When a fiction is set in the past or the modern day, its weapons and wars can be realistic by simply copying reality outright. Even if the setting is fictional, if its technology is historical or modern, the particulars are already established.
The weapons and wars in fiction are innately questionable if the setting is futuristic. Though they can be based on reality, the technology is “more advanced” than it actually is, thus, entirely speculative.
The weapons and wars of a fiction set in the far future are excused by default. It would be like the ancient Romans trying to imagine World War 3. If the setting is in the near future, not so much. We expect what is soon to be recognizable.
Fantastic settings makes unrealistic technology believable. The steampunk genre, for example. The technology is understood from the beginning to be thematic rather than actually speculative. The universe is accepted as an alternate reality at its base.
The science of science fiction is futuristic mysticism. Its imaginary technology is the magic of fairy tales but in the guise of speculation. Its weapons and wars are meant to be interesting. As figments of imagination, they serve no other purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment