Nathanial Hawthorne

[kennyc]

Hawthorne sets his 1843 tale “The Birth-Mark” in the moment when the “recent discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to open paths into the region of miracle.” Science enables men to “ascend from one step of powerful intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself.”

https://lithub.com/what-nathaniel-ha...chno-optimism/

[Quoth]

Um, if 50 to several thousand years is recent? Though batteries date from 1800. Galvanism as a life force disproved in 1799 (Volta vs Galvani), but Mary Shelly used it to enliven Frankenstein's "monster" in 1816. Static Electricity well known before 1799.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Hawthorne sets his 1843 tale “The Birth-Mark” in the moment when the “recent discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to open paths into the region of miracle.” Science enables men to “ascend from one step of powerful intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself.”

https://lithub.com/what-nathaniel-ha...chno-optimism/

However an interesting Article.

The problem with the "rich" US "tech guys" is they think SF is a blueprint. They ignore the negative outcomes of some ideas in it and also fail to realise most is entertainment. Some is warnings, but only the worst and least popular sets out to be actual blueprints or predicting the future (Futurism).

Huge machines to copy plans or schematics produced a blue background and the lines and text was white. Hence blueprints. Not seen them for forty years.

It's no accident many of these guys endorse Transhumansim, a form of SF popular with Iain M. Banks and not so much with 1930s to 1960s SF. The belief that Technology will turn people into "gods", well, the rich ones anyway.

[Calenorn]

Originally Posted by Quoth

However an interesting Article.

The problem with the "rich" US "tech guys" is they think SF is a blueprint.

Well, that plus a soul-less libertarianism that precludes any compassion or mercy.