The true history of science fiction

The true history of science fiction

Author: Damien Walter March 19, 2022 Duration: 1:03:55
“With Jules Verne and the publisher Hugo Gernsback, H.G. Wells invented the genre of science fiction.” Tweet by @nytimesbooks, November 2021 A badly worded tweet by the New York Times revealed a deep anger at the false history of science fiction. Written out of that history were hundreds of women writers of the 1800s who created what today we call science fiction. The true history of science fiction is deeper and richer than many fans and readers know. It reaches back to the Enlightenment and the collapse of belief in the Christian mythos. It is the search for a new mythos for the modern world, that continues into the 21st century. 00:00 The forgotten authors of science fiction 02:30 Welcome to the Science Fiction podcast 07:07 The true history of science fiction...why does it matter? 09:21 Commercial Genre vs Creative Movement 17:12 The Problem : the collapse of the Christian mythos 23:36 All science fiction is myth, not all myth is science fiction 26:38 The seeds of science fiction 29:01 The Novel Experiment 36:20 Birth of Genre 38:41 The ideological capture of science fiction by John W Campbell 43:47 The New Mythic 50:01 The process of genrefication 54:44 Writing the 21st century myth Follow the the Science Fiction podcast and become a member https://damiengwalter.com/podcast/ Join the discussion on the Science Fiction community https://www.facebook.com/groups/324897304599197 Read my top science fiction to rewire your consciousness https://amzn.to/3gQqfGR Pre-1950 Utopias and Science Fiction by Women https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/_collections/utopias/utopias.html

Damien Walter has spent years thinking about how the future shapes our present, and in his Science Fiction podcast, he shares those conversations. Rather than just reviewing books or films, this series digs into the ideas that make the genre so vital, using it as a unique lens to examine everything from current technology and social change to ancient myths and human psychology. Each episode feels like a thoughtful discussion with a well-read friend, one who can draw a line from classic novels to the latest TV series with ease. You’ll hear analysis of stories that predicted our world, explorations of how fictional futures reflect our deepest anxieties and hopes, and considerations of why certain narratives endure. Walter’s background as a writer and storyteller informs a approach that is both accessible and deeply insightful, making connections across the arts, science, and popular culture. This isn't about escapism; it's about using the imaginative tools of science fiction to better understand the reality we're all living in. For anyone who finds themselves wondering about the world that's coming next, this podcast offers a compelling and regular dose of perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 88

Science Fiction
Podcast Episodes
Kim Stanley Robinson | Interstellar travel is a religious fantasy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:19
Science fiction is fighting a doctrinal war. Between those who believe that humankind's future is still the stars, and those - like Kim Stanley Robinson - who believe interstellar travel is a fantasy of religious belief.…
The failure of Foundation is a lost opportunity for Apple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:15
Stories that last through the ages aren't just great storytelling, they also serve the power structures of their time. Powerful people have always patronised great stories. The epic poem Beowulf, The Divine Comedy of Dan…
Thoughts after watching Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:42
If science fiction is a gateway to the psychedelic, then DUNE is a portal to...awakening. Frank Herbert's seminal novel and David Lynch's baroquely weird movie are both powerful works of art on the theme of human awakeni…
The true meaning of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:46
It's more than a little ironic that the motion picture widely called the greatest science fiction story ever told was made by an artist who hated science fiction. Stanley Kubrick thought science fiction was a failure at…
There Is No Antimemetics Division – an interview with Qntm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:45
It's logical that the best science fiction being written today has its origins online and in collaborative forums. There Is No Antimemetics Division began life as part of the SCP Foundation wiki, a collaborative writing…
What is science fiction? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:51
Look at a list of the 20th century's most important artistic and cultural movements and you won't find science fiction listed. Why not? We need a better definition of science fiction to help reclaim it...from itself. Fol…