On Tue, 2 Sep 1997 15:35:52 +0400
emrah goker wrote
>>On Sat, 30 Aug 1997, L Garforth wrote:
>>> I plan to analyse first the theoretical aspects of "Mother Earth" kind
>>> of ecological thinking, relating to the deconstructionist and>
>>> metaphysical touches on the paradigm. Next, I think, I will use the SF
>>>texts to hold my point.
>>
>> I'm not sure what you're getting at here; my own feeling is that Gaiain
>> thought is open to criticism on a range of points, from essentialism to
>> fuzzy mysticism to its tendency to describe a utopian desire for 'one
>> world' rather as if it were a material actuality... I don't know
>> how different types of sf deal with that. You probably already know
>> that the sf writer John Varley has an interest in Gaiain thought (see
>> especially _Titan_ 1979) ), and I'd also have thought that Vonnegut's
>> _Galapagos_ would be interesting here?!
>
>I have heard about Varley and have put him in my list, yet I have not read
>anything from him. You are quite right about that there are many ways of
>critical approach to Gaiain ideas, and I will choose the (post)marxist
>route I think. I can send you my list once I compile it in a meaningful
>way.
>
Postmarxist Gaianism, eh? Sounds like a violent splinter group in a Kim
Stanley Robinson novel...
Seriously, what do you mean by "postmarxism?" I have seen postfeminism
defined in this group, but this is a new one for me.
As far as the Gaia hypothesis goes, I know the originator of the idea is
still busy writing books and articles on the subject -- if you look into
them, you may find some of your work done for you already (always a good
thing). AFAIK, the Gaia hypothesis, while fascinating in its implications
and therefore a good subject for science fiction, is ultimately one of those
interesting but untestable assertions which come up every so often... as
such, it seems to have more in common with religious beliefs than scientific
theories.
As far as treatments of the Gaia idea, I can think of a few right off:
David Brin's _Earth_ (a cheesy take on the idea, admittedly)
George Turner, the Australian SF writer, wrote a novel something like
_The Genetic Soldier_ which takes place in a quasi-utopian future earth
where the force of Gaia is an integral part of civilization.
Michael Swanwick's _Vacuum Flowers_ features a future Earth where all
the human on earth are part of a single consciousness, linked by brain
implants -- sort of a cyberpunkish spin on the Gaia idea.
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy feature a sort of Gaianist ideology
centered on Mars.
I hope some of those are of use to you. John Brunner's _Stand on
Zanzibar_ and _The Sheep Look Up_ are both great SF novels of eco-disaster
but they are not particularly gaia-influenced.
My biggest concern about the Gaia idea is that it may give people a false
sense of security -- if you think that there is some force keeping the life
on Earth safe, you sleep a little more soundly in your bed than if you think
that life is only protected by the relative feebleness of humanity's
destructive powers. Personally, I think the Earth would be just as happy as
an airless desert like Mars or a greenhouse world like Venus... no more
humans to make noise and set off atomic bombs in the crust, just peace and
quiet until the sun dies.
Sorry for writing so much -- I just wanted to add one comment about your
earlier post referring to Fukuyama's theory of the "End of History" -- I
think this was a cute idea and a lot of fun for the pundits and intellectuals
to kick around, but I don't think many people took it seriously -- I know
that the military and foreign policy communities didn't, at least, from my
reading of the trade journals. Others may disagree with me, but I think it
was just a pleasant conceit.
Yours, Dan Krashin
(next time I post, it'll be more on-topic!)
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