Home » Reading & Literature » Science Fiction » Why?

Why?

© David A Simpson.

I like to look for subliminal messages in the work of Science Fiction authors and also question the way the author has accepted the restraints, control and influence of what I would describe as the normal mind. For years writers have influenced peoples lives and the film makers have fueled the fire but still the predictable and what we see as the obvious and accepted is still restraining the reality and freedom to invent and inspire. I will give some examples of some of the questions I ask myself, there are plenty and more appear with every new book or film I see.

1. Two spaceships are traveling through space and meet each other ansurprisese the obvious, they are both the same way up and meet head on. Now if space as we know it has no real dimension why were both ships on the same course? there is no real up, down, left or right. With artificial gravity on each ship which one was the right way up? Why was one ship not traveling up or down and pass the other in a different course? If the occupants of one ship wanted to transport to the other which would have to turn it's self over so that the transported personnel did not arrive standing on their heads?

2.Two planets have been at war for centuries and it seems are intent on being that way for two centuries more. Then along comes the Earth spaceship and presto the peacekeepers of the universe have the answer to resolve the problem. Wow my mind is blown away with the impossible but predictable. Look around the world today and ask yourself is this great fiction?

3. Take a futuristic time and planet with space travel and advanced technology. A race of people more highly developed than us today, then ask yourself what's wrong with this picture. Mostly this super race of high intelligence will be depicted living in caves and wearing rags looking back in their history to when they had buildings and a civilized existence.

4. Why in the future in the depiction of city life is it always raining?

5. Now if we take the bad guymegah the mega powerful weapon, which enables him to control a universe, and this character is a super intellect why does he always lose? Mostly to a subordinate species (from earth) and as in Independence Day equipped with a laptop!

6. Take any spaceship on any film with a human type of life form. During the film you will be taken from the control deck to the engineering section, the cargo bay to the crews quarters. Sometimes the crew will wake up from a fifty-year hyper sleep and immediately rush around or need to eat and drink. Now what is missing here, does no one need a bathroom in the future?

The copyright of the article Why? in Science Fiction is owned by David A Simpson.. Permission to republish Why? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.