You don't get to cut that chain of evidence and start over. You're always going to be pursued by your data shadow, which is forming from thousands and thousands of little leaks and tributaries of information.
Bruce SterlingRead
If poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, science fiction writers are its court jesters. We are Wise Fools who can leap, caper, utter prophecies, and scratch ourselves in public. We can play with Big Ideas because the garish motley of our pulp origins make us seem harmless.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the unique role of science fiction writers in society, portraying them as creative yet underestimated thinkers.
Bruce Sterling asserts that while poets influence societal thought quietly and often without recognition, science fiction writers play a more flamboyant role akin to jesters. They are able to explore profound and complex ideas about existence and the future through imaginative narratives, often viewed as mere entertainment but actually contributing significantly to philosophical discourse and cultural reflection.
Themes
Science FictionWritingCreativityImaginationArtSocietyPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a panel discussion about the influence of literature on society, this quote could be used to illustrate the role of science fiction.
More from Bruce Sterling
All quotes →Anything that can be done to a rat can be done to a human being. And we can do most anything to rats. This is a hard thing to think about, but it's the truth. It won't go away because we cover our eyes. THAT is cyberpunk.
Bruce SterlingRead
When you can’t imagine how things are going to change, that doesn’t mean that nothing will change. It means that things will change in ways that are unimaginable.
Bruce SterlingRead
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