Greg Bear's The Forge of God and the Fermi Paradox

[jordan179]

Introduction

I just re-read Greg Bear's epic The Forge of God, the first of his duology (including Anvil of Stars) about

Comments

[princejvstin]

Indeed, these two SF universes posit not very happy solutions to the Fermi Paradox. Good summary of all of the books and the issues involved.

good riddance

[sekhmetsat]

other than once we start colonizing the stars, WE will be "the Killers". i can't remember which book, but a whole new area for us to go on jihad and crusade!!!!!! we're created in god's image, thus aliens are satanspawn. that is exactly how most humans think. "i am divine". "my group is favored by god".... if someone DID destroy us, it'd be doing the universe a favor.

Re: good riddance

[operations]

So, you're not on the 'optimism of human potential' side of things...

Re: good riddance

[irked_indeed]

There are plenty of folks who think man is made in God's image who wouldn't necessarily view aliens as demonic abominations. See, for instance, C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, the first two of which (at least) present aliens as closer to truth than humanity.

Re: good riddance

[zaimoni]

While I empathize, the statistical fact remains that most laity in the Visible Church are theologically illiterate.

While Arthur C. Clarke (The Star?) and James Blish (Lithia) both can rise to the occasion and respectfully portray a fully informed Roman Catholic theological reaction to Calvinistic situations.

[madwriter]

This makes me wonder what's up with the "Active SETI" program (I can't remember the modified acronym offhand)--the one where some scientists from NASA and other agencies wanted to actively broadcast invitations to extraterrestrials to come to Earth. This was vehemently opposed by a lot of people for exactly the reasons you described, but I think the proponents have gotten around some of the opposition by buying time on compatible dishes outside the U.S.

[jordan179]

Unfortunately, most people either don't take seriously the possible existence of advanced technological alien civilizations (because we haven't met any yet), or (intelligently or otherwise) choose to agree with the Sagan Hypothesis that advanced technological alien civilizations would necessarily be peaceful. There is also a general lack of appreciation of the degree to which such a civilization would be likely to outmatch us militarily.

If this is an intelligence test imposed by Nature, we may be failing it as a species.

[polaris93]

This is also the view that liberals in this country and Europe seem to have of other cultures, that any culture advanced enough to be able to do us serious harm would of course be far too morally advanced to do such a thing to us. Guess where that assumption gets us? All through the Cold War, way too many intellectuals in this country pushed the idea that the Soviets were basically reasonable, peaceful people who were only reacting to our "warmongering" stance with rocket-rattling of their own, and that if we unilaterlly disarmed

[polaris93]

if we unilaterally disarmed, the Sovet Union would heave a sigh of relief and disarm as well. That such an unrealistic and simplistic, stupid idea became so popular among America's youth is due to adolescent arrogance combined with utter lack of wisdom about the world; but that so many adults bought it can't be so easily dismissed. Why are so many Americans working so hard to hand a Darwin Award to their own country, their own communities, their own families and gene-pools?

Jordan, have you read the Lovecraftian Solution to the Fermi Paradox?

[anonymous]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Colder_War
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/colderwar.htm

Saganesque asssumptions that all sapient alien races will be friendly strike me as naive: even if most are, all it would take would be one hostile one to make the interstellar community a lot less pacifistic than Sagan supposes.

"They're an Advanced Civilization. Their intentions MUST be Peaceful." -- Mars Attacks ("YAK! YAK! YAK YAK!")

Re: Jordan, have you read the Lovecraftian Solution to the Fermi Paradox?

[jordan179]

I've read Stross on it, and had the same thought myself. Though given MacLeod and Stross' support for the Terrorists, I won't obtain their books in any way which returns any money to the authors, and I urge other sf fans to boycott them as well.

[anonymous]

Excellent post. Thoughtful and well-written.