So I'm listening to an Isaac Asimov book on CD during my commute. (Something I'm trying every now and again - these audio books. I'd rather read the actual books but I figure I spend at least 13 hours in my car per week so I'm trying to keep it interesting.)The book is entitled The Caves Of Steel. Asimov is supposedly the most well-known and beloved science fiction writer of all time. He wrote over 400 books, and practically wrote the book on writing books about robots.
As I'm listening to the audio book it strikes me how easily outdated science fiction can become. The book in question was published in 1954 - man had yet to set foot on the moon even - and yet this man is writing about humanoid robots, positronic brains, laser guns and space colonization. He was years ahead of his time... but his main character still smokes a pipe and uses the word 'Jehoshaphat' like it's going out of style. (Which it has.)
It always cracks me up when I'm in the middle of a sci-fi novel and they mention things like newsstands, or shoeshine boys in the same breath as space travel, or jet packs. "Xanion strapped on his jet pack and flew promptly to the newsstand to buy a morning paper. He flipped a shiny quarter to the robot behind the counter and said, 'Keep the change, bub.'" It's silly. It brings a smirk to my lips. Everyone's vision of the future may differ but if 3 millenia from now people are still smoking tobacco pipes, and using the word 'Jehoshaphat' I'll eat my bowler!
1 comment:
I know what you mean about the 50's sci-fi but I just read one of Asimov's short stories, The Last Question, and it was pretty good. He was a little slow on the technology development but still on the right track. You can find it for free through the Google.
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