True Stories, written in 2nd century

  • Thread starter Thread starter meBigGuy
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
Sign up Log in
3 replies · 2K views
meBigGuy
Gold Member
Messages
2,325
Reaction score
406
Since Clarke "invented" the geostationary satellite (I know, he didn't, really, I'm just being snide), I guess Lucian of Samosata invented all this in the 2nd century:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_History
In sum, typical science fiction themes and topoi appearing in True Stories are:[3]

  • travel to outer space
  • encounter with alien life-forms, including the experience of a first encounter event
  • interplanetary warfare and imperialism
  • colonization of planets
  • artificial atmosphere
  • liquid air
  • reflecting telescope
  • motif of giganticism
  • creatures as products of human technology (robot theme)
  • worlds working by a set of alternate 'physical' laws
  • explicit desire of the protagonist for exploration and adventure
Pretty impressive list for 2nd century fiction.
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Discussion

There is a difference between fantasizing a circumstance and demonstrating that it works and how it works.

I'm not going to tick off each of the items you mention, but many of them (for example space travel) are proposed simply by fiat - i.e. do not ask how it is so, just that it is so.

Clarke did not merely decide that geostationary satlelites would be cool. He did the math to show how and why it would work.Still, your point is well-taken. Sometimes it's easy to forget just how long our star-gazing dreams have been around.
 
I probably shouldn't have brought Clarke into it. I'd take it back if I could.

I was just impressed with seeing science fiction so far back.
 
Smilies are great for conveying an intended tone of light-heartedness. :wink: