Tag Archives: science fiction

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CO2 rising 25% faster than previously thought – a SF Call to Arms

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We’ll need a lot more of theseClimate scientists released a scary report this week saying that global warming is likely to be both ‘stronger than expected and arrive earlier than expected’. Since 2000 large spikes in releases of the gas have seen the amount in the atmosphere grow much faster than expected when the Kyoto treaty was drawn up in 1990. The principle reasons for this increase include the growing economy, China’s increased use of coal and most worryingly, a decrease in the amount of absorption by the world’s natural ‘sinks’.

The UK and New Zealand have both had news stories this week with ministers seeking to go back on ‘unrealistic’ Carbon emission cuts. The problem for all these countries is as the world economy is in such a delicate balance right now (and always, you could argue), to be the first one to start making the drastic changes neccessary means a massive hit to your economy and job market. 12 States including California and New York are sueing the US government for failing to do enough about the problem. All across the news, there are gloomy tales of doom if we don’t change but very little positives highlighted of changing to a less energy intensive future.

SF Writers have a huge part to play in all this. I’m not saying we should all run off and become Mundane. However, science fiction has a capacity to inspire unlike any other genre – just look at the Space Race to see the dreams of the genre in action in the real world. At the moment people understand global warming is a problem. They just don’t have an image in their head of what can replace the current state of affairs. Most of the books that deal with climate change are overwhelmingly apocalyptic, offering no respite and little hope. If we as SF writers can paint a picture of a future where we have adapted to the problems globalisation has caused us without the world ending or life becoming depressingly morbid, we can achieve something that few people are able to do. We can stop scaring people into change and start inspiring them.

[story via the new Guardian America site, image by alasam]

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Frankenstein lives–as a musical!

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Frankenstein the Musical In my quixotic attempt to keep the Futurismic readership updated on musicals with a SFnal aspect, I give you Frankenstein: The Musical, which has just begun performances at 37 Arts, an off-Broadway theatre in New York. Opening night is Thursday, November 1.

Brian Aldiss, for one, argues that Frankenstein was the first true science fiction novel. He makes a persuasive argument in his history of SF, Billion-Year Spree (later revised as Trillion-Year Spree–inflation was a killer in the ’70s and ’80s). (Image: Frankenstein: The Musical.)

[tags]Frankenstein, musicals, Brian Aldiss, science fiction[/tags]

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Heinlein – beyond the books

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This year is definitely Heinlein’s year.  We’ve posted here about Heinlein’s centennial birthday, not to mention the digital archiving of his works.

In addition, there was a symposium held in Kansas City, the town Heinlein grew up in.  There, speakers discussed Heinlein’s effects on American culture – via book, television and film – as well as less related topics.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve always enjoyed his novels, even the ones where he gets a bit preachy with libertarianism.  I remember being so excited that Starship Troopers had been made into a film that I was there on opening night, and the ensuing horror at what had been done to such a fine novel (I now loathe Casper van Dien).  This article is a good read, as it touches on Heinlein’s ventures into TV and film, neither of which were terribly successful.

(image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

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SF writer gets rock star treatment from Chinese

Canadian author Robert J. Sawyer received the Galaxy award, China’s top science fiction prize, from the China International Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival in Chengdu, in Sichuan province.

Sawyer gives his take on the good science fiction can do for Chinese culture – mainly by providing a venue for controversial or taboo topics to be aired in a country not known for its free speech.  In addition, Sawyer relates the current situation regarding the genre to its genesis in inter-war years of America, how people reading sci-fi are inspired to careers in science and technology, and how people can actually see the increments in life quality provided by that science.

Sawyer touches on my major reason for enjoying science fiction – social commentary:

"They’re [China’s science fiction authors] ripe for a transition to a much more interesting sociology and social impact in the softer sciences," [Sawyer] said.

That kind of writing will also allow them to write about subjects that might otherwise be too sensitive in a civilization that doesn’t allow open discussion, he said.

It makes you wonder if the transition to democracy might happen based on sci-fi stories.

Before now, I’d never heard of Robert J. Sawyer.  I think I’ll go check out some of his books my next trip to a bookstore, it sounds like he’s got some interesting ideas.

(via SciTech Daily Review)

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Scientists help out SF writers, create list of possible planet types

Chart of exoplanet types

Doing SF writers’ work for them, a U.S. research team has worked out the properties of a variety of weird planet types that could exist in alien solar systems, including graphite planets and carbon monoxide spheres. Of course, they didn’t do it to help writers (though that would be a fine reason do do such a thing): instead, they hope the models will help astronomers identify the properties of exoplanets they discover in the future.

And yes, say the scientists, weird as these worlds are, some of them could harbour life…though not necessarily Life As We Know It.

(Via New Scientist Space.)

(Illustration: Marc Kuchner/NASA-GSFC via New Scientist Space)

[tags]exoplanets, astronomy, science fiction, space[/tags]