OFF: Moorcock on sci-fi

[M Holmes]

Douglas Pearson writes:

> I think it IS an interesting (if not necessarily important) argument to
> make in an SF context since "What if?" frequently means "What do I want?"
> or (equally importantly) "What do I NOT want?".  Although perhaps this is a
> good place to draw the line between "science fiction" and "speculative
> fiction", since the latter category ("What do I NOT want?") seems to be
> frequently employed by authors NOT of the science-fiction "genre" dabbling
> in "science fiction"-like situations in order to make a political point.
>
> Cases in point:
> '1984' (the obvious one!) - anti-communist/anti-fascist middle-bureaucrat
> socialist author creates world where socialist government is entirely co-
> opted by communist/fascist-type authoritarians who oppress middle-
> bureaucrats.
> 'The Turner Diaries' - rascist author creates world run by "degenerate
> mullato" types who oppress those of "the master race".
> 'The Handmaid's Tale' - feminist author creates world run by male-
> supremacist fundamentalist christians who oppress women.
> 'Atlas Shrugged' - ultra-capitalist/right-wing-libertarian creates world
> where socialist governments have destroyed the economy and oppress
> capitalist types (who are the only ones can get it up?!).

I can add some more:

"The Secret of the League" - ultra-capitalist tale of socialist
government destroying late-Victorian economy of Britain and oppressing
capitalist types who go on strike.

Pallas - ultra-libertarian tale of escape to free society of a denizen
of a socialist work camp, and his subsequent adventures there.

The Probability Broach - tale of two parallel worlds, one a socialist
and politically correct future US where the economy and ecology is in
tatters and one future US where freedom reigns and gun-toting
anarchocapitalists in league with intelligent dolphins drive the future
forward. A cop from the former stumbles on a plot of socialists to
invade and destroy the latter.

The Enemy of the State - libertarian Robin Hood subverts a corporatist
empire strangling the galaxy.

Mirror Maze - the plot to assassinate the first libertarian US President
at his inauguration.


IMHO Enemy of the State is the true classic in all of these (F.Paul
Wilson). The Probability Broach is good, but Smith dodges the key
question asked by the socialist plotters: "If it's a free society which
permits ownership and use of weapons, then why shouldn't we be permitted
free immigration with a nuclear weapon of our choice?".

Best short story in this category is far and away "The Ungoverned" by
Vernor Vinge: a story of a future free country invaded by the statist
one to the south (Texas and Mexico I suspect - though the future is so
different it doesn't matter). The statists are perplexed when informed
by a local copco that there's no central authority which can surrender
on behalf of everyone and annoyed when a farmer nukes the tanks crossing
his land without permission. On remonstrating with the captured cop
about this: "Hell, don't blame me. He's not one of my customers."

And of course I must plug Ken Macleod's "Norlonto" in "The Star
Fraction".  In a future UK where every political movement has carved out
its own ministate, North London Town is the place where the libertarian
Space and Freedom Party plot their role in the next republican socialist
revolution. Smart Drugs, Smart Guns and Smart Women.

> Perhaps because "true" SF authors are more steeped in
> considering "alternative realities", they're able to do so in a more (not
> necessarily objective) subtle(?), non-encompassing(?) manner (groping for a
> description here, sorry).  Or, it could just be that to them, the main
> point is telling a story, not "making a point".

As with Ken, sometimes it's both and sometimes it's just to play around
with the ideas.

FoFP