Mundane science fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')undane Science Fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction. Inspired by an idea of Julian Todd, the Mundane SF movement was founded in 2002 during the Clarion workshop by novelist Geoff Ryman among others.[1] It focuses on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable use of technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written.
The central ideas are:
* That interstellar travel remains unlikely; that Warp drives, worm holes, and other forms of faster-than-light travel are wish fulfillment fantasies rather than serious speculation about a possible future.
* That unfounded speculation about interstellar travel can lead to an illusion of a universe abundant with worlds as hospitable to life as this Earth. This is also viewed as unlikely.
* That this dream of abundance can encourage a wasteful attitude to the abundance that is here on Earth.
* That there is no evidence whatsoever of intelligences elsewhere in the universe. That absence of evidence is not evidence of absence -- however, it is considered unlikely that alien intelligences will overcome the physical constraints on interstellar travel any better than we can.
* That interstellar trade (and colonization, war, federations, etc.) is therefore highly unlikely.
* That communication with alien intelligences over such vast distances will be vexed by: the enormous time lag in exchange of messages and the likelihood of enormous and probably currently unimaginable differences between us and aliens.
* That there is no present evidence whatsoever that quantum uncertainty has any effect at the macro level and that therefore it is highly unlikely that there are whole alternative universes to be visited.
* That therefore our most likely future is on this planet and within this solar system, and that it is highly unlikely that intelligent life survives elsewhere in this solar system. Any contact with aliens is likely to be tenuous, and unprofitable.
* That the most likely future is one in which we only have ourselves and this planet.
Geoff Ryman has contrasted mundane science fiction with regular science fiction through the desire of teenagers to leave their parents' homes.[2] Ryman sees too much of regular science fiction being based on an "adolescent desire to run away from our world." However, Ryman notes that humans are not truly considered grown-up until they "create a new home of their own," which is what mundane science fiction aims to do.[2]
By 2007 the mundane science fiction movement was noteworthy enough that Interzone decided to devote an issue to the genre.[3]
PeakOil is You
Mundane Science Fiction
First unread post • 6 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Mundane Science Fiction
by TheDude » Wed 18 Feb 2009, 21:57:13
Geoff Ryman interviewed - infinity plus non-fiction:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'K')it will now ask, since you brought it up, what's your Mundane Philosophy about?
Geoff says, "OK, SF content is the future, but the function of most SF seems to be about avoiding the future. So much of the inherited tropes are actually highly unlikely. Take faster than light travel... there is a ghost of a possiblity there, but people have run away with it. This is because they like it. It seems to open up horizons of adventure. It also conveys the message, we can burn through this planet and escape to the stars. I don't think we can. I think we're stuck on Earth. I want to write stories that are stuck on earth and throw out the unlikely tropes."
Kit says, "What's mundane about that? It strikes me as completely realistic in the best sense."
Geoff says, "Well the word Mundane means of the world. So by and large Mundane SF sticks to Earth or the nearby solar system. For example if we can't get to the stars, aliens can't get to us. Quantum uncertaintly works only at the micro level. Parallel universes are unlikely. So two years ago, out of Clarion a bunch of young writers decided they wanted to limit themselves to the most likely future. This meant facing up to what we know is coming, dealing with it and imaging good futures that are likely."
Kit says, "This is probably where I should ask you what you think the S and the F stand for. Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction."
Geoff says, "For me right now Science Fiction."
Kit says, "OK, good futures. Good as in happy or good as in accurate projections?"
Geoff says, "Not so much accurate as more likely futures than bouncing around star systems talking on the radio.
"Because I think we've been fooling ourselves for a while. I think we need to face up to the loss of oil and the immense impact that will have. Climate change, overpop, yeah, need to be faced with tough challenges. Then we can move on to the life that will grow out of how we adapt, despite loss. That's a tale of overcoming, new solutions, and a renewed sense of wonder about truly new ideas. Theres no SoW for me in 40 year old Star Trek scenarios."
I brought up peak oil on the Asimov's Magazine message board in, iirc, 2006; think Gardner Dozois, the editor, responded as well. I suggested it as fodder for stories and something to take into consideration, whatever your ultimate outlook might be. Only a handful of responses, mostly incredulous. Can't find that entry now as the forum at asimovs.com is new format and archives only date back to last year.
Only recently heard about this Mundane movement while trawling through old entries of Greer's Archdruid Report blog. Interesting development, and of course the Hard SF contingent are vigorously attacking the concept, much as they did in the early 80s with Cyberpunk. Also of ironic value is that much SF went mundane in the 70s already; with many writers even stories set on other planets were cast as parables regarding ecology and the like.
I hope there's a Mundane anthology in the works. Greer is a failed fiction writer as well btw, in that his fiction never got past the rejection letter stage. Some examples are on his blog, look for "Adam's Story."
Another article on MSF: The really exciting science fiction is boring | Books | guardian.co.uk.
Cogito, ergo non satis bibivi
And let me tell you something: I dig your work.
And let me tell you something: I dig your work.
-
TheDude - Expert
- Posts: 4896
- Joined: Thu 06 Apr 2006, 03:00:00
- Location: 3 miles NW of Champoeg, Republic of Cascadia
Re: Mundane Science Fiction
by TWilliam » Thu 19 Feb 2009, 00:02:31
While labeling the genre as such might be relatively new, the general idea of a largely earthbound SF future has been around for a while. If I recall, Stephenson's Snow Crash was earthbound SF, and it came out in '92. Pretty believable as a future too, which made it almost border on horror in some respects...
"It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas? Is goin' bye-bye... "
-
TWilliam - Expert
- Posts: 2591
- Joined: Sun 28 Nov 2004, 04:00:00
Re: Mundane Science Fiction
by Plantagenet » Thu 19 Feb 2009, 00:13:33
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheDude', '[')url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mundane_science_fiction]Mundane science fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')undane Science Fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction. Inspired by an idea of Julian Todd, the Mundane SF movement was founded in 2002 during the Clarion workshop by novelist Geoff Ryman among others.[1] It focuses on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable use of technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written.
The central ideas are:
* That interstellar travel remains unlikely; that Warp drives, worm holes, and other forms of faster-than-light travel are wish fulfillment fantasies rather than serious speculation about a possible future.
* That unfounded speculation about interstellar travel can lead to an illusion of a universe abundant with worlds as hospitable to life as this Earth. This is also viewed as unlikely.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')undane Science Fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction. Inspired by an idea of Julian Todd, the Mundane SF movement was founded in 2002 during the Clarion workshop by novelist Geoff Ryman among others.[1] It focuses on stories set on or near the Earth, with a believable use of technology and science as it exists at the time the story is written.
The central ideas are:
* That interstellar travel remains unlikely; that Warp drives, worm holes, and other forms of faster-than-light travel are wish fulfillment fantasies rather than serious speculation about a possible future.
* That unfounded speculation about interstellar travel can lead to an illusion of a universe abundant with worlds as hospitable to life as this Earth. This is also viewed as unlikely.
Our species may very well be "earthbound" but that mundane future doesn't change the reality of the universe as a whole.
The newest research suggests our galaxy contains many billions of earth-like worlds
I can almost pretend to accept the possibiilty of books like the Heinlein asteroid belt stories and the Spider Robinson "Red Mars Green Mars Blue Mars" series.....even if humans never get to another star, there is lots of interesting real estate right here in the solar system.
-
Plantagenet - Expert
- Posts: 26765
- Joined: Mon 09 Apr 2007, 03:00:00
- Location: Alaska (its much bigger than Texas).
