LENTON reports.
What first becomes obvious when looking at science fiction is hat it can he broadly divided into two calevorics, The tust 15 bed byche with worst and Smith at its worst and Isane Asimov at us best, El 1S characterised by its complete failure to go beyond the confines bilities inherent assume that capital fors of social organisation are all chat is possible. This shows up in a number of ways The story 1s set HOUSEWIVES This sart of literature is par ATS CACHUTE BE CUL of the position of wome ally they are port them to their limit.
It was this side that came to the Socialists are often drawn into speculative conversations which start with the phrase After the revolulion...' We all know that things will be different. But how different?
To see how our own views hold up and how much we are able to break from the present reality it is worth examining that other group whose bread and butter is a different future — science fiction writers. ALAN fore during the McCarthy period in thems scare sause an savage satires abour the logical America by selline taçir stories in the future.
The classie story in this genre is The Space Merchants, by Fred erick Pohl and C.M. Korbluth, which describes an attempt by an American multi-national to sell e sort of writing still internalised a dol of the norms of hourReDis society. considerable step Forward from n recent years, mainly und he Impact of th of science fiction step forward.
TACO TOM & DULLIE CELESHIN of capitalist society to a positive experimentation with new social In Le Guin's books the plot [sident artists and writeis an couraged to do just that. Bu not doctors and scientists, wis ave to siga away 10 yean s heir life before they can b bear children Venus. Although thi it was nonetboless a that begins contradiction. made SCHILIP ha experience from its confines.
LEV NUSSBERG » Construction 1'[1062), from Unofficiel Art from the Sovlet Afl, publisbed by Secker & Warburg location In The Digpassensed Le Guin poses Be problems or schang u an anarchist community using modern technology, how to fight cuacarcy, and even how to swear fiction has a make peuple question their assumptions abour Science fiction is grounded in a Albough it is opportunity.
The of science ariters is formed in the present, SULLES this is no depends on their ability to break MULERITE • Those authors who unastanely or otherwise fail to transcend 0571.
centres these bounds are doomed 1 reflections of capitalist society That such stories are acceptabl to the status guo in indicated by the way in which, for example Asimov's writing now features in English Literature courses.
Fo the extent that writers do manage to overcome these ab stacies, bowever, sacy produc works which directly confront ideology. and this work should be supported and encouraged by socialists. Science tremendous polenideas about what we are fighting for. It is to be regretted ALAN LENTON is manager of The Other Bookshop which lan accident] has TETTLE fiction iterature — at 328 Uppe Street, London NI. Tel 0i-22t The Government I clearly vainly signs to avoid the wealth tax; bu control has gravitated to 'hooli'Challenge to Imperialiser i the title of a series of nine films to be shown on Friday nights at the Nottingham Flim • Theatre begi MEIE September Antonio Das Mortes.
The series inclades Third World films which переветі a political and cultural resistance to imperialism, such as The Gar from Brazil, and Emital an films made from within imperial The the third is fet Chile (che sompleted) are included as p of the linest political realist filen yet made.
series for the attended Friday group. also arranged publicity, and a 96-pag of background wear wars mal discussion after the Traps Out Movemen Solidarity to follo related to these st InC SELLES Christmas with formal and pol more closely. Li Women's G arrange a Fridi There are the British Film there are independer and college him societies
----- pull-quotes -----
the ronic veil the and din Labou
ALMIGENT Challenge to