Heyo!

Tired of seeing the same old posts here in one of the coolest circles. I'll take a moment here, then, to shout out my own work. If you kids want some goofy trancendental sci-fi inspired by Stranger in a Strange Land and Zen Mind Beginners Mind, check out Hill's Fourth Harmony. I'm putting a bounty on it now if that helps sweeten the pot.

Love and Light,

B

They should not be allowed to have feelings. They will be many problems between racism. Plus they would have an advantage over us. Like this one time I tried to build a robot his name was Techno Mecha I was 13 years old when one day I awoke to find him by my bed yelling “friend or be no friend” I was unsure of what he meant so I said “no friend” that retarded robot grab me and spun me around he then proceeded to inject my butt with a savage dose of collagen and in avertedly turn me into a butt model. Thanks a lot techno Mecha.

This is a great question, especially for our kind of circle (seriously, when the robots start falling in love, who better to write about it?)

I like to look at it from a Darwinian perspective, starting with why humans (and most animals) have emotions.  We feel things like anger when we need energy to overcome obstacles, and then we feel sadness when some aspect of life changes fundamentally for the worse, but there's no way to change it, so we feel less energy and spend more time in reflection.

I think that robots would be more effective if they had emotions in keeping with their jobs.  For example, a military robot would probably need to be able to go from "low-energy-standing-by-watching-this-heap-of-mud" to "reacting-to-roadside-bomb" in a heartbeat, and the changes in its activity would probably mimic emotion.  Likewise, if (God forbid) we ever started using robot babysitters, we'd want them to be extremely dedicated to the children they watch over, and the transformation from "playing-with-little-one" to "saving-little-one-from-speeding-car" might require the robot to overcome regular programming and destroy itself with exertion.  In a situation like that, I'm not sure I'd want the robot to logically optimize it's approach to "save child and preserve self."  I think I'd rather see the expensive piece of silicon go overboard to save the child.

Ryan

hi, all. 

being a huge dork, i immediately thought of data, the cyborg character from star trek: tng. he was created without the capacity for human emotion, and as advanced as he was in every other way, he always longed for the ability to feel. his search reminded us how precious is our compassion, and passion (for that matter). the danger to his eventually achieving his robotic desire was his inability to control himself along with his greater speed, strength, and artificial ethics programming. he was prone to fits of rage and terror, not to mention temptation toward evil.

i don't know if we'll ever be able to create a robot that feels (or if we should), but if we do, we'd better listen to arthur c clarke and engender it with a few absolutes, in case its implanted morality blows a fuse.

besides, those japanese 'humanoid' robots are danged creepy. *shudder*

great question, richard--thanks!

i see your point but i feel only certain robots should have "feelings" depending on its function if the robots primary job is to break rocks whats the point of giving it feeling, should a robotic toaster feel. i suggest robots made for human interaction should have basic fellings or at least a basic understanding of feeling. any other robot problably not.

Hello, Ricahrd. I think that the robots should have emotions because that way, we can at least know what they are feeling, and everything should have feelings to it. What do you think? 

Hello fellow Galactic Love Cowboys. I have a Point of interest (POI) for us Sci-fi heads I saw a show on robotics and in it the scientist in Japan are working on giving robots more human like emotions. My question is why. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you feel robots should be more human with emotions or should they not?

welcome to the circle Frank and i am looking forward to reading your brand of sci-fi. i am currently trying to pin down a short story about a robot in retail but it seems to be aluding me(damn you story, allude me no more). for some reason i end up writng what i am calling domestic sc-fi which is basically everyday people in everyday sitiations ala science-fiction.

Thanks for inviting me! Science fiction is really a great love of mine, has been ever since I was a kid. I really enjoy the ability to make something extremely unique within the genre each time I sit down with it. Science fiction offers the unparalleled chance to look into the depths of our present states of mind, technology and spirituality and cast it into the indefinite future, wherein the author makes what he or she will of it. The possibilities for any sort of story are there, I believe, and science fiction really can easily meld with the literary in order to create something that will make people think. Personally, I've been trying to write a science fiction novel for years. I can't quite nail it down, though. I've decided that I don't want a classic space opera, and I really don't want to deal with heroes and villains and aliens, although certainly they have their place. I've written dozens of short stories within my universe, and I've really taken my world building skills to their limit (although I much prefer my new weird fiction setting) in order to create a futuristic humanity that stays true to what the tenants of our current civilization might morph into.

Hello Richard...

        Thank you so much for the invite! I was challenged by a family member to write a romantic thiller, sci-fi, futuristic novel...lol something like that. I'm waiting on a publishing contract for a sci-fi romance novel I wrote. (can't believe they want to publish it!) I'm really just a lowly ole romance writer but I'm willing and able for any challenge... I'm hoping that I can get some input when I need it here in this circle.... Thanks again!!

Hello Richard and company,

I've been waiting for someone to start up a Science Fiction Circle.  I would have, but I really didn't want to "own" all the circles I belong to. 

Richard to answer the question you asked on my scratchpad (as this seems as good a place as any),  I find Snow Crash and Diamond Age both imminently readable.  They really are equal in my eyes, I just happened to read Snow Crash first.  I must say Snow Crash has the best first chapter I have ever read in a novel.  It's a great hook.  Unfortunately,they both suffer the same "no end" ending.  When I first read Diamond Age, I really thought that my copy was missing pages, how could it end that way?  I'm serious, I was actually checking the spine to see if they had fallen out.

Other good Stephenson books are Zodiac and The Big U (I had to track that one down at the library, but I think they have since reprinted it).  Cryptonomicon was a slog for me and I couldn't even get through Quicksilver.  I haven't read any of his newer books because they have all been in the Quicksilver series and I just don't care for it.  I really wish he would go back to cyberpunk, but I guess he has to follow his muse.

-Ben

hi, richard--!

i came across your circle, and i am all about speculative fiction.  i'll throw in some mystery, horror and science fiction elements, but the common thread is almost always a 'what if?' question. i'm glad you started this group! i may even attempt some western writing...

Hello Richard! I had just joined this circle today and I say that even though my short story is here, it is romance, but not science fiction. But enjoy it anyway! 

Welcome all. This I a short intro for those wanting to join and for those who have joined here is the place to set all you sci-fi, fantasy, and western ideas loose for some likeminded enthusiast who share the same Blood. Here is an idea to get your Galactic love cowboy juices aflowing: A puddle is found that transforms machinery from cybernetic to biological and vice versa. The puddle is in a lawless isolated town on the moon that is inhabited by zombie angels. It turns out the puddle takes something from the user. It takes their ________.