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Sometimes real-world occurrences are so terrifying and absurd that they transcend the content of even the most vivid and imaginative science-fiction novels. And just as societal fears inform popular literature, it would seem that life itself has the perverse tendency of mimicking (even realizing) the stuff of dystopian fictions. And for those of us who are prone to anxiety and morbid ponderings, recent news has done little to set our minds at ease. I’m referring, of course, primarily to the recent NSA domestic spying scandal and Google’s acquisition of smart technology developer Nest.
The very basis of science-fiction itself could be humanity’s fear of technology, and our constant struggle to reconcile our own frail identity in the face of rapid advancements. On the one hand, technological advancements have enriched modern life for many people throughout the world. On the other hand, we’ve seen the consequences of misapplied technology, or technology which has been purposefully used towards destructive ends.
While a case could be made that classic science fiction works might have helped to avoid certain catastrophes by anticipating them, why are there still so many similarities? Why is our reality starting to feel like more and more like a George Pal film come to life? Pal was part of a significant era in the annals of genre pulp influenced filmmaking — many stellar works of science-fiction were born out of the cold war era.
The 1950’s was a time fraught with friction. Tensions were high between the United States and the former Soviet empire. Many factions throughout the world were still struggling to come to terms with both the long and short-term consequences of World War II. Stock footage of the atrocities committed by the Nazi party under Hitler’s reign left an indelible mark upon the global collective consciousness, and the knowledge that the United States had demonstrated its nuclear capabilities by decimating Hiroshima and Nagasaki also became a source of anxiety for many people. Science-fiction offered something cathartic to the general public by presenting dramatic treatments of these events.
And now with the news of “smart” technology developments in the private sector, and the degree to which this gives the government and other commercial entities too much insight into our daily lives, it seems that a whole new generation of science-fiction writers will have ample fodder.
Certainly, much has been written on the NSA scandal, and all of the confidential information disclosed by Snowden, but the media frenzy surrounding that has largely eclipsed another disturbing development. Google has acquired the company Nest, meaning that they are now a major player in the world of home automation. The central idea of home automation is that a homeowner will be able to control all of their household electronic devices (which will be equipped with wireless connectivity) by using a smartphone device. Many large corporations are developing technology for: Samsung just recently announced a new smart device platform that will only be capable of interacting with their own products, while more sophisticated apps, such as the newest versions of the ADT Home Security system, allows multiple devices to interact — everything from your kitchen wares to your home security system. What’s disturbing about Google moving into this space is that it means they are potentially gaining a window into our everyday lives — and many are concerned that the data they gather will be sold to third parties.
One of the first negative associations summoned to this writer’s mind is the story August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains, written by Ray Bradbury. We spend an August day in a fully automated modern home, in a dystopian future where the entire country has been wiped out as a result of nuclear warfare. The fully mechanized home continues to operate as it was designed to, with no human beings to mediate its functions. Eventually, the house catches fire and is incapable of extinguishing itself. It’s a dark and fascinating story — one which can be interpreted to mean a variety of things. For one, we can think about it as an allegory for the dualistic nature of technology: it yields utilitarian things like antibiotics, satellite communications, and sophisticated kitchen appliances. It also yields monstrous things like biological warfare, nuclear weapons, and invasive instruments which can be used to monitor and control the general public.
And, to elaborate on that last point about surveillance, one could also easily find comparisons between the present situation, and the autocratic, technology abusive future predicted by George Orwell in his seminal 1984. Orwell’s novel tells the story of the fictional Oceania, where “Big Brother” and “the thought police” monitor the public’s every move with the aid of “telescreens” which function as TV windows into everyone’s home. In our present grim reality, you can now substitute “telescreens” with “smart devices” which are now feeding Google’s bottomless datamine on practically every living person with a social security number. In the book, no one in Oceania gets to enjoy so much as a moment of privacy, and anyone who exhibits behavior which even hints at what the government might perceive as a rebellious or non-conformist attitude is promptly “vaporized.”
In this writer’s opinion is that there is not enough disparity between the perilous and dogmatic societies envisioned by the writers of the cold war era and the realities which we now face. There are endless societal benefits to technology — for example, “white space” transmissions are making the internet more accessible in remote areas, and the countless medical advancements we’ve seen in recent years. But domestic spying and bulk metadata being sold to anonymous third parties is inexcusable. This is perfectly acceptable in the domain of science-fiction but utterly reprehensible when it comes to constitute any part of the fabric of modern life.
