The ones who were there 47 years ago remember it clearly: Han shot first. But in nearly every version of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope that you can find today, Harrison Ford’s charming smuggler was a little slow to the trigger in his face-off against Greedo — one of the many changes that director George Lucas made to the...
Discover the timeless allure of dystopian fiction with our curated list of the best dystopian books. Immerse yourself in the top dark, thought-provoking tales.
If, like me, you also played the demo, you'll be pleased to know that Synergy's early access adds many more buildings, vegetation, exploration, and decorations. I was surprised to see just how big the research trees had become, with eight branches and around 60 different aspects to research, including new buildings, ways to...
Just how long will we have to wait to meet the San-Ti? '3 Body Problem' is jumping to the future in Season 2 and maybe Season 3. But how long will that take in real life?
Years after George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld sat at Monk's debating what Tony Stark wore underneath his armor, Marvel finally revealed the answer: boxers with Iron Man's face on them....
By Ersatz Culture: (Note: All the following text extracts are machine translations from Chinese, using a mixture of Google and DeepL tools. Some minor manual edits have been made, but there a…
The resignations and disciplinary actions come after it was revealed that certain authors and books—including R.F. Kuang's hit novel Babel—had been inexplicably deemed not eligible for the Hugo at Worldcon 2023 in Chengdu, China.
In the 1970s, science fiction writer JG Ballard was intrigued by the growing capabilities of computers – so used one to compose poems. They were a first step on the road to ChatGPT.
New important futurology topic – the dystopia of utopia – a common scifi trope. We should remain aware of is the flawed logic and failure of utopia, especially in the context of Futurology. A utopia would be ‘an ideal commonwealth whose inhabitants exist under seemingly perfect conditions. Hence utopian and utopianism are words used to denote visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic.’
Why is utopia impossible for humanity? Who wouldn’t want to live that way? Let’s take a few moments to talk about why utopia doesn’t work, and consider some historic examples of aborted utopias.
First and foremost – utopias don’t work for people and here’s why: my idea of ‘perfect’ is different from yours. Billy Fleming makes an important point about utopia in this article. ‘Margaret Atwood reminds us in The Handmaid’s Tale, an ideal society is never ideal for everyone. The difference between utopia and dystopia is often little more than one’s vantage point.’
Humanity’s innate diversity means we’re constantly at odds with each other when it comes to what we want out of life, what makes us tick. The only way to solve that ‘problem’ is for everyone to live, think, and see things the same way. Know what you get when you do that? ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ I’ll have more to say about that later.
Another problem – balancing priorities, resources, and power. Power is corrosive and corrupting to humanity. We’d constantly be fighting the influence of bad actors tipping the balance of power in their favor. Those bad actors might be coming from inside or outside the community, forcing you to treat citizens and neighbors as both assets and liabilities. If you ever figure out how to do that correctly, let me know.
How do I know that utopia won’t work? History. We’ve tried this before! New Harmony, Indiana thrived for a while on principles of equal rights and equality of duties only to fall apart due to competing ideologies, quarrels, and ‘ nature’s own inherent law of diversity.’ The Oneida Community pursued the idea of ‘individual spiritual perfection within a harmonious society‘ but declined over practices like ‘complex marriage’ and ‘community criticism’ sessions. (Fun fact – the Oneida community founded the company that makes your favorite forks and knives – they’re still in business today!)
There are other examples, too. The Amana Colonies were founded by Inspirationists, and based their society on shared religious principles for over seventy years, only to fall victim to external economic pressure. Even the former Soviet Union, on paper, was an attempt to create a society based on Marxist-Leninst principles of socialism. We all know how that ended.
Could utopia work under the right circumstances? Sure, maybe. AI-based governance could be a way for us to cede authority to an objective resource but even modern AIs have a serious problem – they’re learning from humans. When it comes to computers, it’s ‘garbage in – garbage out’ – and we’re the garbage. Could we fix that? Will advancements in quantum technology allow us to simulate future outcomes before assimilation into our universe?
Again, maybe – but that brings up a new potential danger: Quantum annihilation. We’d be constructing and destroying other universes as a science experiment. What consequences would we face, if other citizens of the multiverse started coming back through the doors we’re opening? I talk about that in The Conquered.
What are other possibilities? Virtual reality? Best case scenario – Ready Player One. Worst case scenario – Mark Zuckerberg. Either way, the odds are good but the goods are odd. No bueno.
So yeah – utopia – it’s a third rail for humanity. If you take nothing else from this, remember: there’s a ‘dystopia’ that comes with ‘utopia.’ Scifi loves to pontificate about ‘here’s how utopia could work,’ but the reality is utopia is also dystopia, depending on who you talk to.
The 10 Most Evil Scifi Corporations, Ranked (collider.com)
The Soylent Corporation...
George Lucas Explains Why You’ll Never See A 4K Restoration of A New Hope (www.inverse.com)
The ones who were there 47 years ago remember it clearly: Han shot first. But in nearly every version of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope that you can find today, Harrison Ford’s charming smuggler was a little slow to the trigger in his face-off against Greedo — one of the many changes that director George Lucas made to the...
The original Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy” is considered a classic, and now 57 years later, its epic consequences are still being felt. (screenrant.com)
The 30 Greatest Dystopian Books Of All Time (www.forbes.com)
Discover the timeless allure of dystopian fiction with our curated list of the best dystopian books. Immerse yourself in the top dark, thought-provoking tales.
George Lucas Says Ideas in the Original “Sort of Got Lost” in Post-Disney ‘Star Wars’ Films (Gee, you think?) (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
Lucas reflected on his life in work in a wide-ranging chat in Cannes, where he received and honorary Palm d'Or.
Synergy's solarpunk aesthetic and harsh resource management makes it one stellar city builder (www.pcgamer.com)
If, like me, you also played the demo, you'll be pleased to know that Synergy's early access adds many more buildings, vegetation, exploration, and decorations. I was surprised to see just how big the research trees had become, with eight branches and around 60 different aspects to research, including new buildings, ways to...
What Everyone's Getting Wrong About The "Star Wars Hotel" (screenrant.com)
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was a groundbreaking experience, unmatched in its immersive storytelling and technology....
Tron: Breaking Cinematic Ground on the Gaming Grid - Reactor (reactormag.com)
1982 was a blockbuster year for SF movies, but there's never been a movie quite like Tron—let's discuss!
3 Body Problem Season 2’s Release Date Is Even Further Away Than You Think (www.inverse.com)
Just how long will we have to wait to meet the San-Ti? '3 Body Problem' is jumping to the future in Season 2 and maybe Season 3. But how long will that take in real life?
Doctor Who Series 14 Episode 3 Review: Boom (www.denofgeek.com)
Simple, audacious, exhilarating, with excellent lead performances. Steven Moffat, and Doctor Who, are back. SPOILERS
Faster-than-light 'warp speed' interstellar travel now thought to be possible (www.earth.com)
Scientists have taken a significant step towards turning the sci-fi concept of "warp drives" into a feasible reality.
7 Classic Science Fiction Books More People Need to Read - The Fantasy Review (thefantasyreviews.com)
The Fantasy Review’s list of 7 Classic Science Fiction Books More People Need to Read, including some underrated sci-fi books...
'Megalopolis': Francis Ford Coppola on the conspiracy of bad reviews (www.businessinsider.com)
Francis Ford Coppola believes that "Megalopolis" detractors have conspired against him because the film "doesn't play by Hollywood's current rules."
Marvel finally revealed the answer: boxers with Iron Man's face on them (screenrant.com)
Years after George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld sat at Monk's debating what Tony Stark wore underneath his armor, Marvel finally revealed the answer: boxers with Iron Man's face on them....
“Grow up. These are my movies, not yours”: (m.imdb.com)
George Lucas Won’t be Happy How Star Wars Fan Group is Illegally Saving the Original Trilogy
Finders of 'Star Trek' USS Enterprise Model File Lawsuit Claiming Fraud (news.artnet.com)
The finders of the first model of the USS Enterprise have filed a lawsuit after working with Heritage Auctions to sell it to Rod Roddenberry.
Reddit brings back its old award system — ‘we messed up’ (www.theverge.com)
The company said it’s golden upvote system “missed the mark.” (Bwaahahahaha)
The Pidu District of Chengdu Announces a 10-Year Science Fiction Plan (file770.com)
By Ersatz Culture: (Note: All the following text extracts are machine translations from Chinese, using a mixture of Google and DeepL tools. Some minor manual edits have been made, but there a…
Old News but Worth Mentioning: Resignations, Censures Follow in Wake of Hugo Awards Controversy (www.publishersweekly.com)
The resignations and disciplinary actions come after it was revealed that certain authors and books—including R.F. Kuang's hit novel Babel—had been inexplicably deemed not eligible for the Hugo at Worldcon 2023 in Chengdu, China.
Megalopolis: Teaser for Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi starring Adam Driver (www.scifinow.co.uk)
Another mind-bending teaser trailer for Megalopolis.
How sci-fi writer JG Ballard's computer poems predicted ChatGPT (www.bbc.com)
In the 1970s, science fiction writer JG Ballard was intrigued by the growing capabilities of computers – so used one to compose poems. They were a first step on the road to ChatGPT.
How The Sci-Fi Series Farscape Set Out To Do The Opposite Of Star Trek - SlashFilm (www.slashfilm.com)
The sci-fi series Farscape set out to be the anti-Star Trek, and it succeeded.