alternative perspectives on the future in science fiction: the works of olaf stapeldon
DESCRIPTION
This presentation was from a seminar on "Alternative Perspectives on the Future" as part of my Futures Studies program at the University of Houston. In it, I talk about some of the cool stuff in Olaf Stapeldon's "Last and First Men" and "Star Maker."TRANSCRIPT
alternative perspectives on the future in science fiction
the Works of Olaf Stapeldon
josh lindenger | 11.29.2012 @jlindenger | [email protected] image: NASA, STS059-29-023
why look to science fiction?
Image: NASA, GPN-2001-000009
“We of today must conceive our relation to the rest of the universe as best we can; and even if our images must seem fantastic to future men, they may none the less serve their
purpose today.” - olaf stapeldon
who was olaf stapeldon?
“mostly fantastic fiction of a semi-philosophical kind”
1930 1937
themes…
…development of consciousness/perspective …exploring what “humanity” means …the individual and the group, self and whole …fate (at a cosmic level) …importance of spirituality (but maybe not religion) …Hegelian thesis-antithesis-synthesis
crazy cool stuff in the 1930s…
terraforming
emergence
renewable energy
peak coal J
genetic engineering
group minds/swarm intelligence
global climate change agent-based systems
virtual reality
The Prime Directive
“dyson” spheres sickness from “nanoparticles”
relation to other “alternative” perspectives…
Spiral Dynamics
Integral Theory
Other perspectives based on interconnectedness,
systems, etc.
image: solar eclipse on 01 Aug 2008 by elias chasiotis, on flickr
sources…
…Stapledon, Last and First Men …Stapledon, Star Maker …Liptak, “Looking far, far into the future: Olaf Stapledon,” Kirkus Reviews, July 26, 2012. …Wikipedia (totally cited it) …NASA and Elias Chasiotis for the pretties
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