When I first started reading pulp sci-fi (at a slightly younger age than Gil), I didn’t quite comprehend that stories set in the future were entirely made-up; I figured if a book set in 1750 was based on a true story that happened, then a book set in 2050 was about true stuff that was gonna happen.
I figured out I was wrong about that fairly quickly, when encountering sci-fi stories with wildly varying future ‘histories’.
Love the fact you can get many of the old SF on kindle for cheap. Not all of it is stellar(pun intended), but they are interesting in an historical sense.
There’s a blogger who has an occasional feature called Young People Read Old SF, in which young people read classic stories, 50+ years after their publication date.
As you’d expect a lot of those stories don’t stand the test of time. Wooden characters, crappy dialogue, outdated social ideas.
Troy would do better by giving Gil something recent, and more relevant. Then, if Gil is interested when he grows up(1), he can pursue the “classics” on his own.
Robert A Heinlein’s “Door Into Summer” was placed in th far off 1970"s. It is still a good read and is intresting in how he described computer aided drafting yet still miss what actually came about.
droosan Premium Member about 3 years ago
When I first started reading pulp sci-fi (at a slightly younger age than Gil), I didn’t quite comprehend that stories set in the future were entirely made-up; I figured if a book set in 1750 was based on a true story that happened, then a book set in 2050 was about true stuff that was gonna happen.
I figured out I was wrong about that fairly quickly, when encountering sci-fi stories with wildly varying future ‘histories’.
some idiot from R'lyeh Premium Member about 3 years ago
Ah, the way the future was.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member about 3 years ago
Love the fact you can get many of the old SF on kindle for cheap. Not all of it is stellar(pun intended), but they are interesting in an historical sense.
crookedwolf Premium Member about 3 years ago
Maybe they had flying cars in 1989, Gil; you just weren’t around to see them, then!
reyn6841 about 3 years ago
There’s a blogger who has an occasional feature called Young People Read Old SF, in which young people read classic stories, 50+ years after their publication date.
As you’d expect a lot of those stories don’t stand the test of time. Wooden characters, crappy dialogue, outdated social ideas.
Troy would do better by giving Gil something recent, and more relevant. Then, if Gil is interested when he grows up(1), he can pursue the “classics” on his own.
https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/tag/young+people+read+old+sf
(1) A cartoon character growing up? When does that happen?!?(2)
(2) Aside from For Better or For Worse, or Gasoline Alley, that is. And FBoFW hit the reset button ages ago, and the kids are kids again.
Julie478 Premium Member about 3 years ago
✨Today’s Gil✨
https://i0.wp.com/www.normfeuticartoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gil15.jpg
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 3 years ago
The FAA stops flying cars.
MCProfessor about 3 years ago
“2001 a Space Odyssey”?
banjinshiju about 3 years ago
Robert A Heinlein’s “Door Into Summer” was placed in th far off 1970"s. It is still a good read and is intresting in how he described computer aided drafting yet still miss what actually came about.