In fact, futuristic sf and historical fiction have in common that neither is contemporary fiction. In both, the author must describe a period different from the one that is familiar to himself and his readers. However, historical and contemporary fiction have in common that something is known about both the past and the present. Since the future is neither present nor known, it can wind up sounding like the past - with convicts sent to the mines.
Revolutions happened in the early twentieth century and also in the mid-twenty-first century of Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Poul Anderson had nothing against the use of corporal punishment for some crimes. But of course he would have strictly limited how many lashes a particular offense should get. And he stated that first anyone convicted to a lashing should be examined to make sure the convict could stand it. And that it should be done by a machine.
Anderson believed corporal punishment would be better than either fines or imprisonment for many offenses. Also, for cases of wrongful conviction and lashing, compensation could be paid, while nothing could repaid years wrongly lost in prison.
I discussed such issues in more detail in my article "Crime and Punishment in the Terran Empire."
Ad astra! Sean
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