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The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of |
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 The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of:How Science Fiction Conquered the World by Thomas M. Disch Touchstone 256 pages, Touchstone Edition 2000 ISBN 0684859785 Reviewed by Lisa Eagleson-Roever The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World is a fascinating and provocative look at science fiction - from its roots to its future, from its reflection of human perception to human perception reflecting its influence. Disch is on speaking terms with most of the well-known science-fiction authors and it's obvious that he's also a mind-hungry reader. You may not agree with his opinions, but you cannot say he's not well-read. He has a definite opinion about everything. His thesis starts with his reasoning of why America is the homeland of science fiction: it has a culture of heroic liars. From Coyote of parables to Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer to Colonel Oliver North to current politicians - Americans, Disch maintains, admire slyness. It's all right to lie as long as you look good doing it. Thus Americans have a culture perfect for nuturing science fiction. Like Alice in Wonderland's queen, Americans are willing to believe impossible things, even before breakfast. Disch makes a compelling nomination for Edgar Allen Poe as science fiction's true founder. Poe may not have been the first to write about the fantastic, but his style appears to be the first which embodies the essential elements of science fiction: a child-like wonder for how things work, a fascination with the darker side of life, and an affinity for unforgettable scenes. Disch also discusses science fiction as a lifestyle, as a religion, and as a political statement. He considers Star Trek fluff for its lack of inventiveness, but notes it serves a purpose in providing hope for a peaceful, non-racist lifestyle in our future. He makes his opinion about L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology quite clear - wanting to make the reader understand that science fiction writers do not all believe Scientology has a legitimate place outside of science fiction, except perhaps, as a commentary to the topic of science fiction taken too far. He has similar opinions about Shoko Asahara and Marshall Herff Applewhite and their respective suicide cults. Disch's thoughts on politics are too numerous to mention here. The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of will hold the interest of the casual science fiction reader and would make a much-appreciated gift for a devoted fan of the genre. |
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