Strange Time Travel Stories on Ars Technica

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a science fiction anthology titled "Seat 14C," which features stories from various authors based on a writing prompt involving a flight from Tokyo to San Francisco that jumps 20 years into the future. Participants explore the themes and interpretations of the stories, as well as related competitions and media.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express excitement about the anthology and the diverse interpretations of the time travel prompt by different authors.
  • One participant notes an optimistic tone in the stories they have scanned, contrasting it with potential negative scenarios like global warming and political instability that are not addressed in the narratives.
  • Another participant mentions a writing contest associated with the anthology, highlighting the involvement of well-known authors and the opportunity for aspiring writers.
  • There is a reference to a previous story competition involving a plane that disappeared for 20 years, drawing a parallel to a new TV show about a plane that disappears for 5 years, suggesting a trend in media themes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share enthusiasm for the anthology and the writing contest, but there are differing views on the thematic content of the stories, particularly regarding optimism versus realism in future scenarios.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the broader implications of the stories, particularly in relation to societal issues that may not be represented in the anthology.

jedishrfu
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A flight from Tokyo to San Francisco jumps through time and lands 20 years in the future. That's the short version of a writing prompt taken up by 22 of today's most exciting science fiction writers, each of whom contributed stories about the flight's temporally dislocated passengers to an anthology called Seat 14C. Now you can read the book for free online, and I guarantee you'll be engrossed.

You'll find original stories by Hugh Howey, Nancy Kress, Chen Qiufan, Bruce Sterling, Charles Yu, Charlie Jane Anders, Margaret Atwood, Madeline Ashby, Gregory Benford, Daniel Wilson, Eileen Gunn, and more. Each author interpreted the prompt in his or her own way, resulting in a fascinating selection of very different kinds of stories. Twenty-two incredible artists illustrated the stories, and we have a selection of their work in the gallery above. Some of these tales are about weird new technologies, some are about social changes, and others are about the tragedy of being marooned in an unknown future.

https://arstechnica.com/the-multive...e-travel-stories-from-sci-fis-modern-masters/
 
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I have only started to scan the stories, and I find it quite entertaining to see all the visions of the 2037 future. So far from what I have read, and from the tittles of the stories I have not yet read, I get the impression that all the writers are optimistic. For example, nothing that I have seen so far deals with 20 years of (1) not much happening to slow global warming, (2) reduced political interest in maintaining infrastructure, and (3) increasing movement towards secession dividing large political groups into segments. Also, so far I have seen nothing like the San Fransisco setting of "Blade Runner".
 
There's a science fiction writing contest going on right now called Seat14C sponsored by the XPrize folks and Japan's ANA Airlines.

It's to be an anthology collection of stories by some famous sci fi authors and with one slot reserved for an aspiring author all starting with the same premise of a flight from Tokyo to SFO that is transported 20 years into the future. They want you to imagine what the future will be like once you get off the plane.

Details of the competition are at the website: www.seat14C.com

Here's an online WIRED article about it as well:

https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2017/06/seat-14c-jets-future/
 
Story submitted... :nb)
 
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The winner will be announced in two more days. Jedishrfu and I have both submitted stories. It would be pretty awesome if one of us won. :wideeyed:
 
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Yes that would be awesome.
 
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This story competition from last year was about a plane that disappeared for 20 years and suddenly re-appeared.
Now NBC has a TV show coming out about a plane that disappears for 5 years.

What an interesting coincidence. :oldeyes:
 

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