But this is exactly contrary to my point, a science fiction author isn't qualified or motivated to give a realistic "understanding" of the Torment Nexus. His skillset is focused on writing stories and the stories he writes need to contain danger and conflict, so he's not necessarily going to interpret the idea of the Torment Nexus in a realistic way.

[–] wanderingmagus@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein aren't qualified to give understandings of the technologies they wrote about?

[–] FaceDeer@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nope. Isaac Asimov was a biochemist, why would he be particularly qualified to determine whether robots are safe? Arthur C. Clarke had a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics, which technology was he an expert in? Heinlein got a bachelor of arts in engineering equivalent degree from the US Naval Academy, that's the closest yet to having an "understanding of technology." Which ones did he write about?

[–] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Those were a list of authors who were pretty good at getting the science in their sci fi right. They talked to scientists working on the fields they wrote about. They wrote "hard" sci fi

You cannot judge their competence by their formal education

[–] FaceDeer@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Well, I also am "pretty good" at getting the science right when I write sci fi. Makes me just as qualified as them, I guess.

The problem remains that the overriding goal of a sci fi author remains selling sci fi books, which requires telling a gripping story. It's much easier to tell a gripping story when something has gone wrong and the heroes are faced with the fallout, rather than a story in which everything's going fine and the revolutionary new tech doesn't have any hidden downsides to cause them difficulties. Even when you're writing "hard" science fiction you need to do that.

And frankly, much of Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein's output was very far from being "hard" science fiction.