Thread: Literary City by Clifford D. Simak
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Old 08-16-2018, 04:16 PM   #17
fantasyfan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bfisher View Post
The atomic-powered personal aircars are still not there. However, From the radio era on, haven't we been retreating into smaller and smaller community units? I know quite a few people who live in suburban houses by themselves. If boomers haven't physically jettisoned the city completely, they certainly have left it mentally in many cases

I have to question Simak's science - it's more like fantasy. Although DNA hadn't been scientifically established, Simak's biology seems to be out of Cuvier.
The City vs Individual theme develops as the sequence continues. The mutants are self-contained units. Webster is obsessed with racial identity in “Paradise”. The “cobbly worlds” idea rings another variation. Without trying to give away too much, the way the Websters finally link into a world dominated by pure racial identity is quite ironic.

I would certainly agree that Simak represents the “soft” area of science fiction. We see it too in Sturgeon and Bradbury. Personally, I think that Simak’s sequence in City is far more coherent than the latter’s The Martian Chronicles. However, this is owing to thematic development particularly the Juwain Philosophy—not to any scientific extrapolation.

Last edited by fantasyfan; 08-16-2018 at 04:23 PM.
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