The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Can you write about the future?

    By Donal on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 8:26pm | Arts & Entertainment

     

    In Efficiency is the Solution, Tom Whipple predicts the future by describing what we are already seeing: 
     
    For the immediate future, however, much of what life in the future will be like will depend on the technologies that will enable civilization to continue while using only a fraction of the energy that is consumed today and to develop the technology to produce large quantities of cheaper renewable fuels. The manner in which our fossil fuels are being used is so wasteful of the energy contained in fossil fuels that major reductions can be made with little real impact on the activities that consume energy. The prime examples of this waste is the internal combustion engine which uses only 14 percent of its fuel to turn the wheels while wasting most of the rest. Huge central power plants waste most of the energy that devours coal and natural gas, and produce much waste heat that is dumped into the air or local water bodies or in line losses. Without the massive waste, the fossil fuel age could last a lot longer.
    Hey, any of us could do that. So why don't we? 
     
    In Invasion of the Space Bats, John Michael Greer goes blah, blah about Science Fiction and Peak Oil before announcing a science fiction short story competition - about the future after Peak Oil. Now you're talking, John:
     
    Longtime readers of this blog will have noticed that one of its central themes is the need to stop waiting for somebody else to do what needs to be done, and get working on it ourselves. With that in mind, I’d like to propose a contest—or a challenge—to this blog’s readers.

    I propose that as many of you as are willing write a short story set in the future in the wake of peak oil, and put it on the internet. When it’s up, post a link to it on the comments page of this post. Meanwhile, I’m going to sound out some publishers, and see if I can find one willing to bring out the world’s first anthology of peak oil-related short stories; if that happens, I’ll pick the best dozen or so stories, add an introduction, and get the collection into print. If any money comes out of it—there probably won’t be much—it will be split between the contributors or, if they agree, donated to a peak oil nonprofit.

    Here are the submission requirements for the contest:

    Stories should be between 2500 and 7500 words in length;

    They should be in English, with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation;

    They should be stories—narratives with a plot and characters—and not simply a guided tour of some corner of the future as the author imagines it;

    They should be set in our future, not in an alternate history or on some other planet;

    They should be works of realistic fiction or science fiction, not fantasy—that is, the setting should follow the laws of nature as those are presently understood;

    They should deal directly with the impact of peak oil, and the limits to growth in general, on the future; and...

    There must be a complete and utter shortage of alien space bats.

    I know of a blog with a Creative Corner and lots of talented writers ...
     
    Topics: 
    Arts & Entertainment

    Comments

    I'm looking forward to the talented writings :)

    Meantime, all I have to share is that I once had a Queen album, which had a cover of that robot in your photo link, holding what looked to be Freddie and Brian in its hand. 

    Okay, back to packing/throwing stuff away, I go.  Wish me luck.  I hope to get eight years of my life into one U-Haul van come Tuesday.  The rest of it goes to Good Will or the garbage.  Whomever wants it.

    xo


    by LisB on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 8:48pm

    What's this? I thought you just landed a job within the last 12 months after living on unemployment checks for nearly a year? Get a promotion or find a better gig somewhere else? Just curious.


    by Beetlejuice on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 6:22am

    "It was a dark and stormy future ..."


    by Donal on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 1:49pm

    Sounds like fun! Did I miss it or is there no deadline stated?  A deadline is always a good idea for writers.  As someone once said, "Everything that's accomplished in the world, is done to avoid writing."


    by MrSmith1 on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 5:42am

    He's allowing a few months, but giving extra consideration to earlier entries.


    by Donal on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 9:42am

    It would be interesting to take some of Tesla's ideas and wrap them up in stories where the level of technology takes a giant leap forward after introducing his long forgotten ideas and theories as solutions for a rapidly deteriorating energy environment that has exhausted nearly all of the available fossil fuel resources.


    by Beetlejuice on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 6:26am

    Excellent challenge. The dueling glove is smartly felt.

    Exploring the space between Alvin Toffler and Franz Kafka might require breaking the rule about following the rules of nature as "presently understood." It is hard to guess, in any imagined stretch of time, whether scarcity will force change or fold stasis into itself.

    But fair enough: No backdoors.

     


    by moat on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 6:50pm

    Can I write about the future?  

    Apparently not.  I've made some futile attempts but it is really harder than it sounds.  Changes to current practices ricochet and fold back to first causes and before you know it, it has become really hard to accept the way things are and impossible to change them.

    Thanks for the heads up anyway.

     


    by EmmaZahn on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 8:25pm

    For those who may require some insight, here's a few good references to follow.

    url : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVcIhnvSx8&feature=player_embedded

    url : fhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ&feature=player_embedded


    by Beetlejuice on Sat, 09/10/2011 - 1:10pm