History of the Future Session 2 The Future

History of the Future Session 2: The Future in America Science Fiction in Depression & War

The American Future Three elements prominent in early 20 th Century futurism – Utopianism – Inventions – Faith in Progress These are inherited by science fiction – Emerges in 1930 s from pulp magazine genre

Utopianism Thomas More – Utopia, 1516 – Meaning both “better place” and “no place” Others followed – Thomas Bacon – New Atlantis, 1627 – Saint-Simon, early 1800 s Popular in Victorian Britain – Many with a pastoral tone

American Utopia Concern for “perfect society” always there – Pilgrims, US Constitution, etc. – Not always technological – Jefferson, etc. Many different commune movements – Shakers (celibate but industrious) – Owenites (secular and industrial) – Mormons

The Oneida Community Founded in 1850 s by the Perfectionists Started pastoral, but forced into craft production. Communal living and selective breeding prove less enduring than fine silverware. By 1880 s has become corporation.

Faith in Progress Always a moral element – Often with religious overtones Also material/technological element – Frontier/manifest destiny – Increasing industrial might “Progressive Era” 1890 s-1920 s – Political reform – Moral improvement

The Age of Systems - 1880 s-1920 s Rise of Professional Engineering Spread of Big Business – Coordination on huge scale – Formalization, specialization Scientific Management – Frederick W. Taylor – Henry Gantt “Systems” technology – Gas, Electricity, Telephones

Utopia Meets the Future Edward Bellamy “Looking Backward” (1888) – Year 2000 – Modest technological progress – Major social reorganization A host of imitators and plans followed

Gillette – Razors & Utopia King Gillette invented safety razor in 1901 Devoted himself to promotion of “sky cities” – Huge, self contained skyscrapers Killed himself in 1930 s

Technocracy Meaning: Rule by Experts – Government of rational technicians Popular in the US, 1890 s onward Form of Progressive ideology – Thorsten Veblen, The Engineers and the Price System, 1921 – Particular focus on rationalization of production

Thomas Alva Edison (1847 -1931) Inventor – 1093 patents to his name – Phonograph (1877) – Practical electric light and generator (1879) – Motion picture pioneer Entrepreneur – Invented industrial research lab Self promoter – Ubiquitous sage, expert on future

The “Edisonade” Popular 1890 s-1930 s The Boy Inventor – Overcome perils – Conquers new frontiers Influence on stories of Heinlein – Competent, resourceful capitalist hero – Engineering, problem solving, self reliant Steam Man of the Prairies, 1868 (has been called first American science fiction)

Tom Swift Children’s series 1910 -1941 Inventor hero Many adventures

The Roaring 20 s Capitalism triumphant – Socialism and strikes of 1910 crushed – Stock market booms Exciting new technologies & industries – Radio – Cinema – Flight – Mass production of automobiles – Rise of advertising industry, brands

Film Interlude Triumph of America (1933) – 1933 Chevrolet propaganda film Technology = Progress = Science Technology is Big! – Fills city blocks – Involves thousands of people – Complex, intricate, heavy Big business is good for you

Scientifiction Term coined by Hugo Gernesback in 1924 – writer (Ralph 124 C 41+) – publisher (Modern Electrics, Science and invention) – amateur inventor Amazing Stories – first SF magazine – published in 1926

Pulp Magazines Originated in 1880 s – “pulp” – cheap and nasty paper – origin of mass market publishing Huge market for trashy fiction From 1915 onward, tend to specialize – – – Detective Western Horror Salacious mystery, 1937

The Great Depression Stock market crash of 1929 – Followed by long, slow economic collapse – Partial revival around 1936, collapse in 37 American progress falters – GNP falls 23% (23% deflation) – Unemployment exceeds 25% Resurgence of technocratic thinking – Many new schemes to fix problems

The New Deal Franklin Delano Roosevelt Government takes new role in economy – Social Security Administration – Regulation in many industries – WPA and other stimulus measures (TVA) New legal protections for labor unions – Dramatic proliferation in 1930 s

Astounding Science Fiction Leading science fiction magazine – Founded as “Astounding Stories of Super Science” in 1930 – Commercially successful (2 cents a word) Thrives during Depression 1937 – John W. Campbell, Jr. becomes editor

The “Golden Age” Term given to 1938/9 to 1946 – Isaac Asimov debuts 1939 – Robert A. Heinlein debuts 1939 – Also A E Van Vogt & Theodore Sturgeon Other regulars include – L Ron Hubbard! – (In 1960 s, Dune is published there)

Key Themes of the 1940 s Atomic physics (Campbell’s specialty) Space travel Contact with aliens Inventors (less than before) Pseudo science War

Campbell’s Principles No sex Humanity is always smartest America is always best Technology can fix anything Space travel will happen Science fiction can change the world

Campbell’s Style Very hands on – Worked closely with writers in developing ideas Dogmatic editorial writer – Bombastic, quasi-racist Campbell wanted to see SF ideas made real – – – Dianetics (led to divorce) General symbolics The “Dean Drive”

Film Interlude “To New Horizons” – 1940 General Motors propaganda film based on its “World of 1960” exhibit at the 1940 Worlds Fair – Same year as Heinlein story “The Roads Must Roll”