Yeah, it's been a while since the last bender, errr, I mean posting, but who cares, I'm back in the balcony, watchin' the Show...
Science fiction's worth is found in the way it explains our times to us in a different light. At its best, it can be magical, at it's worst painful; and either way, the quality of the writing is always adolescent. Seriously - one hears about the great Philip K. Dick - and as fas as writing goes , the dick stops there. He's an awful writer. Asimov, the most prolific science fiction writer should perhaps have been more concerned about his thinning skin than his fecundity- I mean, really, what science fiction writer in their own right mind writes a big book about Shakespeare? Shakespeare?? It's as ridiculous to me as if some mechanical engineer proficient in CAD decided he would just go up one day and illustrate the local Church's ceiling, like a latter day Michelangelo, thinking it would be just as good as the Sistine Chapel. (It stinks of astronomical vanity, Mr Asimov!)
But there are transcendent experiences in sci fi - one of my favorites is, in fact, in a story by Mr. Asimov and it is called "Nightfall". A world with a few suns, so it never knows darkness. And, since it has been darkness-free, there should be no reasons to head the warnings of the world's Prophet, who warns of a coming darkness, as he has read in the ancient scriptures - a total darkness, where all the suns will turn away and leave the planet lost - again. Anyways - no one believes the Prophet. The darkness falls. The world goes into panic, hysterically afraid of the darkness, and they do what they can only do to regain the light. They burn everything - set everything wildly ablaze!?. And the Prophet watches this all from his balcony, kicked back, munching on popcorn, chuckling to himself warmly. Heehee. (Just kidding).
But to play the part of Asimov's Prophet I do think we live in "the Light" of electricity a little much, and our reliance grows. Where would we be without electricity? I mean, full out all out loss of electricity lasting weeks or months or more. Pioneer time, but a hell of a lot more people. The riots and lawlessness would flood the world. What to do? I've thought - buy a gun. But how could I ever have enough bullets, esp. if confronted by a mob? It would be like "Lord of the Flies".
Cell phones might mitigate things until their batteries ran out. Generators could help to an extent, if they haven't blown in the first place when the electricity was lost. What about we have mini generators connected to stationary bikes that store energy in batteries which we can then plug in for a few minutes of telephone or computer usage. But what about heat? Especially if this happens during the winter? Burn!! I say, BURN everything! We'll start over tomorrow!? Yee haw hallejuhah!??! Let's all go down tonight! Outta sight!?
