On 7/27/07, William T Goodall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I think the difference between fact and fiction is pretty clear.
I don't think anybody is arguing about that. We're talking about the relationship among facts, fiction and truth. A fictional story can contain truths. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is fiction to anybody who hasn't hunted birds, but it still contains a true, though generalized, statement. The kinds of truth contained in made-up stories are generalized truths, the kind of thing that becomes common sense. Wouldn't you agree that there are significant truths contain in David Brin's fiction? Truths about the nature of people and technology? "Earth" was prescient -- it was telling truths about privacy and technology that hadn't come about yet! One could argue that it communicated those true idea even better than his non-fiction book did. It certainly sold more... ;-) Nick -- Nick Arnett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages: 408-904-7198 _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
