Saturday 11 March 2017

Two Directions

Futuristic sf can take two directions:

How will continued technological advances affect society?

Will mankind survive if technological civilization collapses?

Kith addesses the first question; Maurai addresses the second.

Post-collapse novels like:

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart;
several by Poul Anderson;
the Change series by SM Stirling -

- make positive statements about the resilience, aptitudes and adaptability of human beings.

After the Change, I would want to have ex-SAS men like Stirling's Sam Aylward and the Lorings on my side. I heard of a guy who failed to get into the SAS on his third and, by the rules, final attempt although this time he had completed all the tests. When told that he had failed, he whined, "But why have I failed? I did everything right this time!" He was then told that now he had failed. That was the final test. Even I know that the correct response would have been, "Yes, sir! Permission to ask why, sir?" But I would not have got anything else right.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

With the likes of Norman Arminger and his even more sinister wife Sandra prowling around, I would very much want to have the Lorings, Sam Aylward, and Lord Bear on my side!

Very interesting, your last paragraph, about the final test for the SAS candidate. He failed because he lost his "cool." He should have asked calmly, in correct military fashion, why he had failed. IF he had, then he would have been told he was IN.

Sean