Science Fiction Tried to Warn Us about AI. Or Did It?, by Tom Gammarino

Science Fiction Tried to Warn Us about AI. Or Did It?, by Tom Gammarino Essay [email protected] Wed, 03/01/2023 - 03:46 Photo by NASA / Unsplash “All our AI Frankenstein stories,” the author writes, “warn us that AI will destroy us, but far louder than that, they promise that the future is going to be mind-blowing and epic.” Will we heed the warnings? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the literary work that most clearly established the conventions of science fiction as we know it. Not only did the 1818 novel pioneer the archetype of the mad scientist, it also established one of the genre’s most important cultural roles: to warn us about ways humans, through our hubris, might create the very beings that eventually undo us. In subtitling the novel The Modern Prometheus, Shelley harked back to the Titan who stole fire from the gods and was punished by having his regenerating liver devoured every day by an eagle (since the liver was the seat of the emotions for the Greeks, we might as well translate it as “heart”). Inspired by the experiments of Luigi Galvani, who used electric current to stimulate the leg of a dissected frog, and his nephew Giovanni Aldini, who ran a similar experiment on a hanged criminal, Shelley had her mad scientist play God by endowing a patchwork of human remains with the spark of life. Two centuries later, the resulting monstrosity serves as a stand-in for any of our runaway technologies — the internal... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2023-03-01 09:46:57 UTC ]
News tagged with: #best-case scenario #science fiction

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Science Fiction Tried to Warn Us about AI. Or Did It?, by Tom Gammarino'

7 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read

Seven books comb through history, travel to distant planets and imagine our A.I. future. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-12-03 20:26:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy books #science fiction

Best science fiction, fantasy and horror of 2021

A look at the big hits and obscure winners that transported readers to other worlds. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-18 15:00:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction #big hits

‘Dune’ has long divided the science fiction world. The new film won’t change that.

Frank Herbert’s magnum opus: masterful or clumsy? Denis Villeneuve’s movie continues the debate. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-21 13:13:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #frank herbert #magnum opus #denis villeneuve #science fiction

10 of the Best Science-Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read

What are the best places to begin exploring the wonderful world of science fiction? Some of the classic novels of the genre, from Frank Herbert’s Dune to Asimov’s Foundation series (which eventually stretched to seven volumes), might appear daunting because of their sheer size and scope. Below,... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2021-10-20 14:00:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wonderful world #science fiction #classic novels #frank herbert #short stories

How science fiction can inspire humanity’s response to the climate crisis – podcast

The audio version of an in-depth article on how science fiction’s hopes and fears can inspire humanity’s response to the climate crisis. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-10-11 09:13:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #climate crisis #audio version #science fiction

How Night Raiders uses science fiction to examine the past

Danis Goulet's Night Raiders had the widest theatrical opening of any movie by an Indigenous Canadian filmmaker. But while the movie examines very real — and heartbreaking — events, Goulet opted to do so through the lens of science fiction. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2021-10-10 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction

Foundation: an introduction to five major themes in the work of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov

One of the greatest science fiction writers, Asimov’s work has had a lasting effect thanks to his prescient takes on technology, climate collapse and humanity’s future. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-09-24 15:01:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major themes #lasting effect #science fiction

Beasts and Baseball: New Science Fiction and Fantasy

“The Body Scout,” “Light From Uncommon Stars” and “No Gods, No Monsters” tell stories of genetic dystopias, musical gifts and mythic creatures. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-09-21 09:00:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #body scout #science fiction

A Human Cloning Error and Existential Questions Fuel This Science Fiction Romp

In Matthew FitzSimmons’s speculative murder mystery “Constance,” the title character’s consciousness is mistakenly downloaded into a clone. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-08-24 19:55:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #title character #science fiction

Let’s talk about science fiction and fantasy books that would make for great TV

N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance trilogy got us thinking about other titles perfect for the small screen. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-15 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy books #inheritance trilogy #small screen #science fiction

10 Life Lessons from Science Fiction and Fantasy

Hugo Gernsback once said SFF writers impart knowledge without out making us aware we're being taught. So what do they actually teach us? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-08-12 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hugo gernsback #science fiction

Legends Remade: New Science Fiction and Fantasy

“The World Gives Way,” “The Chosen and the Beautiful” and “Sword Stone Table” borrow from familiar stories but offer surprising readings. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-07-30 16:00:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #familiar stories #science fiction

New Kiswahili science fiction award charts a path for African languages

There is something beautiful about African languages carrying science, fictionalised of course, into imagined futures. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-07-07 15:04:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african languages #science fiction

New Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels to Read This Summer

Six novels feature characters who hunger for connection so strongly that they transform their environments. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-05-27 13:55:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy novels #science fiction

A Guide To The Fantasy And Science Fiction Awards Scene

Take a deep dive into fantasy and science fiction awards with Jenn, as she looks at the many out there and why you should care. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-05-27 10:39:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #deep dive #science fiction

Downloading our thoughts to the mainframe may be the stuff of science fiction — but humans have been imagining it for centuries

Leaving our earthly bodies and living forever as a machine isn't just a thing of modern science fiction. These transhumanist ideas date back to the 18th century. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-05-17 05:22:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #18th century #science fiction

A science fiction anthology imagines our post-pandemic future

The latest installment in MIT’s Twelve Tomorrows series toggles between utopian and dystopian. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-10 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest installment #science fiction

11 Great Middle Grade Science Fiction Comics Set in Space

Middle grade books in SPAAAAACE! Check out some middle grade science fiction comics set in space, including On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-04-13 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tillie walden #science fiction

Voyages of Hope and Anguish: New Science Fiction and Fantasy

“The Memory Theater,” “On Fragile Waves” and “Victories Greater Than Death” take readers tumbling through realms and ever stranger stories. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-04-13 09:00:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fragile waves #science fiction