This week’s required reading was about design fiction and I really enjoyed reading about it.
It made me think though, are the stuff that we use in our daily lives a product of design fiction? Like the phone. So many years ago, one in a thousand households owned one telephone (not real statistic). Back then, the people probably thought that such a thing was bizarre and uncommon. Nowadays, everybody above the age of seven owns a mobile phone and some even consider it as a part of their body to the extent that they admit if they lose it they would die.
In a way, I suppose DF COULD be the basis for new inventions in this day and age. That kinda defeats the purpose of it being fictional and creating a whole different world, though but still, what if? What if one day, there was this teleportation device outlet outside of your home nearby that allows you to teleport to other outlets? You’d have to pay a fee though. Some might get nauseous from using it. Planes and cars and other common transportation we see now would probably be gone and the thought of using them would be considered prehistoric. Also, everyone would get fatter.
OR what if one day, there was a device that allows you to enter a game’s reality or any kind of vitual reality? You could be in space, without being in space. You could have a totally awesome zombie apocalypse setting and bash zombies. Even better, a Jedi battle with a virtual light saber and crazy Jedi powers!? Of course, there would be consequences like making you see hallucinations from extended use ’cause your brain got confused. You could die like this guy.
Kinda sucks.