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I'm repeatedly surprised at how many people dont seem to get that most scifi is deliberately a reflection of issues that already exist in our current day societ

I'm repeatedly surprised at how many people dont seem to get that most scifi is deliberately a reflection of issues that already exist in our current day society. Like that is what makes the jokes in hitchhikers guide funny, and why the matrix is one of the most poignant narratives in pop culture... black mirror is real life taken to poetic extremes, it's not a coincidence that zuck's metaverse gives off "black mirror vibes", that is the specific intention of black mirror

jfengel 4y ago
That joke most certainly was a reflection of society, but I think it's different from the way that joke reads today (and out of context). HHTG channeled the malaise and confusion of the 1970s, driven by nuclear war and economic downturns. (OK, a bit like now...) HHTG responded to that nihilism with pessimism on one side (Ford) and absurdism on the other (Zaphod). A lot of pleasures (sex, drugs, and rock and roll) were feeling hollow, and all Arthur (the prototypical Englishman) just wanted to hide and be comforted. That joke certainly reflects a pessimism that is persistent in all societies, that every good thing must also have a downside. I took it out of context to highlight the communication aspect, something that I don't think was especially on Adams' mind -- though it would be only a few years before a communications revolution. I think Adams' would take credit for pessimism being right -- usually a safe bet.