Computer Fiction: "A Logic Named Joe" Towards Investigating the Importance of Science Fiction in the Historical Development of Computing
David L. Ferro, Eric Gottfrid Swedin · 2007
The bulk of Science Fiction (SF) has not predicted the most influen- tial computer technologies of the late 20th century. This paper begins with an exception entitled A Logic Named Joe and its accurate description of the con- temporary environment of PCs and the World Wide Web. It then proposes the possible historical and cultural value of SF in techno-scientific development - more specifically computer development - in both the U.S. and Finland, and ar- gues that social science approaches to understanding technoscience should take SF into account when describing those communities of practice.