"THE COW GRAZES IN MANY PASTURES BUT THE MILK SHE GIVES IS HER OWN." Truth is found in many places. The world is integrated in such a way that many germs of information may be found in strange places. I grew up with SciFi among the many things I read. The Bible is the source. And we sometimes find religious things filtered through the minds of others. It is right to learn from others. RDI
The Gospel According to Isaac Asimov.
R. D. Ice
Feb. 98
Writers deal with ideas. Some ideas are tawdry and dysfunctional. Some ideas soar above the commonplace and
reach heights of brilliance. Some of
this is in the eye of the beholder.
Science Fiction at its best asks the
question, “What if?” If “X” is true,
what is the logical extension to the “Nth” degree? For example: “If the South had won the War
Between The States, what would our present world be like?” [”Man In The High Castle,”
Philip K. Dick]
Isaac Asimov stands out as the greatest
of the Science Fiction writers. His
"Foundation Trilogy" began around WWII. This series remains immensely popular. A "second series" is being written
by new authors under the Asimov umbrella.
These comments are centered around
Asimov's “Trilogy.” In a city such as London, diverse elements
are found grouped in certain areas.
Asimov expands the "city" to planet wide status on Trantor,
center of the Galactic Empire. Trantor
has a population of billions, with a myriad of sectors each reflecting London's diversities:
Cockney, Gypsy, etc., and even Amish (who after all are European in
origin).
In some ways this Trilogy is an
outgrowth [predecessor?] of ideas used in other stories by Asimov: "Caves
of Steel," which deals with a exceptionally dense population squeezed into
minimum space [sort of Hong Kong taken to
extremes]. And the Robot novels:
"The Naked Sun" which imagines a world very sparsely populated, with
the occupants rarely seeing each other in person, except by video contact. Things are kept humming by slaves - metallic
automatons - robots.
In Asimov's "Foundation
Trilogy," the language rarely needs expurgated. There are none of the usual "adult"
situations. Ideas are the stock in
trade. Gregory Benford, who wrote
"Foundation's Fear," one of the "Second Foundation
Trilogy," comments: "I had always wondered about crucial aspects of
Asimov's Empire: Why were there no aliens in the galaxy? What role did computers play? Particularly, vs. robots? What did the theory of psychohistory actually
look like? Finally, who was Hari Seldon
- as a character, a man?"
Judging from the "Foundation
Trilogy," the Universe is inhabited only by those of the human race. No aliens, no bug eyed monsters, and the
non-human robots do not count. Groups of
humans from Earth spread out through the Galaxy. Some are motivated by religious reasons; some
for political reasons; some just want to make a buck. But in time cultures change and develop,
Traditions grow up, the past is forgotten, and old roots and relationships are
no longer remembered. "Earth"
becomes only a "fairy story."
How could there be a common origin when Worlds are so different? This mirrors the "race relations"
in our current society. Because we
"look different" on the outside, how can we have anything in
common???
It must have been a Frenchman who said:
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Warring factions on Ancient Earth are no
different than the warring factions on Trantor - the center World of the
Galactic Empire. Computer networking
provides instantaneous communication and incredible storage of
information. The Library of Trantor
provides any information in storage, available through the computer terminal in
one's house. Incredibly advanced
"browsers" search and provide.
To "want" is to have.
Robots have all of the good qualities of
humans, without anything bad. Asimov's
“Three Laws of Robotics” keep the robots on an entirely beneficial level. The robots themselves deduce a "Zeroth
Law" which increases their latitude of function. Their positronic brains of iridium sponge
give them much greater intelligence than humans, and a "godlike"
quality. Asimov posits them as a blend
of "angels" and the "old gods." They are Eternal (continuing to function
forever) and work tirelessly for human good.
But at the same time, Tiktoks - elemental robots - exist, with only
enough intelligence to do menial tasks.
The Three Laws of Robotics: 1) A robot
may not injure a human being or, through inactivity, allow a human being to
come to harm, except where that would
conflict with the Zeroth Law. 2) A
robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders
would conflict with the First Law, or
the Zeroth Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence, as
long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law or the Zeroth Law. Zeroth
Law) A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to
come to harm.
Hari Seldon is not a "savior,"
but a "Moses" who sacrifices himself to lead the humans forward. He is guided in his mission by robot Eternals
who have the uncanny ability to do the exact thing at the crucial moment. The machinations of the opposition always
seem to defeat themselves and provide the solution - while creating the next
challenge which threatens to destroy civilization as the Empire knows it.
Asimov's "Foundation Trilogy"
sees human history degrading into an interregnum, yet certain key people (and
robots) act to set into motion events which will eventually reverse the decline
and bring about the new Golden Age.
Psychohistory is the mathematical study which predicts the actions of
masses of people (but not individuals).
Predictive elements make possible the precautionary actions which will
bring the desired effect. What seems to
be a simple action may set in motion an extensive ripple effect.
Even though Asimov was an avowed
atheist, his stories mimic the action of Jehovah on the affairs of mankind down
through the ages. Coming as he did from
a Jewish family, he certainly grew up under the influence of that faith and
belief in Jehovah. God was certainly in
Asimov's subconscious. His stories
really mirror the continuing human condition.
Nations and cultures rise and fall.
Yet Jehovah is "behind the scenes" nudging this one and that
one and raising up those who "make a difference" by their life of
sacrifice. And sometimes an unconscious
act may provide the turning point for important change. The human condition swings back to the norm.
Thoughts
from SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson
R.
D. Ice
Reviewer: "To start with the third
point, Snow Crash is set against a United States in which capitalism has run to
its logical extreme: The government is nonexistent for the intents and purposes
of most people; suburbanites have retreated to cornily-named
"burbclaves" armored against the outside world; public utilities
(e.g., highways, police and jails) are run by corporations, and the Mafia is
one of the more respectable organizations extant. Stephenson plays this whole
scenario largely for humor, and unlike, say, in Vernor Vinge's short story
"Conquest by Default", it's not at all clear whether Stephenson
believes that this is a plausible society."
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson sets a new
landmark in Science Fiction. He tells of
a world in which the Government has privatized itself almost completely out of
existence. Government functions are
carried out by competing private corporations which franchise jails, welfare,
and an amazing variety of functions. The
remaining Feds exist in a tiny building in California, where they, in paranoia,
mindlessly go through the motions of secrecy and security.
An online alternate reality exists where
people plug themselves into virtual reality and live their lives in what seems
to them a real world. The line between
the two realities is blurred by the action which takes place.
The Costra Nostra runs a massive Pizza
Delivery Service. Super-athletic youth
ride high tech skateboards as they surf through the congested traffic to
deliver pizzas (and drugs and other specialty items) to waiting customers. They go with incredible speed, easily
maneuvering around, over, between obstacles.
Dialog
from Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson,
page 78.
Y.T. is a 16 year old
courier who rides a high tech skateboard through the tangled traffic. Her body-armor has many features to protect
her and to maintain contact. Roadkill is her boy friend and fellow courier. She is presently incarcerated in The Clink (a
privately owned jail). In her attempt to
escape, she contacts Roadkill via cell-phone.
Y.T. offhooks the phone with her free
hand. She hits the flash button, giving
her a dial tone.
"Roadkill." The telephone remembers and dials Roadkill's
number.
"Roadkill?" she says.
Roaring sounds. This is the sound of air peeling over the
microphone of Roadkill's personal phone at some terrifying velocity. Also the competing whooshes of many vehicles'
tires on pavement, broken by chuck hole percussion; sounds like the crumbling Ventura [Freeway].
"Yo, Y.T." Roadkill says,
"'Sup?"
"'Sup with you?"
"Surfing the Tura. 'Sup with you?"
"Maxing the Clink."
"Whoa! Who popped you?"
"MetaCops. affixed me to the gate
of White Columns with a loogie gun."
[A
loogie gun fires an adhesive restraining fiber which secures the suspect.]
"Whoa, how very! When you leaving?"
"Soon. Can you swing by and give me a hand?"
"What do you mean?"
Men!
"You know, give me a hand.
You're my boy friend," she says, speaking very simply and
plainly. "If I get popped, you're
supposed to come around and help me bust out." Isn't everyone supposed to know this stuff? Don't parents teach their kids anything
anymore?
"Well, uh, where are you?"
"Buy 'n' Fly number 501,762."
"I'm on my way to Bernie with a
super-ultra."
As
in San Bernardino. As in super- ultra- high- priority
delivery. As in, you're out of luck.
"Okay, thanks for nothing."
"Sorry."
"Surfing safety," Y.T. says in
the traditional sarcastic sign off.
"Keep breathing," Roadkill
says. The roaring noise snaps off.
What a jerk. Next date, he’s really going to have to
grovel.
