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History of the Future

History of the Future. The Future in the 1950s. This Session. WWII role of science and technology Introduction to 1950s Cold War, Atomic Bomb & Sputnik to follow Also discussion of political climate Overview of 1950s SF. World War II. National organization on huge scale

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History of the Future

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  1. History of the Future The Future in the 1950s

  2. This Session • WWII • role of science and technology • Introduction to 1950s • Cold War, Atomic Bomb & Sputnik to follow • Also discussion of political climate • Overview of 1950s SF

  3. World War II • National organization on huge scale • systems, experts, industrial production • Experts of all kinds enlisted in national effort • Key role of science and technology • RADAR • Atomic bomb • Jet engines • V2 rockets • Computer (not widely known at time)

  4. Government & Science • Pre-1945 fairly limited • Agriculture, geology, etc. • Private foundations, industry important • Vannevar Bush • Mobilized American science, 1941 onward • Science – The Endless Frontier, 1945 • Call for Federal support answer 1950, NSF • “Pipeline” – Basic -> Applied -> Technology

  5. Physics Very Prestigious • Einstein as celebrity • Emergence of Big Science • reactors • particle accelerators • massive research teams, millions of dollars • Most science funding is military • Social sciences want to be more like physics • Economics, sociology, psychology etc.

  6. Automation • New term in 1950s • Popularized by young consultant • Some basis in continuous flow (oil, etc.) • Fully automatic factories expected soon • Cybernetics • Social issues much discussed • Widespread unemployment? • End of work?

  7. Age of Affluence • Prosperity for first time in 20 years • Enormous pent-up demand for consumer goods • Rapid growth in corporate profits, output • Television • First networks grow up in 1950s • Largely displaces cinema

  8. Social Conservatism • Women are • Working outside the home less • Having more children, younger • Also tied to cold war, defense of America • Unions become respectable • Focus on pay and conditions • Continuing faith in large corporations • Virtues of American way of life

  9. Suburbanization • Trend frozen since 1920s • Large scale construction across US • Modern, spacious • Safe, affordable • Suits large scale raising of baby boomers • Whites flee cities • Lifestyle celebrated on sitcoms

  10. UFO • Flying Saucer, coined 1947 • UFO craze throughout 1950s • Popular willingness to believe in aliens

  11. Science Fiction in 1950s • Quality of writing picks up • New magazines • Galaxy • Fantasy & Science Fiction • Spread of “soft” SF • Sociology • Psychology, etc.

  12. PSI • Key theme of 1950s SF • Earlier use (1890s onward) • Transcendental overtones • Evolution of super man (Stapledon) • Major theme in Bester novel • Often linked to cold-war paranoia • Mutants • No way of knowing who has it

  13. Key Themes of 50s SF • Telepathy and PSI power • Atomic war • Mutants, radiation • Cold war paranoia • Aliens among us • One important shift • Heroes generally less powerful, more confused and at mercy of outside forces

  14. SF In Book Form • First “Genre SF” appears in book form • Gnome Press, founded 1948 • First book publication for Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke • Initial previous published in magazines

  15. Asimov • Foundation Trilogy • Published in Astounding, 1942-1950 • Published in book form 1951-1953 • Epic of future history • direct mapping of Roman Empire • very concept driven • skeptical of religion, politics • never really finished

  16. Asimov – Robot Stories • The Three Laws of Robotics • Published as I Robot, 1950 • Stories appeared from 1941 onward • Two detective novels, 1954 & 1957 • Laws are moral, rather than scientific • Rehabilitates idea of robot

  17. Robert A. Heinlein • Future History series • Stories of 1940s • Collected 1951 onward • Many “juvenile” novels for teenagers • published 1947 – 1958 • Have Spacesuit, Will Travel – 1958 • Starship Troopers, 1959 • rejected as children's book!

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