Orwell's 1984 is I think completely without computers. Lots of recording technology, but no artificial intelligence. That's a general trend in 1930s/40s/50s science fiction - they thought, if intelligent computers did exist in the future, they would be massive*. In golden age SF by people like Van Vogt, interstellar spacecraft are generally entirely computerless - slide rules tend to be the most complicated technology aboard the spacecraft.
*Douglas Adams sent this trend up nicely when writing about a computer so large, it actually became the planet earth.
Could only happen in America? But the whole world's America. Kafka-esque, but true? Still, "they" didn't ask if Dr Haneef wanted to be busted or lots of Afghanis blown to bits, either. Lots of coercive laws have come into existence over the last decade and this is so intrusion, surveillance and coercion are normalised rather than seen as atypical or fascist. Like Winston Smith, the day will come when people will feel lost without Big Brother reassuringly looking over their shoulders, telling them what to think or how lucky they are getting sacked after twenty years surface with loss of entitlements and the gates locked.
A curious epilogue to this thread. An FB friend, Selim Gool of South Africa, has forwarded the story of the banning of John Pilger's new film and trip to, the USA yesterday (10/6), at "Znet". "God bless America, Home of the Free". Anyone seen anything in the local msm on this?
Still Life With Cat is an all-purpose blog containing reflections on whatever is going on in the realms of literature, politics, media, music, dinner, gardening etc. Its original incarnation is Pavlov's Cat (2005-2008).
Read, Think, Write is about all things books and writing, and incorporates Australian Literature Diary (2005-2010) and Ask the Brontë Sisters (May-July 2007).
Blogs are by Kerryn Goldsworthy, a writer, critic and editor who lives and works in Adelaide, South Australia.
Healthy drinks for kids: new recommendations
-
Several groups under the auspices of Healthy Eating Research got together
to produce this guide for kids ages 5-18. To summarize: Drink: water or
milk Li...
Birthday Siege Engines
-
What better thing to post here than this, I mean honestly...
Note: I also want flowers and a non-appliance pressie. If you're going to
give a girl a...
Finished my book
-
Well, I finished my book. I'm very proud of it. It'll be published on 19
September.
I made a website about it which has some nice pictures and bi...
I know you are but what am I
-
*Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World* – Naomi Klein
*Sydney Review of Books* (13 May 2024)
Richard Hofstadter coined the term ‘paranoid style’...
Lahti
-
I am in Lahti, Finland, to give a talk at the Lahti Symphony's Sibelius
Festival. I've been wanting to visit since I encountered Osmo Vänskä's
revelatory B...
Ghost Species Cover Reveal
-
I’m very excited to be able to reveal the cover of my new novel, Ghost
Species. I’ve talked a little about it before, but here’s the blurb: When
scientist ...
Easy Ways To Improve Your LinkedIn Profile
-
When you’re at a networking evening you need to be able to sum up what your
company does and how they can deliver for the person you’re talking too –
you...
life is not a blog post
-
I was in a café this morning when the waiter, a beardy bloke in his early
20’s called me “my love”. I wondered if that was a term of endearment he
reserve...
use it or lose it
-
turns out if you don't blog for over a year the part of your brain that
stores your blog password (the same one you've had for the entire ten,
no, ELEVEN y...
A Bear and a Lion and a brand new school
-
Our world has fundamentally shifted. We have moved schools halfway through
the primary years, and our worlds, especially those of our children, have
been r...
Not-cross-buns, 2016
-
Continuing a fine tradition in our house of subverting pre-existing
festivals for our own purposes, I’ve made not-cross-buns, using the
excellent recipe on...
Celebrating new books
-
Over the next week I'm looking forward to celebrating the birth of two new
books.
No. Not mine. When contemplating the release of my own book I'm generally...
A pretext for moving along
-
I think I've come to terms that this blog is over. It was a fantastic way
to meet people and talk about my thoughts and processes, but I seem to be
channe...
Plus Ultra!
-
I know Brian said that we’d posted our last, but I couldn’t let the very
kind words on the thread announcing our closure to go un-remarked. I also
thought ...
A condolence of sorts
-
Melbourne. Full moon, winter solstice and a real chill in the air. I have
been walking the Fitzroy streets even more than usual in the days since
Betty Bur...
So I've been wanting to post
-
There have been so many posts whirling around in my head lately: so many
words and so little time to write them down.
I want to write about settling into ...
Larvatus Prodeo: A four-cannon salute
-
Sad news as the good ship Larvatus Prodeo hoists anchor and departs the
waters immediately to our south.
Fort Solor duly issues four-gun salute. *Sargento ...
sleeping with bears
-
On Sunday morning, I caught up with the not-so-speedies (a ka: the
‘slowpokes’). For those not in the know, this is a consortium of peoples
who prefer to r...
Recalling the Public Phone
-
Guest Post by Jayde Cahir
I have owned a mobile for 14 years. Even while backpacking overseas in the
late 90s I carried one with me. But I’m not a mobile ...
11 comments:
Facism?
Hee hee.
Isn't it called 1984?
I don't think even Orwell predicted face recognition of the current kind, did he? Or did he?
very strange and scary...
I'd like to see any computer, or any person for that matter, recofnise my face first thing on a Monday morning.
Orwell's 1984 is I think completely without computers. Lots of recording technology, but no artificial intelligence. That's a general trend in 1930s/40s/50s science fiction - they thought, if intelligent computers did exist in the future, they would be massive*. In golden age SF by people like Van Vogt, interstellar spacecraft are generally entirely computerless - slide rules tend to be the most complicated technology aboard the spacecraft.
*Douglas Adams sent this trend up nicely when writing about a computer so large, it actually became the planet earth.
Could only happen in America?
But the whole world's America. Kafka-esque, but true?
Still, "they" didn't ask if Dr Haneef wanted to be busted or lots of Afghanis blown to bits, either. Lots of coercive laws have come into existence over the last decade and this is so intrusion, surveillance and coercion are normalised rather than seen as atypical or fascist.
Like Winston Smith, the day will come when people will feel lost without Big Brother reassuringly looking over their shoulders, telling them what to think or how lucky they are getting sacked after twenty years surface with loss of entitlements and the gates locked.
Last post, what's wrong me?
How did I get "surface" for "service", in that last sentence?
See.
It's even getting to me..
A curious epilogue to this thread. An FB friend, Selim Gool of South Africa, has forwarded the story of the banning of John Pilger's new film and trip to, the USA yesterday (10/6), at "Znet".
"God bless America,
Home of the Free".
Anyone seen anything in the local msm on this?
Complete lack of privacy brings to mind the world in WE, by Zamiatin, still my fave in the genre.
Post a Comment