Another reason retrofuturism is a valuable / useful idea goes back to your "pace layering" diagram. Fashions definitely change but would we really want our underlying culture to change as quickly? Retrofuturism, in effect, is saying that although the fashions of the future will be wildly different, there will still be an underlayer of familiarity - people will still go on vacations to exotic locales, only this time it will be to Enceladus instead of Miami.
Very true. Perhaps another way to say it is that SF enthusiasts etc. tend to view the future primarily in terms of change from the present, rather than a mix of new and old. Good SF is balanced, but our intuitive tendency is to only pay attention to the new.
Another reason retrofuturism is a valuable / useful idea goes back to your "pace layering" diagram. Fashions definitely change but would we really want our underlying culture to change as quickly? Retrofuturism, in effect, is saying that although the fashions of the future will be wildly different, there will still be an underlayer of familiarity - people will still go on vacations to exotic locales, only this time it will be to Enceladus instead of Miami.
Very true. Perhaps another way to say it is that SF enthusiasts etc. tend to view the future primarily in terms of change from the present, rather than a mix of new and old. Good SF is balanced, but our intuitive tendency is to only pay attention to the new.
Great article! Love this alternative view vs the boring/bland future stuff we see all the time.
Thanks! I think it's actually really important to do better than the boring and bland stuff.
Loved the NASA posters