Some weeks ago, Keith wrote: > Where are the new iconic products? There aren't any. They petered > out at around 1980 and it was then that the financial sector then > started throwing credit at consumers to keep them buying new > embellishments of old products, not uniquely new ones.
A relevant note turned up on CBC Radio today. [1] William Gibson, (tied with Martin Cruz Smith for my second-favorite fiction author) [2] was interviewed about the theme of his most recent book, _Zero History_. [3] His remarks are akin to Keith's. As of the last decades of the last century, you can have pretty much anything. All you need is a suitcase full of money and a shopping mall. In _Zero History_ (and his two preceding books) information is attached to tangible goods. The only way to be cool is to have the Whatever, but you have to know that it exists and you have to know where to get it. Both of those items of knowledge are to varying degrees, and despite Google and the net, occult, subterranean, hermetic. The new elite product is knowing the right stuff. Look here: [4] http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2010/10/full-interview-william-gibson-on-zero-history/ Well, short interview and not heavy to scholarly jargon but surely apropos of recent FW exchanges. Or read the three books that, collectively, instantiate WG's thoughts on the subject: Pattern Recognition Spook Country Zero History WG's fiction captures elements of contemporary culture that tend to vanish or at least lose subjective resonance when sought and addressed as part of an academic study. FWIW, - Mike [1] Rebroadcast of an earlier program, I think. [2] Neal Stephenson is in first place. Of course. ;-) [3] Which I haven't read yet. I'm saving it for Christmas, when we pull in the latch string and spend a week or two nigh the fire, feet up, single malt Scotch and other seasonal goodies at hand, reading good books. Real soon now. :-) [4] Being on dial-up net connection, I don't do audio. I think you can fetch the audio interview from that URL or links given there. If not, a search on the main CBC Radio web site or Google will likely turn it up. -- Michael Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada .~. /V\ [email protected] /( )\ http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/ ^^-^^ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
