Landscape Fiction

[beachofdreams]

For a while now I have been searching for a metaphorical equivalent to landscape architecture in the hopes of getting a grip on what landscape architects actually do. I may have found my answer.

Recently I was discussing profession with some friends -- one of them an engineering student -- when we got onto the question about why landscape

Comments

[peristaltor]

Nice concept and comparison. Very thought provoking

[beachofdreams]

Interesting points. Perhaps we can compromise and say that sci-fi playwrights are closest to LA's? Though, the most theatre-like sci-fi I can think of at the moment is Star Trek, and I think the Naval Architects get that one.

Which brings up a question for me: am I thinking of a very specific sub-genre of sci-fi? It seems I may be. I'm not thinking of, for example, an AI taking over a spaceship or a country's government (Project Maldon). I'd say I'm thinking of society and environment "imagineers": those who imagine stories in alien and fantastic landscapes, other planets, other, possibly very distant and future cities and their designs. Know what I mean?

That being said, the playwright I think proves to be another contender. Damnit, though, I wish there was more sci-fi in theatre (or am I ignorant?)

(when/where did you act?)

Oh, I Know What You Mean!

[peristaltor]

I think you're referring to "hard sci-fi" (Dad taught sci-fi), where the characters are second in importance to the speculative technology. Examples (for me) would include Greg Bear's Moving Mars and Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, as well as everything Asimov and Clarke wrote. Both the Bear and the Robinson works explore living on and changing Mars, the Landscape Architect writ ginormous.

And this is probably why there is very little sci-fi theater. Since hard sci-fi deals not with characters but with tech, why have actors? They want to live character lives, dammit!

(I did a bit of stage craft in high school and college. Later made the switch into film and video media. Later realized I sucked. ;-) )

Re: Oh, I Know What You Mean!

[beachofdreams]

Hmm, I never knew that that area of the genre is considered "hard". Interesting.

"Asimov and Clarke" -- this is probably why I like Clarke so much, especially his Rama series.

Your Dad taught Sci-fi? That's spectacular. My Dad teaches only economics. The former is interesting and exciting. The latter is just interesting (at least as far as the first few pages).