kidattypewriter

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Historical record of events of pressing concern

Today, I went to a science fiction book meeting and we all had trouble working out how to open an electric door.

12 comments:

Maria said...

It's a sad day when science fiction books don't come with micro-chipped-laser-zapper-time-machine-self-repairer-cylon inserts, isn't it? I suppose you were all there, holding out your sci-fi tomes towards the obstnate electric door saying "Why the hell doesn't mine work the way it's supposed to?"

TimT said...

You just kind of expect technology to work, like magic. Reading science fiction increases that expectation, if anything.

In reality, we had to go to the front desk at the library and ask for them to open it (didn't work), and then wait for someone else to turn up with a key.

One of these days, people will wonder why we decided to make everything electric. Electric doors, electric toothbrushes, electric books, electric chairs...

Maria said...

Yes. There will be all these little robots sitting about, eating little electronic sandwiches, saying to each other (or maybe group emailing it to their little electronic chests) things like:

Hey, robotman, have you googled up on the good old days when you and I would have been flesh and blood?

Wow! Now that sounds luxurious.

And the lords of the universe didn't have to sit all day eating electronic sandwiches either. Some actually went out and lifted up instruments made of things other than metal. I think it's called wood or stone.

Awesome! I wish I could do stuff like that.

Those were the days.

TimT said...

It won't be long now before they start replacing sliced bread with robot bread. (Same thing, except without the yeast, and a much higher iron content.) Peanuts, almonds, and cashews will be gradually phased out in favour of metallic nuts and bolts.

Hey Robotmaria, I want to go back to the past already!

Mercurius Aulicus said...

Now this is how a Sci-fi club should ACT

Caz said...

The real world is a perpetual grave disappointment compared to our lofty imaginings.

Hey, we're the douchebags looking for water on Mars, yet not fussed about finding (non Coke or Pepsi owned) water on Earth, you know, for the earthlings.

Electric doors that need keys to open them?

Yeah, we're idiots.

TimT said...

It was in a library, and they were just locking up for the evening.

Maybe they were concerned that a rogue science fiction group would break into them and hold a science fiction meeting without permission, or something.

Caz said...

Err, they were locking up for the evening?

Soooooo ... they let in the SF boys, then locked them in for the evening?

[Memo to self: don't join SF reading club.]

TimT said...

Yes, it does seem a rather odd arrangement for a book club, to tell you the truth. However, one most suffer for art, and all that.

(Hmmm. To be quite precise about it, a member of the group had been given the library key for the night. The doors were kept open during the meeting and then closed following the end of the meeting. Not that locking in over-eager science fiction readers into a library overnight sounds like a wholly bad suggestion.)

Caz said...

I for one would sleep easier knowing that SF book club members are locked away at night.

Are they enjoyable get togethers Timmy? An eloquent bunch?

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's quite fun, a pleasant mix of people. There's a couple of science fiction groups around Melbourne that have been meeting on and off since the 60s or 70s. (Melbourne is the city of clubs, people like being shut away in dark rooms and plotting the end of the world during these cold, cold winters!)

Caz said...

Bang goes my reliance on SF bookclubs to actually plot the end of the world.

They've being giving it their best shot since the 60s and 70s, and still nadda?

Last time I'll rely on SF book clubs for anything.

*Sniff*

Oh, perhaps you meant those "other" dark rooms? I'd always thought they were mostly S&M nights. Who knew what they were really up to. Deception I tell you: can't trust anyone!

Email: timhtrain - at - yahoo.com.au

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