23. But both historical chronicles & proto-science fiction very different than new thinking that emerged out of French Revolution.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
24. French Revolution forced us to think of history in new way, with new emphasis on ruptures and uncontrollable social forces.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
25. Out of French revolution emerged more ambitious historical writing (Michelet, Walter Scott) and science fiction (Mary Shelley)
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Replying to @HeerJeet
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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Replying to @HeerJeet
28. Out of Darwin we get far-future science fiction of H.G. Wells & Stapledon imagining the post-human future.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
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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Replying to @IanHesketh
@IanHesketh Sorry to steal your thunder! Olaf Stapledon is relevant here too.1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
@IanHesketh One thought: more recent s.f. is more conservative than Wells or Stapledon. Imagines far future like the Middle Ages.1 reply 1 retweet 1 like
@IanHesketh Have you read Stapledon? No other writer so ambitious in imagining far future and post-human future.
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Replying to @IanHesketh
@IanHesketh "Last and First Men": Covers billions of years of history. After that The Star Maker.0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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