History of the Future 9: The Future in the 1970s

History of the Future

• 9: The Future in the 1970s

This Session

• America in the 1970s: Big picture

• Political and economic turmoil
• Loss of national confidence
• Vietnam
• Watergate
• Oilshock
• Contiuning social change

Vietnam (continues)

• Nixon elected in 1968 with peace promise

• Reduces US troops on ground, starts talks
• Expands war in other areas (Cambodia, etc)

• Domestic opposition grows

• My Lai massacre reported in 1970
• National Guard kills 6 at Kent State, 1970
• Congress pushes for end

• Final agreement in Jan 1973

• US takes no action in 1975 as South falls

• Undermines America’s faith in its power, morality

• Destroys political consensus on foreign policy

Détente

• Begins under Nixon

• Visits China in 1972 – exploit divisions with USSR
• New treaties with Soviets
• Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM)
• Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)

• Continues under Carter

• Reversed in 1979

• After Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
• Renewed arms race follows

Watergate

• Burglary of Democratic office by Nixon operatives

• Covert action against political enemies from 1970
• Break-in occurs in 1972, foiled

• Story develops slowly

• Pressure grows, investigations deepen
• Investigations, tapes, firings
• Nixon resigns facing impeachment in Aug 74

• Undermines faith in politicians, presidency

Oil Shock – Energy Crisis

• Following 1973 war with Israel

• OPEC bars US exports; hikes oil prices
• Price rises from $3 to $18

• Tips economy into recession

• “Stagflation” – new phenomenon
• Happens again in 1979, Iranian Revolution

• Idea of energy policy gains popularity

• Small cars, alternative energy boom
• “Telecommuting” is one response

America Under Siege

• America at the mercy of foreigners

• Defeat in Vietnam
• Oil shock
• Iranian Hostage crisis following 1979 revolution
• American industries crumble to imports
• Steel
• Consumer electronics – TV
• Motorcycles, cars

Social Change

• “60s” things become mainstream in 70s

• Drugs
• More sexual partners, cohabitation
• Health food (if not communes)

• More divorce; later marriage

• Far more married women working

• Increasing social fragmentation

• Lifestyles
• Music
• Races

Environmentalism

• Environmental Protection Agency (1970)

• Set up by Nixon!
• Consolidates pollution control programs
• Strengthened under Carter – risk assessment duties

• Technology Policy

• Office of Technology Assessment – 1972
• Non-partisan reports on technological issues
• Carter administration favors energy research
• Interest in renewable sources, conservation

Feminism

• Growing movement in 1970s

• Some radicalism – lesbianism as political statement
• Possibility of all-female society

• How inherent are gender differences?

• Would women run a better world?

• Political push

• Equal Rights Amendment passes congress in 1972
• Non-discrimination in law and work
• Family-friendly workplace

• Ideas live on, term becomes unfashionable

Science Fiction

• Eclipse of traditional magazines

• Galaxy at end of 1970s

• Omni (1978)

• mixes SF with popular science and futurology
• 800,000 circulation

• Star Wars (1977) changes everything

• More written by women

Few entirely new themes

• Influence of “new wave” still felt

• Traditional themes continue

• Time travel
• Space war, etc

• Literary quality inches up

• More rounded characters

• Less atomic war

• More economic/environmental pessimism

Big Dumb Objects

• Mankind discovers huge alien artifacts

• Leading new topic of “hard” SF in 1970s

• Many examples

• Ringworld, Larry Niven (1970)
• Rendevous With Rama, Clarke (1973)
• Orbitsville, Bob Shaw (1975)
• Gateway, Frederick Pohl (1977)

More Women

• As readers

• Starts in 1960s, partly with Star Trek

• As writers

• “James Tiptree Jr” – leading short story writer
• Pseudonym of Alice B. Sheldon (1915-1987)

• Some follow feminist agenda

• Ursula K. Le Guin
• Suzy McKee Charnas, Motherlines, 1978

• Approach dwindles by mid-1980s

More Women II

• Others insert strong female characters in traditional SF frameworks

• Joanna Russ, The Female Man, 1975 (fighter)

• Some incorporate traditional female roles

• Anne McCaffrey, Dragonflight (1968)
• Component stories won Hugo & Nebula
• Start of series
• Girls adventure stories – ponies as telepathic dragons
• Vonda McIntyre, Dreamsnake (1978)
• Healer woman

Reign of the Dinosaurs

• “Golden Age” authors continue to dominate

• Heinlein
• Long, self-referential, books
• Asimov (returns to SF in mid-70s)
• Clarke

• None of them break much new ground