[Mis]Information Fantasy in Science Fiction

An article which might be useful as a discussion-starter with some audiences is one by L.E Modesitt, a science fiction / fantasy author. It is called [Mis]Information Fantasy in Science Fiction. Modesitt criticises some sf authors and reviewers for assuming that every useful piece of information can be googled, whereas "the difficulties in obtaining the "right" information and data lie not just in the technology, but in the economics, in human nature, and in the requirements of society itself". Modesitt identifies issues of verification, information hoarding & secrecy etc.
He gives examples from some sf books to illustrate his points e.g. "In Neuromancer, [William] Gibson presents a world in which the problems of availability and accessibility are largely solved on a technical level, but for all that, Case, the one-time information/net "cowboy," cannot "Google" for the important information, even when his very life is at stake. In fact, the entire novel deals with all of the effort involved with just one information/data/AI management issue." The article was first published in the New York Review of Science Fiction, issue 220 (2006, vol 19, no. 4, p1-4). He has also published it in 2 parts (14th February 2007 and 17th February 2007) on his blog at http://www.lemodesittjr.com/blogs/blog/index.html

Photo by Sheila Webber: New Information Commons at Sheffield University, opening in April.