A Rant About “Technology” (2005)
A Critique of the Concept of “Technology” (2005)
Originally penned by Ursula K. Le Guin, this piece serves as a response to a specific critique regarding her literary approach to science fiction.
The Catalyst
While reviewing Changing Planes, a critic from Argentina noted that because Le Guin does not write "hard" science fiction, she carefully avoids ignores the role of technology. Le Guin found this assertion particularly irritating, leading her to expand a brief footnote into this full-scale "rant."
"The reviewer suggests that since I'm not a 'hard' SF writer, technology is simply absent from my work."
The False Dichotomy
Le Guin challenges the prevailing stereotypes of the genre:
'Hard' SF is the only place where technology exists.'Soft' SF is merely about "squashy" things like psychology and emotion.
She argues that it is logically impossible for any authentic science fiction—regardless of its sub-genre—to be devoid of technological elements. Whether a story focuses on the inner workings of a mind or the structure of a galactic empire, the author must describe how that society interacts with its environment.
Defining "Technology"
To Le Guin, technology is not just circuitry and silicon; it is the active human interface with the material world. It encompasses every method a society uses to survive and thrive.
The Scope of Technical Interaction
Technology includes, but is not limited to:
- Subsistence: How food is acquired, preserved, and prepared.
- Protection: The methods of creating clothing.
- Energy: The power sources utilized (e.g.,
animal powervs.electrical power). - Infrastructure: The materials used for construction and the resulting architecture.
- Healthcare: The evolution of medicine.
Visualizing the Interface
The "Hi-Tech" Delusion
Le Guin argues that we have been conditioned by 150 years of rapid industrialization to confuse technology with hi-tech. We now believe that if something isn't as complex as a jet engine or a computer, it isn't "technology" at all.
| Common Misconception | Le Guin's Reality |
|---|---|
| Technology = Computers, Robots, Spacecraft | Technology = Any man-made tool or process |
| "Low-tech" is primitive/simple | "Low-tech" is often highly sophisticated |
| Non-electronic tools are "natural" | Tools are intentional human interventions |
She points out the absurdity of viewing basic inventions as "natural" objects. To suggest a chair or a pill is not technology is as ridiculous as suggesting:
- Linen is the same as flax.
- Steel pans grew on trees.
- Glass-spun vests were simply "picked when ripe."
The Litmus Test for Complexity
To prove that most "simple" technologies are actually complex, Le Guin proposes a simple diagnostic check. Ask yourself: Do I actually know how to manufacture this object from scratch?
The "Can I Make It?" Checklist:
- Can I program a computer?
- Can I build a refrigerator?
- Can I carve a functional fishhook?
- Can I cobble a pair of shoes?
If you cannot do the latter, you should respect the "primitive" technology as much as the "modern" one. Even the act of striking a match is a triumph of high-tech invention.
def is_technology(object):
if object.is_man_made == True:
return "Yes, this is technology."
else:
return "No, this is a natural object."
Final Reflections
Le Guin concludes that all science fiction is inherently technological, even when the authors are unaware of it. While she concedes that she does not write "hard" SF in the traditional, exoskeleton-like sense (where the machinery is the outer shell), she suggests that the "hard" elements of her work are simply internal.
The structural difference:
- Hard SF:
- Le Guin's SF:
