I think sci-fi writers tend to get a bad rap. When it comes to the genre, science fiction can often be touted as "visionaries with a cracked lens." Think Orwell's 1984; Collins' The Hunger Games; Philip K. Dick's Minority Report. It seems that when we are introduced to new technology or a different historical narrative, humanity pays the price. Things don't look better, they look worse.
As a sci-fi writer by trade, I decided to look into this further. Granted, science fiction does have the capacity to immerse us in dystopian futures and post-apocalyptic dangers, but sci-fi can also inspire us to think outside the box. What are we capable of? What have we yet to imagine that is possibly real? This is a bit of a challenging question. One that I didn't expect to talk about worldviews with, but I did within the context of this episode.
And as a final note, I wanted to make mention of the passing of sci-fi legend, Ursula K le Guin. Aside from her great contributions to science fiction writing, Ms. le Guin wrote a particularly intriguing foreword in one of her books, The Left Hand of Darkness, that really inspired this episode. So I'll be discussing that too.
Live Show: "I, Robot" and the Logic of the Heart
Live Show: "Tenchi Muyo" and Delusions on Marriage
Hindsight is 2020: Star Wars
Hindsight is 2020: Jurassic Park
Hindsight is 2020: The MonsterVerse
Hindsight is 2020: The DC Extended Universe
EP77: "Cain and Abel" and the Origins of Heroes and Villains
EP76: "A Christmas Carol" and Whether God Blesses Us All
EP75: "Terminator" and the Near-Extinct Macho Dad
EP74: "TMNT" and the Fight Against Nihilism
EP73: "Robin Hood" and the False Virtue of Stealing From the Rich
EP72: "Perelandra" and Gender, As Told By C.S. Lewis
EP71: "Tombstone" and The Necessity of Law and Order
EP70: "Dark" and the Mystery of Original Sin
EP69: "Forrest Gump" and the World as Our Villain
Review: Netflix's "Bodyguard"
E68: "Captain America" and the Freedom We All Want for Our Lives
E67: "The Great Divorce" and Why We Don't Take Hell So Seriously
Review: Tiger King...and Some Other Observations
Is Art Valuable In a Time of Crisis?
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