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LITR 4368 Literature of the Future 
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Sample answers
for Essay 2:
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Zach Thomas
Low-Tech Future Relations
From
the narratives of the future we have discussed in class, I am drawn to the
concept of low-technology in the crises of humanity. For one, low-tech brings to
light the closeness of destruction when narratives composed upon this are felt
as only a few years from present-day. This use of low-tech, as opposed to
high-tech, creates a more fearful reality in the mind of the reader or viewer.
Guns, nuclear bombs, devastation, and famine are all low-tech aspects of the
culture we see today. So, reading about the future with these elements allows me
to be more enticed and in tune with the progress or the de-evolution of
humanity.
Literature, as well as technology, holds that low-tech themes demonstrate
a genuine pleasure for readers and participants. For instance, Jesper Juul
writes, “It is a style that is not simply a natural expression of a particular
method of game development, but an example of ‘authenticity work’”
(1).
Juul writes in his article about the ever-trending low-tech video games that
outlast high-tech and large-budget games. People would rather experience
realistic displays with few controls than a plethora of complicated gameplay.
Gamers are satisfied with low-budget games that appear simple and without much
fluff.
In
the
Parable,
Lauren and her group were in a very low-tech world that allowed readers to
experience what they experienced. High-tech is enticing for the moment, but it
does not have the emotional effect that low-tech futures touch on. In
Somebody Up There Likes Me, Dante decides to withdraw all of his savings in
order to begin work on his friend’s
start-up company. This cyber-punk short story is altogether high-tech with the
exception of the human spirit. Humans do change, but we see here that Dante is
doing crazy things out of love for a friend and Snooks. As technology evolves
continually, humans evolve in a much slower fashion that makes the reader
appreciate the characters being spoken of.
Movies like Forrest Gump and
Casablanca
are examples of low-tech film that are convincing for viewers to appreciate.
Human emotion and authenticity help the viewer to find meaning in the visual
nature of these films. Future low-tech narratives focus on simple realities to
emphasize a putting on of the character’s
shoes. In the Garden, the author maintains the work as being low-tech
while also considering the use of alternative futures by the visual of a
labyrinth. It does not stray from low-tech because the complicated matter of the
story was set on the protagonist’s
mind and the philosophical questions of what it would be like if his ancestor
had chosen a different path in life. Low-tech future narratives arrive at a
commonality of authenticity. The success of such narratives, movies, and games
is dependent on how close to real-life circumstances the author, director, or
game developer can create.
Human emotion in low-tech narratives really connect the reader to the
characters that keep the suspense of such pieces of literature. In one way,
low-tech narratives usually have a female protagonist leading the story, unlike
that of cyber-punk literature. Identifying with loss and familial relations is
what a female role presents for the reader. As in
“Speech Sounds,” Octavia Butler focuses on a dehumanized environment where most
humans have lost their ability to speak. Body language becomes the dominant form
of communication, and with any Butler story there is a lot of sex. This isn’t
anywhere near a high-tech version of alien probing, but a deeply beautiful form
of physical affection. Human death is also another low-tech device used to
enhance reader appeal. The female protagonist of this story quickly becomes
attached to this strong man only to have him get out of the car and have him die
right in front of her. The depravity of the physical landscape becomes a direct
parallel to the depressing essence of loss to the human soul.
Low-tech offers a reading that calls for technological advancements to
slow their roll. With
“Men
on the Moon,” the grandfather has vivid visions of an advanced robot running
towards him and destroying all nature in its path. The grandfather in the story
is a Native-American that would fit under the mold of a people at peace with the
natural environment. Too much technology can cause the human creator to be the
slave to the created. Earlier in the semester, we had a future vision
presentation on Tom Clancy’s game, “The Division.” The premise is that there has
been a virus that has wiped out much of this large metropolitan city, so the
survivors form specific groups that fight or help the remaining groups. I heard
that the gameplay allows you to choose whether you will try to destroy humanity
or come to its aid. Apocalyptic scenarios like this one help to enhance the
transmission of low-tech literature. Focusing on the destructive effects of
large amounts of technology can help the viewer return back to a simpler form of
living.
What draws vast crowds of people to low-tech sci-fi is that it is already
so near to what is going on right now. We desire comparing ourselves to the
circumstances and emotions of others. Unity in humans is what helps us move
forward to a higher sense of morality rather than to a society that is bent on
anarchy. The benefits of low-tech futures are immense because they allow for
multiple interpretations and require the individual to question their existence
as it pertains to the greater good of mankind.
