Editor's Blog
Do a quick Google search for “positive science fiction novel” and you might be surprised. It seems that many of today’s SF authors believe we’ll wipe ourselves out with global warming, financial meltdowns, or another catastrophe du jour, before we have a chance to rise above our natures. Unless you reach back to the Golden Age, you aren’t going to read a lot of positive work about the transformative powers of science. Here are a few recent exceptions:
ACCELERANDO – CHARLES STROSS
Could be considered the “Singularity Bible.” This conceptually dense and technologically challenging novel takes us through the inflection point of the singularity, to a near-future solar system that has changed beyond recognition. Lots of fun with molecular assemblers, alien corporations, and Matrioshka brains.
DOWN AND OUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM – CORY DOCTOROW
You know a book that starts with a line referencing the “death of death” is gonna be a neat ride, and this look at a culture in which reputation has replaced currency, and rejuvenation and body enhancement are de rigueur, doesn’t disappoint.
DIAMOND AGE – NEAL STEPHENSON
How does a book that starts with a thug getting a skull gun qualify as positive? Because it portrays a society in the middle of a convincing transition to post-scarcity; realistically depicts an alternative to the nation-state; and shows the power of education and story in transforming our fate.
SPIN – ROBERTCHARLES WILSON
One night, the stars go out. Earth is encased in a slow-time bubble, as the universe outside rushes towards its end, only twenty years away. Examining the last 20 years of Earth would be enough for many authors, but the people of Wilson’s earth decide to fight their fate by terraforming Mars, which is outside the bubble. And then the Martians show up…
A Deepness in the Sky – Vernor Vinge
What does a novel set eight thousand years in the future have to tell us today? In this case, quite a lot. In a universe where the speed of light is really the limit, we have spacefaring human cultures, believably odd aliens, and some hints at where the real transformations might come.
Many thanks to Jetse de Vries and Adam Rakunas, fellow SF authors, for validating these choices and suggesting others.
13 Comments
For those of you that have read Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars series. Looks like it is finally going to be a movie. Disney has started and filming and states it might be out in 2012. Plenty of Computer effects like Avatar. Can’t wait to see it. For those who haven’t read the book. I would.
On the subject of positive science fiction, Memories with Maya is one such story, showing how near future technology combined with augmented intelligence might help us accept the premise of transhumanism and Singularity.
In order to bring about acceptance of Singularity in the minds of common people, the one major hurdle to cross is: Emotions.
There are not many science fiction stories addressing that aspect (well enough)
I had to quit SPIN because the physics made my brain itch. Did the planet Earth spin slower or not? What did the Moon’s gravity do to the oceans? Did the tides stop because the planet was turning too slow.
How could the rotational speed change without the linear speed of the orbit changing? What would that do to the Moon?
This story messed with too much simple physics for me.
Sigularity + Positive = A Fire Upon the Deep (Vinge, Deepness on the sky is a prequel), Rainbow End. I read them off the suggestion of David (Uplift War) Brin –> http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2012/01/david-brins-list-of-greatest-science.html
I’ve always been a big fan of the positive sci-fi, although my definition of that might me more like skynet than star trek, but I digress.. However seeing this list of books penned as a some of the few works in the sub-genre made me care enough to comment!
Please, go read something by Peter F. Hamilton for example Pandora’s Star and it’s sequel. Hamilton in my opinion is one of the few authors who can “realistictly” portray a future where humans are still humans (ie not trekies) and ultra-technology is readily available (to the new middle class at least).
On that note actually it’s refreshing to read Hamilton’s view from the other side of the singularity in the Void trillogy as opposed to the side of the ‘monkeys’ that was quite well portrayed in Accellerando.
I also HIGHLY recommend John C. Wright’s Golden Age Trilogy. It’s one of the most brilliant, conceptually-dense, and philosophically-rich examinations of posthuman life, society, and economy I’ve ever read.
Let’s not forget Iain M. Banks Culture novels! While not a series of post singularity novels they are books about a post scarcity civilization. Player of Games is a great place to begin.
I’d go for an Iain M. Banks Culture novel.
While the individual novels vary in their ‘positivity’ and tone depending on the plot characters etc
The Culture itself is (with notable exceptions) portrayed as almost entirely positive, an immense post scarcity source of good, attempting to influence the galaxy into being generally nicer,
only thing is the pan humans of the culture arent earthlings as Banks has pointed out we simply might not be nice enough as a species to ever be like the culture
its post scarcity taken to its immense and (given the technology) somewhat logical extreme, and is as beyond the post scarcity worlds of say star trek as much as star trek is beyond us.
Great list! Just recently found Stross. Glasshouse -> Accelerando -> Singularity Sky -> Iron Sunrise. Can’t put this stuff down.
Jason’s article was written well over a year ago. In the meantime, my anthology of near-future, optimistic SF called SHINE has just been released. For those interested in positive short stories.
Great list! I just finished Spin and loved it. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great NEW sci fi book.
I don’t consider Accelerando “positive” in any manner. It’s a nightmare of humanity pathologically rejecting evolution and advancement to retreat into a sort of high tech barbarianism in a universe in which no culture survives their transition into a post scarcity society.
The same goes for “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.” While wuffie is an interesting concept, it is merely illustrating that wealth, be it “money” or “wuffie” is merely a social status indicator, and, like Accelerando, does not depict a positive future, but one in which no real advances have been made. Even the technology to record brains and restore them after death is merely window dressing intended to set up the story and make the “hero” more tragic.
I cannot comment on the rest, not having read them, but I have read Snow Crash, and found it equally distopian.
You haven’t read a “positive science fiction novel” until you’ve read Forever Pleasure: A Utopian Novel. The next best positive sci-fi novels are Excession by Iain Banks and Marooned in Realtime. Sadly enough, Accelerando, Diamond Age and A Deepness in the Sky are more like nightmares in comparison.