Readers and writers of science fiction.
KSR on Generation Ships
Our Generation Ships Will Sink
As noted in Cory's review, Kim Stanley Robinson's makes an undeniable case for ecological stewardship through a rigorous, gripping technological speculation about climate science, biology, space propulsion and sociodynamic factors. In this exclusive feature essay, Robinson explains the technology behind the best science fiction novel of 2015.
boingboing.net
KSR on Generation Ships




I've got some problems with the certainty with which Kim Stanley Robinson lays out the seemingly insurmountable issues with generation ships, but he's thought about them more than I have, and it's an interesting read.
Yeah, to say 'it's impossible to do this because Science says so' seems to be assuming a whole lot about our present understanding. I can't find them now but this puts me in mind of those hilarious pre-1800s essays explaining why such-and-such an outlandish idea like commercial airlines or long-distance communication is clearly ludicrous and impossible. Because they were! It would have been ridiculous to think we could do it. The science and technology of the time ruled those things out completely.
I guess the key point as far as I'm concerned is that saying 'eh, we'll probably solve it with magic' while we continue to trash the only present, actual and proven means of survival is beyond insane, even if we have solved a lot of our problems with magic so far, since there's also plenty we haven't. And saying 'oh, they solved it with magic' opens possibilities in fiction, but often makes for a much less interesting story than 'they didn't solve it'.
This is well put, and I think gets the essence of the essay better than I did. Thank you