This Future Enthusiast Wants Out If I Am Forced To Have A Robot Butler!

Salve Omni!

I consider myself a future enthusiast, a geek girl with her eyes fixed towards the future...fingers crossed that it looks a lot like Star Trek!! I love my Science Fiction, and try to get my fill every which way I can. These days, it has been mainly in the form of movies, TV shows and DVDs revisited. You see, I've got lots of time on my hands, and it proves to be such a wonderful escape from the sucky reality of everyday living (I think I've now stared at and analyzed every inch of the walls in my TV room!)

With that being said, I have to wonder...why, oh why, do robots creep the crap out of me? Oh the irony! And, of course, if we take a cue from a lot of the present Science Fiction stories and movies, the future will be littered with them! Science Fiction Author, Isaac Asimov, created the Three Laws of Robotics; pertaining to the idea that humanoid robots may someday work and exist in close proximity to human beings. These laws, written as a moral code for our mechanical friends, would be uploaded into their programming at the time of assembly, and must be followed at all times in order to exist in our human world...because they would have some degree of free will.

One of my favorite TV series is Red Dwarf. If you haven't seen it, you must immediately! IT IS THAT GOOD! But I digress...In the show, one of the main characters is an android named Kryten. Though he is such an asset to the crew, and although I love the way his character is written into the show, no matter how many times I watch the show, and no matter how many times I laugh while watching his silly antics, he still creeps me out. Not just Kryten, but ALL robots. Yes, even WALL-E.

Oh, the bitter irony! Yes I am teased constantly by everyone who knows me well, and knows how passionate I am about my Sci-Fi.

"How can someone so obsessed with Science Fiction be so afraid of robots?" I hear that a lot! The answer is...Easily my friends, because I am always over-thinking the situation.

I blame the movie, Short Circuit (okay, I realllly feel old now). My parents and I used to watch the first film together, and, from an early age, I realized that I analyze things far too much. Must be the result of my crazy scientific brain! Here is this cute, clunky and lovable (hah!) robot, simply named, Number 5, who is created as a military experiment. Number 5 becomes self-aware after a power surge, wandering out into the real world. He would later reject his military programming as he evades re-capture. As my parents laughed at this comedy, I remember wondering, what if he malfunctions? The tank rollers for feet that he uses to maneuver around--what if he goes crazy and uses them to run over Ally Sheedy? Not to mention the scary metal limbs - does anyone else think about the possibility of being strangled to death? Robots are made of metal and weigh considerably more than humans do. That's enough to frighten the hell out of me!

Cut to present day. New technological advances have taught us one thing...that scientists are working on creating artificial intelligence with the hope that one day it will be fully capable of independent thought. A very scary thought! I am immediately reminded of our computers and smart phones. It seems as if the smarter our software and apps and devices become, the greater the viruses and hacking and errors become. I am certain that even a smart home, controlled by a sentient computer, would be capable of getting a virus; or could be hacked. And then...it all shuts down...or malfunctions...and if you're lucky...it won't kill you.

I'm all for the future of technology, but if society dictates that my home comes equipped with a robot butler, I think I'll just have to spend most of my waking hours at the local bar, telling my troubles to the trusty old robot bartender. I'm sure he'll understand.
 

How Do We Write the Woman of the Future Into Geek Culture?

Salve Omni!

Greetings all! Please bear with me, as this is my first blog post, EVER! But I figured it was time!

As an author (my husband and I are currently writing a Science Fiction series, and I a Steam-Punk novel), a poet, movie lover, Science Fiction fanatic, Trekkie, comic book collector, gamer, geek and African-American woman, I thought I would write about the things I love...from my own warped perspective, of course!

Now I'm not saying that I have all of the answers to everything, but I will definitely make it entertaining...in my own geeky way...with a bit of wisdom thrown into the mix.

I read an article the other day that got me to thinking more than usual. It basically sums up what I, and I'm sure many feminists and females everywhere, have been thinking since Science Fiction and Fantasy took the world by storm...that the world needs more women writers of Science Fiction!

I agree completely, but let us not stop at Science Fiction; let us cover the entire geek spectrum! Let us encompass it all--Fantasy, gaming, comic books, and the lot! The world needs a better version of the future from a woman's perspective. Most important, there is an immediate need, ladies and gentlemen, for the evolution of strong, female characters!!! I love, love, love all things geek, and while there are many admirable female characters who have graced us with their presence via the movie screen, television, novels, videogames, and countless comic books, I feel as if the future of womankind is still left wanting.

We presently live in the age of Science Fiction, where technological and scientific advances are continuously evolving Our human advancements seem to progress on a weekly basis! Just as the real world is readily evolving, so should the societal norms in the world of literature. Especially the way that women are factored into the future. They must be ready to evolve just as fast.

Being a woman (still rather a minority in the genre), and as a minority myself, when I look to the future, it looks bleak. By no means am I saying that strong, admirable female characters do not already exist. Many strong female characters have paved the way for womankind; however, I am saying that the number is still few in comparison to the countless captains and adventurers and heroes who have been imagined and immortalized by predominately male authors and visionaries throughout the years. In the past, it was an easier path for men to traverse. In the present, it is just as easy for women to traverse the same path and steer our future in the way we would see it unfold...in a world, in a universe where women are just as crucial to all aspects of life.

There are many, many strong female characters who have inspired me and renewed my love for these genres. If I listed them all, it might take you all day to read this blog, thus making my first post very unpopular for being way too wordy. In order to save time, I will just list a few:

• Nyota Uhura from Star Trek OS
• Lara Croft from Tomb Raider
• Xena Warrior Princess
• Wonder Woman
• Cat Woman (particularly Anne Hathaway's version from the Dark Knight Rises)
• Dana Scully from the X- Files
• Several characters from the television series Defiance:
• Amanda Rosewater
•  Kenya Rosewater
• Irisa Nyira
• Stahma Tarr
• Doc Yewll
• Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
• Rebecca, also known as Tank Girl from the film of the same name.

After revisiting one of my favorite films, Tank Girl, late last night, I thought to myself, "now this hot mess is truly a woman of the future!" My readers may agree or disagree, but kidding aside, she's a great candidate. I've always admired her character. I admire her punk style, her warped sense of humor (well, you've got to laugh when the times turn to crap), and her strong will and bravery. This is one chick who doesn't back down, and she certainly is not one to apologize. She's a badass who drives a tank! It doesn't get much better than that! Unconventionally pretty and foul-mouthed, she embodies what I would like to see (of course, in varying degrees) in more female character development. She is street smart, not sheltered, and she uses it to her advantage to survive. To sum it up, Rebecca is a strong, stubborn and extremely independent free spirit. Sure, she has friends and companions and love interests, but when she finds herself alone, she never shuts down. Not solely relying on her looks or merely her intellect to get by in her future world, she takes the world head-on. Clearly capable of maintaining her femininity, we see that she is definitely aware and not ashamed of her sexuality; however, she does not use these elements to solely define her. Rebecca is just as tough as the boys she's up against. This ain't no damsel-in-distress waiting to be rescued! She plots and reacts and fights, using everything she has...and staying strong throughout.

And strong must the new evolution of female characters be. And even stronger, the female authors who write them. And to countless numbers must the female circle of authors, and dreamers grow. And as diverse as the universe must the ethnicities and species of these characters become. The future, dear reader, especially the future of women, will be diverse; not merely ranging from the diverse peoples of Earth, but expanding outward to encompass the faraway civilizations dreamed of by many a creative mind.

These female characters will have so many stories to tell, will wear many different hats, and will have many different faces...and I can't wait!