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This is oxymoronic - the point of 'sci-fi' is not to be accurate. If it has a single 'point of reference' it is to inform our thinking about this world by depic
by artied 16y ago
This is oxymoronic - the point of 'sci-fi' is not to be accurate. If it has a single 'point of reference' it is to inform our thinking about this world by depicting alternative realities that illuminate our awareness of this reality....IMHO
- TGJ 16y agoI've always found sci-fi to be examples of upcoming technology and their possible implications on humanity.
- CWuestefeld 16y agoThat's one purpose. My own suggestion elsewhere in this thread, Rainbows End, fits into this category. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas never meant to tell us that we'd be playing with light sabers. Frequently, the futuristic technology of sci-fi is nothing more than a literary device allowing the author to contrive a situation or theme that wouldn't be possible with more mundane environments.
- barrkel 16y agoGeorge Lucas never made any sci-fi after THX-1138, and that itself was pretty derivative. Star Wars is a medieval swords and sorcery fantasy, only set in space.
- barrkel 16y agoI fully agree with you. Sci-fi isn't about predicting the future; to me, it's about accentuating a particular aspect of our current world, magnifying its significance, and letting the consequences play out, thus revealing something about ourselves that probably wasn't obvious before. Philip K. Dick put it another way: in sci-fi, the main character isn't a person, but an idea. But an idea as a main character is only interesting if it's relevant to us, today, right now.