Re: Science fiction and transhuman memes

E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Wed, 7 Jul 1999 22:40:20 -0700

Mac Tonnies (AIintelbot) wrote:
>
>Natasha Vita More mentioned in an unrelated post that she was not, for the
>most part, influenced by science fiction. As an avid sf reader, I find this
>interesting. Could you elaborate on your influences? Sf has always
>functioned as a sort of memetic fountainhead for me; transhumanism came
along
>as a very happy coincidence...though not entirely as a surprise.

It is interesting. I, too, am not primarily influenced by science fiction. That is not to say that I haven't read quite a few sf novels, but their overall effect on how I live my life is quite minimal. The two exceptions are David Zindell's quartet, and Neal Stephenson's _The Diamond Age_. My influences come from reading about new breakthroughs and studies which are actually being done. Conceptual progress is a fabulous thing... particularly for those new to transhumanism, but actualized progress is far more preferable in my mind. It is an exciting time to be alive.



E. Shaun Russell Musician, Extropian, ExI Member
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