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Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Can Technology Save Us or Not?

Hey all you sci-fi geeks out there!

I'm preparing some presentations that I'll be giving for the Higher Things Youth Gathering in St. Louis next week. And right now, I'm thinking about the genre of science fiction. It seems to me that there are mainly two types of science fiction.

The first type is optimistic about human nature and our use of reason and posits that mankind will gradually evolve and, by means of science and technology, solve all our problems. Under this category, I'd include Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek series and movies.

The second type is pessimistic about human nature and serves to caution us against the folly of placing too much faith in science and technology. Under this category, I'd place Andromeda Strain, I Robot (the movie), Westworld, and Frankenstein.

Movies like Star Wars seem to me to fit better under the fantasy genre. They contain advanced technologies, but the stories aren't about the technology and its potential for good vs. its risks. They're about the characters and the technology is mainly a part of the setting.

Anyone have thoughts to share on this subject?

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