On Fri, 4 Oct 1996, Anny Middon wrote:
> In a message dated 96-10-04 09:10:53 EDT, [log in to unmask] (Nicola Gebendinge=
r)
> wrote:
>=20
> > > Besides, who ever said that the major role of science fiction
> > > is to speculate on the technologies of the future? I can think
> > > of any number of terrific books that don=92t hypothesize any new
> > > technologies.
> >
> > Aren=92t the speculations about science and technology of the future a=
nd
> their
> > consequnces implied in the definition of sf, Ms Middon?
> >
> I'd say "not necessarily." To me, sf deals with how people react to imag=
ined
> environments, particularly those of the future. A post-apocalypse story =
that
> envisioned a world that returned to hunter-gatherer tribes would meet my
> definition and contain no technology to speak of. But mostly I meant tha=
t a
> story doesn't have to present new technology that hasn't been proposed in
> other works to be good sf.
>=20
> Anny
> [log in to unmask]
>
I agree with Ms. Middon. Sf can imply various things, including=20
alternate history. I don't remember any new technology in Philip K.=20
Dick's THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, unless the Germans used something=20
unusual in their assault on Africa.=20
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