. They play with us for their entertainment and live in ridiculous luxury, while we starve and fight each other. So the world looks like "The Hunger Games", and it is not surprising that the public received this book with delight. "
William Gibson, for its part, considers pointless to divide science fiction utopian and anti-utopian. While the future of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel 1984 "Neuromancer» («Neuromancer») looks dirty and poor, he did not consider his work pessimistic. "I have always sought one - naturalism - he explains. - In the 1980s, the world seemed to me dystopia, because it came out of the humanity of the Cold War alive. Many smart people did not believe in such an outcome. "
The difference between utopia and dystopia often depends on whether the author's hope for a brighter future. Say Robinson often takes more serious topics like anti-utopian potential nuclear war, environmental disaster or global warming. But it will not be despair, and offers solutions with a variety of realistic, well-researched from a scientific point of view details. So he calls his creativity rather utopian.
Neal Stephenson (Neal Stephenson), author of "Anathema» («Anathem»), «Virus Reamde» («Reamde») and approximately a dozen novels, fed up with dystopia. It encourages authors to write more realistic and optimistic about the future. Stevenson also engaged in futurology and technological counseling, wants to see realistic "big ideas" that can inspire young engineers and scientists to find solutions for problems that are not yet able to resolve. "People like Kim Stanley Robinson and Greg Benford and Jim, carries the torch of optimism" - he said. Stevenson agrees that the genre of cyberpunk, which was a pioneer Gibson, "did much to science fiction, opening new horizons", but believes that it acted too much off on the media. "Now if you talk to directors, it appears that many of them, like 30 years ago, confident that the steeper the" Blade Runner "there can be nothing. From this idea, we should get rid. "
In 2012, Stevenson, together with the Center of Science and imagination Arizona State University participated in the creation of "Project Character" - network "space for cooperation writers, scientists, artists and engineers to create a creative and ambitious images of the near future." The first fruit of the project will be an anthology of "Character: stories and projects devoted to a better future» («Hieroglyph: Stories and Blueprints for a Better Future»), which will be released in September, the publisher HarperCollins. It will include the creation of both known and emerging writers who, in the words of director INV Ed Finn (Ed Finn), «pushed to get out of your comfort zone." The same impulse anthology and should give readers. Audience "Characters" Finn said people who never thought about the problems addressed by the authors. "I want them to have seen the future," - he says.
The works included in the anthology, raise serious theme: Stevenson writes about building a 15-mile steel tower that reaches the stratosphere and helps to save fuel when starting spacecraft Madeline Ashby (Madeline Ashby) applies game mechanics to control immigration in the U.S., and Cory Doctorow proposes to use 3D-printing for construction on the moon.
Main drawback of this approach is that not all problems have real solutions - and not all of the solutions can be fun to write. "Once tehnooptimisty thought that cheap nuclear energy will solve all our problems. Now they think that all our problems will solve unlimited computing power - explains Ted Chan (Ted Chiang), who studied the nature of mind in his works such as "The life cycle of software» («The Lifecycle of Software Objects»). - However, a book about an incredibly powerful computers not so much inspire the reader, as inspired by the book of the huge machines. Advances in the computer industry is much more abstract and more prosaic. "
Teachers MIT Media Lab Sophia Brueckner (Sophia Brueckner) and Novi Dan (Dan Novy) were amazed when it turned out that many of the students have never read science fiction. "I think the fact that they - the best students from the best schools, and they said from the outset that the fantasy - it's for kids and it is not worth wasting time - explains Novi. - In addition, to do to us, they had to seriously try. Maybe they just did not have time to read something beyond the mandatory program in literature. "
Last fall, Brueckner and Novi students read the course "From science fiction to science," The program includes a lot of stories, novels, films, videos and even games. Learners create working models on the basis of reading, and then calculated the social context they developed technologies. Project inspired by an episode of Gibson's "Neuromancer", they have created a device which by the electrodes and wireless communications allow the user gesture remotely stimulate the muscles of the hands of the second user and force him to make the same gesture. Young engineers are offered for a number of applications of technology - for example, assistance to victims of stroke, reducing the function of the limbs. However, according to Novi, the group also much discussion of the ethical aspect of the case. In Gibson's novel, this technology has been used for sexual exploitation - turning people into remote-controlled sex dolls.
Brueckner complains that researchers in new technologies are often not familiar with science fiction. "Now develop biotechnology and genetic engineering. Meanwhile, say, Margaret Atwood (Margaret Atwood) writes about the anti-utopian world based just on those technologies, - she says. - Some authors decades deeply engaged his themes, and read their books is just as important, how to get acquainted with the scientific papers. "
Science fiction at its best samples develops flexibility of thinking, not only inspire us, but also forcing us to think about the many possible consequences of our actions. Samuel R. Delany (Samuel R. Delany), one of the most prolific and skilled masters of the genre, finds his antidote to growing in recent years futuroshoka. "Science fiction teaches us to imagine a variety of worlds. It prepares us for the real change - sometimes catastrophic, sometimes confusing - who year after year brings down upon us the real world. Fiction helps us not feel stunned, "- he believes.
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