I am reading Arthur’s 1951 novel. I’m really enjoying it but some of the things are so antiquated. It’s hilarious.
Arthur had one of the best imaginations but in this 1951 debut he seemed devoid of any insight into the future. It’s like transferring 1950s Britain into space travel and a colony on Mars.
He has a typewriter on his spacecraft.
On the Mars colony the office is set up like a 1950s office – rows of typewriters a female secretaries.
All the females are secretaries and the men are the astronauts, explorers and chiefs.
Everything runs on valves.
They steer the ship using slide rules and navigational calculations.
He has them all cooking and washing up on the spaceship like at home.
They are drinking beer and smoking on the spaceship.
The spaceship is run like a navy cruiser.
On Mars there is vegetation and sand storms.
It really is like a look back into a past world. No computers, food dispensors or equality.
Even so, I am enjoying it!
makes you wonder about reputations sometimes.
I’ve been reading some Stanislau Lem short stories – supposedly a Polish sci-fi Einstein figure. They’re juvenile.
I remember Solaris. That was billed as a rival to 2001. When you read someone like Iain M Banks it makes you realise how far the genre has come.