inkican

@inkican@kbin.social

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inkican, do scifi angielski

Futurology – Dystopia of Utopia

New important futurology topic – the dystopia of utopia – a common scifi trope. We should remain aware of is the flawed logic and failure of utopia, especially in the context of Futurology. A utopia would be ‘an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions. Hence utopian and utopianism are words used to denote visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic.’

Why is utopia impossible for humanity? Who wouldn’t want to live that way? Let’s take a few moments to talk about why utopia doesn’t work, and consider some historic examples of aborted utopias.

First and foremost – utopias don’t work for people and here’s why: my idea of ‘perfect’ is different from yours. Billy Fleming makes an important point about utopia in this article. ‘Margaret Atwood reminds us in The Handmaid’s Tale, an ideal society is never ideal for everyone. The difference between utopia and dystopia is often little more than one’s vantage point.’

Humanity’s innate diversity means we’re constantly at odds with each other when it comes to what we want out of life, what makes us tick. The only way to solve that ‘problem’ is for everyone to live, think, and see things the same way. Know what you get when you do that? ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ I’ll have more to say about that later.

Another problem – balancing priorities, resources, and power. Power is corrosive and corrupting to humanity. We’d constantly be fighting the influence of bad actors tipping the balance of power in their favor. Those bad actors might be coming from inside or outside the community, forcing you to treat citizens and neighbors as both assets and liabilities. If you ever figure out how to do that correctly, let me know.

How do I know that utopia won’t work? History. We’ve tried this before! New Harmony, Indiana thrived for a while on principles of equal rights and equality of duties only to fall apart due to competing ideologies, quarrels, and ‘ nature’s own inherent law of diversity.’ The Oneida Community pursued the idea of ‘individual spiritual perfection within a harmonious society‘ but declined over practices like ‘complex marriage’ and ‘community criticism’ sessions. (Fun fact – the Oneida community founded the company that makes your favorite forks and knives – they’re still in business today!)

There are other examples, too. The Amana Colonies were founded by Inspirationists, and based their society on shared religious principles for over seventy years, only to fall victim to external economic pressure. Even the former Soviet Union, on paper, was an attempt to create a society based on Marxist-Leninst principles of socialism. We all know how that ended.

Could utopia work under the right circumstances? Sure, maybe. AI-based governance could be a way for us to cede authority to an objective resource but even modern AIs have a serious problem – they’re learning from humans. When it comes to computers, it’s ‘garbage in – garbage out’ – and we’re the garbage. Could we fix that? Will advancements in quantum technology allow us to simulate future outcomes before assimilation into our universe?

Again, maybe – but that brings up a new potential danger: Quantum annihilation. We’d be constructing and destroying other universes as a science experiment. What consequences would we face, if other citizens of the multiverse started coming back through the doors we’re opening? I talk about that in The Conquered.

What are other possibilities? Virtual reality? Best case scenario – Ready Player One. Worst case scenario – Mark Zuckerberg. Either way, the odds are good but the goods are odd. No bueno.

So yeah – utopia – it’s a third rail for humanity. If you take nothing else from this, remember: there’s a ‘dystopia’ that comes with ‘utopia.’ Scifi loves to pontificate about ‘here’s how utopia could work,’ but the reality is utopia is also dystopia, depending on who you talk to.

Write on, and have a great weekend! 🙂

8 Sci-Fi Movie Inventions Ruined By Real Science (screenrant.com) angielski

Science fiction movies often encourage audiences to dream up technologies beyond their wildest dreams, making them seem realistic enough to be plausible, only to be bitterly disappointed by the limitations of real-world science. The most ambitious science fiction movies have presented a wide variety of settings, from the...

inkican, do scifi angielski

Shout-out to the professional SF community - LMK if you'd like to be hosted for an AMA here on /m/scifi - DM me with any questions, feedback

inkican,

What's the next movie gonna be: "Suburbs of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Solar System of the Galaxy of the Apes'?

The Sci-Fi Writer Who Invented Conspiracy Theory (www.theatlantic.com) angielski

In 1950, a U.S. Army psyops officer named Paul Linebarger used a pseudonym to publish a science-fiction story titled “Scanners Live in Vain” in a pulp magazine. It was about a man named Martel who works for the “deep state” in the far future as a mysterious “scanner,” or starship pilot, and whose mind is manipulated...

inkican,

The movie torched the emotional arcs and beats of the book so badly, I don't see it happening now.

inkican,

It was much better than the critics at the time would admit.

Forget the critics, Asa Butterfield did what he could but they didn't fully explore the crushing loneliness that Ender felt as a third and ignored the emotional weight that he carried as a result of the Xenocide.

inkican,

Thank you - Wesley needed to hear that.

inkican,

Don't tell my friend to shut up!

inkican,

Yup, agreed - that's what I'm doing in my novels ...

inkican,

I think you're thinking of Atlas Shrugged - Neuromancer is literary acid-house and is quite literally one of the best novels ever written. You have to read it about 4 times before you actually get it.

Does the sci-fi classic Alien have the best movie marketing campaign ever? (www.msn.com) angielski

There’s a case to be made that the Xenomorph is the greatest movie monster ever conceived. It’s certainly among the most iconic. H.R. Giger, the Swiss artist who designed the title creature of Alien, took inspiration from Francis Bacon and Rolls-Royce, and emerged with a biomechanical killing machine that’s instantly...

inkican,

They've had issues with supply chains forever - that's why I use Ono Sendai

inkican,

Would that you contributed actual content to the community instead of only complaints about the content.

inkican,

I get ya, I hadn’t even really noticed since the movie was named in the box below.

Exactly. Content creators gotta eat too, so there are levels of 'please click on this so I can eat' that I'm prepared to accept in the landscape of 2024 digital information exchanges.

inkican,

Rule 3: Mutual Learning and Collaboration
The federated internet community should serve as a platform for mutual learning and collaboration among its members. Encourage individuals to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences related to science fiction. Foster a culture of curiosity and intellectual growth, where members can engage in constructive dialogues and learn from each other. By embracing diverse perspectives and promoting collaboration, the community can become a vibrant hub for science fiction enthusiasts to expand their understanding of the genre.

inkican,

Ooh, I have a list:

  • Looker - directed by Michael "Jurassic Park" Chricton. The first ever film to create 3D shading with a computer that produced the first ever CGI human character was the model Cindy (Susan Dey).
  • Westworld (1973) - also written by Michael Chricton
  • Mac and Me - It's a movie that's SO UNBELIEVEABLY BAD IT MUST BE SEEN TO UNDERSTAND HOW BAD IT IS. After you watch it, you'll understand why Paul Rudd tortured Conan O'Brien with this famous clip.
  • The Last Starfighter - another cheeseball 80s knock off of Star Wars. Also pioneered the use of CGI
  • Enemy Mine - Dennis Quaid bonds with an alien enemy and eventually helps him bear children. Directed by Wolfgang 'Neverending Story' Petersen. You have been warned.
  • The Quiet Earth - A scientist awakens to find himself alone in the world. In a desperate attempt to search for others, he finds only two who have their own agenda.
  • The Stuff - A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation, but the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world. Co-stars Paul "Goodfellas" Sorvino
  • Miracle Mile - What would you do if you accidentally found out that the world was ending in a little over an hour? Features Anthony "ER" Edwards
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