Tag: scarcity
9
by morgan on Sep.08, 2009, under Paolo Bacigalupi
I watched the new film “9″ tonight. It’s a fun movie, imaginative and tightly constructed, and I enjoyed the characters and story. The clever construction of mechanical beasts was a highlight for me, and the animation is top notch. I highly recommend this one.
Its apocalyptic wasteland setting is particularly interesting given our current topic. This is no spoiler, since it is clear in the trailer and within the first few moments of the movie, that technology is mankind’s doom.
Scarcity is a looming problem. Could we be equally vulnerable to overabundance? In the case of “9,” you could argue it is overabundance of technology. As science fiction addresses the dangers of “too little,” it would also be compelling to see writers continue to address threats of “too much.” Are they really that different or just the same scarcity issue from different points of view?
Dramatic Utopia
by morgan on Sep.06, 2009, under Paolo Bacigalupi
Paolo, we’d all like to predict a better future. The Grand Society or New Golden Age. Environmental problems are fixed. Diseases are cured. Wars have ended. I’m not sure if it is a realistic vision for some far future day or not. My question is how does a predictive Science Fiction genre tackle an idealized future, even if that idealized future is logical or reasonable?
At the heart of storytelling is drama, tension and struggle. In a world lacking scarcity issues, much of the tension is removed, and it becomes more difficult to tell a traditional story. Unless the Utopia is an illusion or secretly corrupt, and that makes for good stories, too. Assuming that the Utopia is real, is it still possible to infuse that story with danger and suspense without creating an outside source to threaten it?
Any comments from the Rogue’s Gallery of Babel Clash readers? Can you recall any great Utopian Science Fiction visions where we see both a grand future and drama and suspense?
