Radical Presentism
When he’s not jacking off to steampunk bullshit, Cory Doctorow can write some pretty compelling sentences. This particular essay neatly lays out the reasons I value Science Fiction. (Please no wedgies.)
Mary Shelley wasn’t worried about reanimated corpses stalking Europe, but by casting a technological innovation in the starring role of Frankenstein, she was able to tap into present-day fears about technology overpowering its masters and the hubris of the inventor. Orwell didn’t worry about a future dominated by the view-screens from 1984, he worried about a present in which technology was changing the balance of power, creating opportunities for the state to enforce its power over individuals at ever-more-granular levels.
[Since that site has a layout best described as buttshit, I recommend you use Readability.]
i wrote my college application essay to nyu about frankenstein. i can’t remember what i wrote but i’m sure if i had written about something similar, i might’ve actually gotten in. or maybe i did and 10 years ago my writing wasn’t good enough to articulate a pretty intense point inside of 500 words.
…
there is a correlation between technology, elegance and power. it’s an arms race. no, not a virtual one - a real one, as mr. doctorow points out. i suppose this point is pretty veiled but pretty obvious at the same time. consumer technology vs. national security. satisfying needs. preventing. prohibiting. providing. protracting.
also, using it to communicate directly. here i am using a top-of-the-line computer and publishing platform; trying to show and tell you about something that is interesting to me.
how different is sharing from trying to be persuasive?
