God is the permanently unknowable region even for the intelligence enriched with scie

[flowperson]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

I think you must be mixing me up with someone else! Anyway, sheesh. Stuff like this is bound to be developing as science and technology progresses. The rich wear robot exoskeletons to pick up silken tofu whilst the poor starve. Probably be used in crime. Probably aid loosening of family ties as the elderly will be able to get on with their lives (till the power pack fails or something and they die trapped in their suits). Maybe I just read too much science fiction. And the connection to pets is....?

s.

Thank you for your lucid and candid dissection and examination of the subject matter. Of course you realize that quality science fiction stories which were written and/or portrayed in the past become today's realities.

It could be that robotic beings are already being used in crime. Maybe human beings are already being treated as pets by robotic automatons ? After all, if the Japanese could create a craze in the 70's selling the concept of rocks being pets, it's my considered opinion that any variation upon that theme might be probable in science fiction futures, which may have already turned into realities, today.

BTW, I also read a lot of Clarke, Azimov, Heinlien, Dick, Bradbury, Pohl, Finney etc. in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. No wonder we're so alike in our cynical and gassy approach to reality buddy .

flow....

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by flowperson

It could be that robotic beings are already being used in crime. Maybe human beings are already being treated as pets by robotic automatons ? After all, if the Japanese could create a craze in the 70's selling the concept of rocks being pets, it's my considered opinion that any variation upon that theme might be probable in science fiction futures, which may have already turned into realities, today.

Not to mention the Japanese gigapet craze.

BTW, I also read a lot of Clarke, Azimov, Heinlien, Dick, Bradbury, Pohl, Finney etc. in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. No wonder we're so alike in our cynical and gassy approach to reality buddy .

flow....

Hmm, what did you think about Frank Herbert's book series, Destination:Void, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Ascension Factor? What did you think of the artificial life form (named Ship) that thought he was God, and demanded WorShip from the humans who created him?

[flowperson]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Hmm, what did you think about Frank Herbert's book series, Destination:Void, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Ascension Factor? What did you think of the artificial life form (named Ship) that thought he was God, and demanded WorShip from the humans who created him?

Hmmm...never read that one but I did read the first two Dune books by Herbert. Very good stuff for a non-trained writer, but then sometimes they are the very best ones, especially in the SFF genre'.

The Dune books were kind of tedious for me and I liked the Dune movie much better. ( the critics hated it...shows you what they know) I'm pretty sure I've got it in my collection in the back room. Great vistas and characterizations. I'll try to remember the Destination Void thingy to buy sometime when I've got some time to read and think (hahahahahahahaha!).
As if !
After reading the wiki thingy I should tell you that within the forseeable future ships will become more passe' as space travel conveyances, so the assumptions of Herbert's story will become less believable as time dances on. Looks like we're going to enter the realities of intergalactic and interplanetary teleportation, ala Stargate, sooner rather than later.

Yeah...the ship ordering the people around, kind of like the HAL thingy. By the way, did you know that I kept track of the money to build HAL at a university that built his/her prototype (no you didn't...just threw that against the wall to test sticking abilities) ?

It all gets down to metaphors of a G-d who incites fear or inspires harmonization on Earth. Sound like a familiar conflict to you?

flow....

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Of course you realize that quality science fiction stories which were written and/or portrayed in the past become today's realities.

Indeed. Strange how it was just "trash genre fiction" at the time

BTW, I also read a lot of Clarke, Azimov, Heinlien, Dick, Bradbury, Pohl, Finney etc. in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. No wonder we're so alike in our cynical and gassy approach to reality buddy .
flow....

I shall ignore the "gassy" bit . Ballard became my favourite. His novels are more about the mind rather than the physical world; a far more worrying place to be when you're in dystopia. Which probably explains why his novels have not been plundered by Hollywood screen writers (apart from his untypical "autobiographical" Empire of the Sun.)

s.

[flowperson]

Hi Snoopy

I don't remember reading Ballard, but then I'm aged and I usually remember the stories and not the name of the authors *my bad*. Name some of his better ones and I may catch on.

Oh wait a minute, I've got to get my silver "drool cup". I hate having to change my shirtings so often.

Disregarding the gas eh ? Well that's all well and good until there comes a time for passing... as an anesthesiologist friend of mine used to say.

flow....

[China Cat Sunflower]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Hearing loss? Oh is that what it is? Are you sure it isn't the manifestation of the wish for selective deafness that accompanies viewing women merely as sex objects?

**Runs and ducks around the corner, and peeks back around for signs of flying tomatoes**

The selective deafness comes from perfecting the technique of appearing to listen while completely ignoring what your wife is saying. If you don't at least appear to listening you'll never get to watch the rest of the news in peace.

Chris

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by China Cat Sunflower

The selective deafness comes from perfecting the technique of appearing to listen while completely ignoring what your wife is saying. If you don't at least appear to listening you'll never get to watch the rest of the news in peace.

Chris

Yes but if you stoped pretending to watch the news you could put those shelves up or fix that leaking tap you have been promising to do for years.

(good to see you have got the hang of married life )

[China Cat Sunflower]

She keeps telling me things that I'm supposed to do next week- like I'll remember!

Chris

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by China Cat Sunflower

The selective deafness comes from perfecting the technique ...
Chris

Me old China (if you'll excuse the familiarity) ... exchanging views, spiritual or secular, is the game here ... giving away trade secrets is going a step too far! Luckily, none of mine stray anywhere near forums I inhabit.

I once had a girlfriend who's dad I seem to recall I considered a silly old codger, until I noticed just the hint of a smile as the world revolved around him ... Now with three grownup daughters, I find myself on the receiving end, the womenfolk around me in competition to see just how much they can say to me before I look up and say, "Yeah, OK ... what?"

And I keep getting reminded about things I'm supposed to have done last week ...

Thomas

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Disregarding the gas eh ? Well that's all well and good until there comes a time for passing... as an anesthesiologist friend of mine used to say.

flow....

Are you a fan of Scrubs? If so, if you ever spot a Brit comedy called Green Wing check it out. It's so surreal it's normal....

back to the Ballardian....

s.

[Snoopy]

The adjective "Ballardian", defined as "resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in JG Ballard's novels and stories, especially dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes and the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments", has been included in the Collins English Dictionary.

J. G. Ballard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As Martin Amis has written: "Ballard is quite unlike anyone else; indeed, he seems to address a different - a disused - part of the reader's brain." Because of this tendency to upset readers in order to enlighten them, Ballard does not enjoy a mass-market following, but he is recognised by critics as one of the UK's most prominent writers.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

I don't remember reading Ballard, but then I'm aged and I usually remember the stories and not the name of the authors *my bad*. Name some of his better ones and I may catch on.

Unfortunately, it is more often the case that the “predictions” of Ballard have been realised in some way in recent times, so much more so than the standard sci-fi fare of space ships and aliens. His worlds are the interior worlds of our psyche, created by dysfunctional societies.
I’ve never met a Ballard story I didn’t like - these are the ones I recognise the titles of:

The Drowned World
The Terminal Beach
The Drought
The Crystal World
The Day of Forever
The Disaster Area
The Overloaded Man
The Atrocity Exhibition
Crash
Vermilion Sands
Concrete Island
High-Rise
Low-flying Aircraft: and Other Stories
Myths of the Near Future
The Voices of Time

These are two good reviews of the man that I’ve found:

Scriptorium - J. G. Ballard


JG Ballard: Extreme Metaphor: A Crash Course In The Fiction Of JG Ballard · Spike Magazine

s.

[flowperson]

Hi Snoopy...

Since I've been dysfunctional most of my life myself, I'm sure I'll groove on and to his work. Thank you so much my friend, now to find the time to read all of that stuff !

flow....

[Thomas]

Hey Snoopy —

Sorry to keep intruding, but thought I'd register with you that I have chosen Dr Statham as a role model for old age (I'm older than he, I'm projecting him forward). For some reason in so doing I've managed to horrify and alienate my family ... you might do me a favour and make excuses for me, if I do the same thing happens here?

Thomas

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by China Cat Sunflower

She keeps telling me things that I'm supposed to do next week- like I'll remember!

Chris

I shall send Mrs China Cat some post it notes for Christmas

Failing that I have found that witholding food until the job is done works (oh who am I kidding that just makes him eat at his mothers but saves on washing up).

Salaam