But this is exactly contrary to my point, a science fiction author isn’t qualified or motivated to give a realistic “understanding” of the Torment Nexus. His skillset is focused on writing stories and the stories he writes need to contain danger and conflict, so he’s not necessarily going to interpret the idea of the Torment Nexus in a realistic way.
Which sort of author is the one who came up with the Torment Nexus?
Even the ones that are dedicated to realism still fundamentally need to sell stories. They’re not writing textbooks.
still fundamentally need to sell
[Sarcasm] Unlike companies, which are apparently altruistic organizations that exist for the betterment of humanity! It’s all those fools who keep yelling “companies exist to make money” who are wrong. Yeah, that must be it. Tech companies charge because they’re good, whilst various writers give away some, much, most, or all of their work because they’re evil! Sharing is DEATH, kids!
Sorry, I went off a bit there because I’m frustrated at how committed you are to your bad ideas. Also textbooks also have to be sold, at least here in the US where many are (were?) tailored to the anti-education pro-horsecrap preferences of Texas.
Side thing: I’m becoming increasingly convinced that FaceDeer as an account/persona/whatever exists specifically to be mildly irritating. Is that true? Would you admit it if it were?
So Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein aren’t qualified to give understandings of the technologies they wrote about?
Nope. Isaac Asimov was a biochemist, why would he be particularly qualified to determine whether robots are safe? Arthur C. Clarke had a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics, which technology was he an expert in? Heinlein got a bachelor of arts in engineering equivalent degree from the US Naval Academy, that’s the closest yet to having an “understanding of technology.” Which ones did he write about?
Holy shit, you don’t know about the rise of interdisciplinary science in the 20th century, do you?
Those were a list of authors who were pretty good at getting the science in their sci fi right. They talked to scientists working on the fields they wrote about. They wrote “hard” sci fi
You cannot judge their competence by their formal education
Literally anyone with intelligence and empathy is capable of giving a good understanding of the Torment Nexus
Don’t make one
