tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post18152272526489871..comments2024-03-28T00:05:38.435-07:00Comments on Biology in Science Fiction: "Is Darwinism Too Good for SF?" panel at ReaderconPeggy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18360669414917755737noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-83777278369285786492016-10-21T16:24:32.435-07:002016-10-21T16:24:32.435-07:00Well, evolution is just a part of biology, just as...Well, evolution is just a part of biology, just as wormholes are a part of physics. And biology can offer more than evolution; genetics, eugenics, extraterrestrial life, concepts of life and DNA still not known by science and more. Biology is about life and its interactions with the world, and should have lots of opportunity. But other than that, I agree that there are not many satisfying scienceHansenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03972219789961366511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-12148518935664006402009-08-18T01:14:53.331-07:002009-08-18T01:14:53.331-07:00Thanks for letting them know about all the good fi...Thanks for letting them know about all the good fiction that makes use of evolutionary biology. Keep in mind, too, that any Speculative Fiction which makes use of Artificial Life algorithms, clanking replicators, nanomachines, memetics, or biowarfare is also implicitly making use of evolutionary theory, because all of these technologies (real or imagined) rely on mimicking the principles of Adam Wykeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02534325888137250921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-16287045282198728362009-07-14T15:06:47.246-07:002009-07-14T15:06:47.246-07:00Vance was depicting human evolution in the same mo...Vance was depicting human evolution in the same mode that a new dog breed might be made by artificial selection, similar to the Klesh in M. A. Foster's Ler books. One of the "human herbivores" is shown by Vance after having been taken in from the wild and raised by conventional humans....she is anatomically similar to "normal" humans....not too much genetic change is John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-26784160177719999152009-07-14T14:16:55.584-07:002009-07-14T14:16:55.584-07:00John: Humans evolving into herbivores is an intere...John: Humans evolving into herbivores is an interesting premise. It's far-fetched to think that the massive anatomical changes required for us to become grazers would evolve in a few hundred years, but maybe genetic engineering could solve that problem. <br /><br />Sean: I'll see if my library has any de Camp.Peggy Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18360669414917755737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-68482438533248359642009-07-14T10:26:34.841-07:002009-07-14T10:26:34.841-07:00One of my favorite examples of evolution in scienc...One of my favorite examples of evolution in science fiction is found in "The Book of Dreams" by Jack Vance. The planet "New Concept" was colonized by vegetarians who, after several centuries, can be found happily grazing in the fields.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-391466484794808702009-07-08T13:06:10.103-07:002009-07-08T13:06:10.103-07:00de Camp was one of the first people to regularly u...de Camp was one of the first people to regularly use biological themes in his fiction. Stories like Hyperpilosity, The Command, and The Blue Giraffe are proto-ribofunk. They still hold up quite well.<br /><br />I'd lay odds that at least some of his stuff would appeal to you -- but I'd suggest checking out some of his early short fiction rather than his later novels, which are mostly Sean Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13763869499494698057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-63089519014330758402009-07-08T12:16:42.349-07:002009-07-08T12:16:42.349-07:00Arvind: If you can think of any other examples, be...Arvind: If you can think of any other examples, be sure to add a comment on Sawyer's post. <br /><br />Athena: What I find particularly galling is that the Con is in the Boston area which is jam-packed with bioscientists. Too bad you aren't on the panel! <br /><br />Sean: I haven't read any of de Camp's novels, so I can't comment directly on his work, but I agree that it Peggy Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18360669414917755737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-13596875291902783152009-07-08T07:21:21.660-07:002009-07-08T07:21:21.660-07:00Here's a word I wish more world-builders knew ...Here's a word I wish more world-builders knew -- 'cladistics.' I'd suggest looking at L. Sprague deCamp's fiction. It ain't deep, but at least he knows that alien animals should have common ancestors.<br /><br />I've just about worn out my copy of Mirabile. I wish Kagen had written more.<br /><br />But I'd like to point out a sub-genre that's one of my Sean Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13763869499494698057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-91003050780756472342009-07-08T06:10:45.347-07:002009-07-08T06:10:45.347-07:00I agree with you both about the moniker Darwinism ...I agree with you both about the moniker Darwinism (versus using the more neutral and accurate term evolution) and about the dearth of biologists not only in SF panels but also in NASA.<br /><br />Some of it is good ol' hierarchic thinking -- physicists feel automatically qualified to hold forth not only on physics but also on biology. The trend is obvious in popular science books. Some is Athena Andreadishttp://www.starshipnivan.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-58741459506703923242009-07-08T05:33:36.691-07:002009-07-08T05:33:36.691-07:00The concept of evolution especially the biological...The concept of evolution especially the biological evolution is a milestone in human thought and perception of the world -Time Machine is a classical example how this concept was incorporated in Sf .<br />Peggy ,I fully endorse your views that physicists who often have vague ideas regarding biology can not do justice with a subject like the one in question.Arvind Mishrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231261732951391013noreply@blogger.com