Do you think SF authors should stick to established evolution in their stories??

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello everyone

With my discussion on evolution in the May 2012 editorial, now's your chance to vote your opinion.

You do have an opinion, don't you?

Geoff

[Vinxlady]

Well, I wanted to answer yes just because of the creationists line but I do think it has to depend on the story. If we're going future humanity then yes, evolution should be respected but could be taken in new directions. Evolution of course is all about selection pressures so if the story takes humanity to some crazy other-world colony where the selection pressures are vastly different then future evolution has some interesting paths to take. Likewise, if we're talking about aliens that evolved on some other planet with different selection pressures then evolution could have taken a very different route. However, I think a good science fiction writer would probably consider the environment of a world when considering how the creatures native to that planet were presented - whether you consider that they've evolved to be that way or were designed to live on that world by a particular deity/higher power/supreme being doesn't really make much difference.

Vinx

[Geoff the head Uncle]

Hello Vinxy

I think the point I was aiming at is that why don't SF writers work out from species evolving under the Darwin model than use extra-terrestrial sources. That has nothing to do with what we might do should be visit other planets but ourselves.

Like the chicken or the egg coming first, there would still have to be at least one species who would evolve naturally.

If anything, SF writers are getting lazy with this trope.

Geoff