[ExI] Defeatist Science Fiction Writers

[Damien Broderick]

At 01:40 PM 6/15/2008 -0700, Lee wrote:

>Isn't there a discernable tendency in British and Australian SF writers
>against the "gung ho, can do"?  Of an almost relative passivity? I explicitly
>exempt Damien Broderick's novels. The ones that come to mind show
>the protagonists overcoming obstacles and triumphing most gratifyingly.
>If I am right about this issue, then of course that could be explained by
>his allegiance to general extropian or transhumanist philosophy.

In general terms, no doubt some sort of 
conjunction is valid, but it's worth noting that 
when my first fiction was being published Max More had just been born... :)

Other Aussie sf writers have an optimistic 
stance. Sean McMullen, for example. Terry 
Dowling, despite a certain fin de siècle 
mournfulness. Russell Blackford. You might not 
know all these writers, which is a shame. 
(Curiously, it strikes me that they/we all have 
PhDs, although none in the sciences. Striving is 
a very Aussie characteristic, despite the laid-back beach culture.)

Damien Broderick