#225 - Try to Imagine a Better World
Go ahead. Give it a shot.
I have not met a utopia I would even want to live in.
–Kevin Kelley
That comes from Kelley’s explanation of the concept of Protopias. He argues that our future-blindness is caused by a lack of stories between the two opposing poles of Utopias that don’t pass the smell test and Dystopias that trend toward a world in ruins propped up by criminal gangs.
Michael Shermer looks to history for examples of when utopian visions were put into practice, and how they could lead to murders, civil wars, and genocide. Monika Bielskyte expands on this line of inquiry, suggesting that every Utopia is someone’s Dystopia, and that you cannot create a “perfect” stable society without the erasure of difference. In her talk on how there’s a feedback loop between speculative fiction and people with the actual resources to fund scientific development, she makes the point that “Those who control the fantasy control the future.”
Jenny Johnston describes this process as a system that needs a push and a pull. The push comes from the future you’re trying to avoid, but the pull comes from creative people who can create a vision of the future we can work toward:
And Taryn O’Neill brings actionable advice for writers looking to take a step back from dystopian narratives and find a more hopeful form of storytelling.
Come play games with us!
If you’re in Los Angeles, join John, Drew and the crew for a drink and a few rounds of AlphaBirds on Friday, November 22 at Village Well in Culver City.
We’ll be teaching newcomers the game (it’s easy!) and chatting about things that are inneresting to writers.
Space is limited, so get an advance ticket (which includes a drink) here.
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Previously on Inneresting…
In case you missed it, in last issue’s most clicked link Rebecca Rubin revealed the process of finalizing a title for a film.
What else is inneresting?
A poem by Louise Erdrich on the details of practicing resistance.
Familiarize yourself with some basic principles of cybersecurity from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. You know, just for fun…
Adam Frank on a breakthrough in our understanding of the universe, and how it should matter to everyone, not just scientists:
Every gravitational wave in that background the NANOGrav team found is humming through the very constitution of the space you inhabit right now. Every proton and neutron in every atom from the tip of your toes to the top of your head is shifting, shuttling, and vibrating in a collective purr within which the entire history of the universe is implicated. And if you put your hand down on a chair or table or anything else nearby, that object, too, is dancing that slow waltz.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
Inneresting is edited by Chris Csont, with contributions from readers like you and the entire Quote-Unquote team.
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Post-Credits Scene
I use what I've dubbed the "Nic Cage Gauge" to get my students to tell me how they're feeling everyday. It's been a lot of fun.
– Dr. Suban Nur Cooley
