Hey, Mom! The Explanation.

Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2220 - What Science Fiction Means Today

 

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2220 - What Science Fiction Means Today


The blog is in low power mode due to end of quarter grading, and as I type this I am four days behind.

Watch it grow.

I added some art to this post just to make it meatier.

LOW POWER MODE: I sometimes put the blog in what I call LOW POWER MODE. If you see this note, the blog is operating like a sleeping computer, maintaining static memory, but making no new computations. If I am in low power mode, it's because I do not have time to do much that's inventive, original, or even substantive on the blog. This means I am posting straight shares, limited content posts, reprints, often something qualifying for the THAT ONE THING category and other easy to make posts to keep me daily. That's the deal. Thanks for reading.

Science fiction in 2020: A guide to great sci-fi about the future

From a little while back, I recommend digging through Polygon’s Sci-fi week collection. They cover quite a lot of terrain and present many perspectives (and lists) on the genre.

Can science fiction map a positive future?

Tasha Robinson wonders if scifi can offer more positive visions that deal with the challenges humans face while not being so dark about it, finding hopeful directions without veering to the saccharine.

[C]ulturally, we’ve stopped looking forward to the future as a shiny place of improvement and enlightenment. Instead, we’ve embraced the breakdown of society as the ultimate fantasy. […]

[I]n a particularly cynical and anxious age, when science fiction is more popular than ever, all these fantasies about society crashing and burning don’t feel like effective warnings. Instead, they encourage passive fatalism and “It has to get worse before it gets better” thinking.

 

Science fiction has been radically reimagined over the last 10 years

Assemblage of bits of interviews “with a group of gatekeepers and tastemakers.” Everything included was handpicked, so consider accordingly but nonetheless, I was happy to read so many answers talking about more diverse voices and what they bring. (Loads of recommendations within and at the end too.)

Whereas I think some of the more interesting science fiction literature right now is happening with groups of characters working together to make change happen, in stories like the Expanse series, or Annalee Newitz’s The Future of Another TimelineAs opposed to more escapist spacefaring, space-opera stuff, seeing people who are actually protecting and preserving the home we have is really invigorating, motivating, and inspiring.



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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2103.17 - 10:10

- Days ago = 2084 days ago


- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.



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