26. Later in 19th century, impact of French Revolution augmented and taken much further by Darwinian Revolution.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
27. Darwin changed not just how we think about the past but also the future. If past was very different, future will also be very different
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28. Out of Darwin we get far-future science fiction of H.G. Wells & Stapledon imagining the post-human future.
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29. It's no accident H.G. Wells wrote both Time Machine and The Outline of History (one of the most popular history books ever).
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30. It's no accident that science fiction writers are also often historical novelists: Kim Stanley Robinson, Nicola Griffith, etc.
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31. In writing about Middle Ages in "Hild" Nicola Griffith uses same skill set she applies to her SF, imagining radically different world.
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32. Let's go back to Hitler. One impact of Hitler was that he forced a revival of thinking on "Great Man" theory of History.
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33. In the wake of Hitler, 1940s/1950s saw a) academic revival of biographies (Donald Creighton) & narrative history (Mattingly's Armada)
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34. Also saw b) philosophers like Sidney Hook look at the idea of Great Man and c) SF dealing with problem or idea of Great Man.
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35. Asimov's Foundation novels don't mention Hitler (as I recall) but problem of the Mule is the Hitler problem imagined into the future.
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36. Asimov & Heinlein both wrote "future history": not random speculation but attempt to discipline future with historical thought
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37. To borrow a point from
@XinJeisan: history is just science fiction that has already happened.4 replies 11 retweets 12 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
@HeerJeet@XinJeisan In KSR essay I mentioned, he says SF is history we can't know, b/c future, alternate hist, or deep past (eg his Shaman)0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
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