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Science Fiction That Caused Political Change

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Meirelle
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
I had to read "Looking Backward" in my Utopia/Dystopia class in college. It was terrible. I try to forget about it.
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RAHfanboy
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
Great post!
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♠ Final ♠
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
China Syndrome
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RAHfanboy
11/04/08

@Final: You beat me!
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Pope John Peeps II
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
What about Zamyatin's "We"? It's a pretty landmark work. I'm surprised it's not here.

And you have it ABSOLUTELY wrong on Heinlein. He wrote Strangers after Leary and the counterculture drug movement, and he wrote after the zen-influenced American Beat movement.

He basically cribbed off their thought, substituting adolescent horniness and absolute misogyny for sexual liberation and spiritual growth, added a huge spoonful of right-wing craziness, and ended up with a hugely marketable product.

Also, I can't even believe you compared him to Hesse. It's like comparing the planet Jupiter to a glassy marble lying on the street.
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Sproing
11/04/08

@Pope John Peeps II: Which one's the marble in this analogy?
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Pope John Peeps II
11/04/08

@Sproing: seriously? I'm not even answering that.
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RAHfanboy
11/04/08

@Pope John Peeps II: Is it "Hate Heinlein Day" already? Wow, time flies!
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AmishJohn
11/04/08

@RAHfanboy: It's the default setting. Occasionally, the pendulum swings over into 'Tolerate Heinlein', but since the mount is canted so far to the left, it seldom stays in that zone.
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Sproing
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
Why does SF have such deep interaction with conservative political thought? Is it because so much of the literature deals with threats to the status quo from the Other?
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James7344
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
An interesting list, but works of SF have influenced politics in other way.
Cautionary tales have also affected politics, by demonizing some movements or preventing certain futures from coming about.
1984 is one example; I'm sure there's more.
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RAHfanboy
11/04/08

@James7344: "The China Syndrome" pretty much halted any advances in nuclear power. Hanoi Jane strikes again.
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HerrIssyvoo
11/04/08

In reply to Science Fiction That Caused Political Change
Another one for the list: John Brunner, particularly The Sheep Look Up. Wasn't he also involved in the creation of the peace sign?
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Sproing
11/04/08

@HerrIssyvoo: Brunner was an awesome, awesome doomsayer. And a lot of his speculative creations (like the Internet) are new real.

Is your sig an Isherwood ref? Love it.
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Sproing
11/04/08

@Sproing: Now real.
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