For my second SF paper, I want to examine the integration of renewable energy sources or devices in SF stories. I can examine the fundamental theories the authors used to come up with these new SF idea, and also what are the fallacies in the plans right now that keeps each idea as a SF idea and not viable in the real world.
Some of the SF ideas I was considering to use are the Zero Point Energy concept in River of Gods and the Faulelt Engine in Powerless. I am also considering looking at the fabrikator in Kiosk and the QSNA in The Juniper Tree.
What do y'all think? Are these SF ideas we have read about good ideas to write about? Is there any better examples out there, especially in the Lunar Quartet we read?
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I really like your paper topic. Sorry, don't have any advice, just that your topic sounds very interesting
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jason. I think this is a fabulous topic, and the devices you list would be sufficient, right there.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by renewable, exactly?
ReplyDeleteThe foucault engine is definitely not renewable, but the energy it saps is so great it seems to be seemingly infinite.
Also, it would be cool to examine the difference between attitudes/themes of the two most basic ways stories can approach energy efficiency.
1) Tapping into an infinite resource
2) Reducing energy consumption while retaining functionality
It's kind of like the conflict between the cricket in men in black and those big-ass guns--both pack a huge punch, but one is obviously more useful because of its concealability. IN the same way, sci fi ideas that reduce the amount of energy needed are cooler to me than sci fi ideas that invent 'hyperspace drives' or arbitrarily infinite sources of energy.
Good point, Drew, about Kessel's Foucault engine. But similar points have been raised about real-life sources of "renewable energy," and the extent to which, say, burning firewood or converting sawgrass does or does not merit the term.
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