Does it bug anybody else when sci-fi books set in the very near future act like technology is going to change *dramatically* within a very short period of
time?? I'm reading a sci-fi book set in 2012 called "Courts of the Sun" and it's pretty interesting (it's linked to the same "end of
the world" Mayan prophecies mentioned in a couple of eps of "The X-Files") . But they have all these things like cars with internet connections
embedded in the dashboard that everybody is driving and I just think that's silly. I mean, it's already 2009 and we don't have internet-connected
cars! Even if the 2010 models were to offer this option, it's not like everybody and his brother-in-law is going to rush right out and buy a brand new
vehicle. Most people in 2012 are going to be driving cars manufactured in 2009 or earlier.
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Does it bug you when. . .
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 Islandgirl81 |
Does it bug you when. . . |
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Space Lieutenant
Posts: 25 (05/08/09 13:26:46) |
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 ljim2000 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5262 (05/08/09 17:48:52) Simulacrum Cretin |
Yeah, I see your point for sure. Of course there are times when technology does suddenly move that fast, but they're hard to predict to say the least.
C.J. Cherryh had people using micro fiche in the 24th Century aboard starships, which is kind of the other opposite extreme. Early SF had some slide rules in
planetary exploration too. It's a challenge for an SF writer to get even close with the speed technology rolls out. Internet connected cars sure seem
more likely than flying ones any time soon. However, the global economy doesn't seem likely to have a lot of dashboard wifi rolling out in three years
time.
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Custer1 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5177 (05/09/09 01:03:36) Man of Tomorrow |
In The Courts of the Sun seems to be a new book, it's
not as if he was making such predictions ten years ago. I suppose Brian D'Amato was just getting a bit ahead of himself there...
Me. I'm still holding out for the flying cars!      |
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ljim2000 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5265 (05/09/09 08:18:40) Simulacrum Cretin |
It probably all seemed more likely before last December or so when the economic sh!t hit the proverbial fan.
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Violanthe |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 410 (05/29/09 09:12:27) Starship Captain |
Internet in cars isn't THAT far fetched. Especially considering he probably wrote the book two or three years ago (it usually takes that long to write a
book and get it to press). We do have GPS navigation systems in cars, televisions with DVD players, and cell phones that get internet and can be carried along
into a car.
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ljim2000 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5301 (05/29/09 20:11:09) Simulacrum Cretin |
I'm reading the excellent Commonwealth series by Peter F. Hamilton right now and he has Ford and Chrysler cars in the 24th Century. Now that's far fetched at this juncture in history!
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Custer1 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5211 (05/30/09 00:00:51) Man of Tomorrow |
Heheh, true... though no doubt somebody will own the names, and there's no reason why some bright spark at a 24th century mega-corporation shouldn't
decide to use the names on a new line of vehicles, to give a kind of nostalgia burnish to the ad campaign.
I trust these cars of Mr Hamilton's fly through the air with the greatest of ease, and are wi-fi enabled...? |
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ljim2000 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5303 (05/30/09 05:38:14) Simulacrum Cretin |
Custer1 wrote:Nope, not a flying car to be seen in all of the Commonwealth. Though of course vehicles have the robotic means of driving themselves. I'm sure we'd have that by the 24th Century. The characters often choose to drive them manually, likely so we can identify a bit more. He also uses trains through wormholes for most interplanetary travel, which is a neat new angle. We'll have to wait until the 24th Century to see if he's right though... |
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Custer1 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5220 (06/01/09 02:15:11) Man of Tomorrow |
I think the most likely science-fictional vehicle I've come across was the taxi from Total Recall...
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Violanthe |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 411 (06/02/09 08:49:02) Starship Captain |
Autonomous cars are definitely a possiblity for the 24th century. Maybe the end of this century, too.
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Custer1 |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 5223 (06/02/09 13:03:07) Man of Tomorrow |
I did like the way that the taxi was obviously a cheap bit of mass-produced junk, and that people were felt to need the reassurance of an unconvincing
mannequin as a driver, rather than just having a hidden "autopilot". Shades of "The Marching Morons" somehow...
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Violanthe |
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Star Fleet Admiral
Posts: 412 (06/17/09 12:17:02) Starship Captain |
It is indeed those little touches that bring some reality to scifi
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