The SCI-FI Writer Who Invented Conspiracy Theory

[Steve R.]

The Sci-Fi Writer Who Invented Conspiracy Theory

It all goes back to one man in the 1950s: a military-intelligence expert in psychological warfare.

www.theatlantic.com

Paul Linebarger (Alias Cordwainer Smith) was an excellent author. I had been reading his stories individually over the span of many years, but never fully appreciated his greatness till I read his works compiled into one book: The Rediscovery of Man. Surprising how much insight you can get by reading the author's work in a short-time when compiled into one book. That book is a must read.

The Atlantic contends that he invented conspiracy theory. To me that is a bit stretched. True, Linebarger's universe is under the influence of an autocratic regime (The Instrumentality). However I don't recall the characters as: 1) as developing paranoia because something is wrong, and 2) subsequently discovering that the government is out-to-get-them. The characters, more or less, just accepted life in that repressive society (As I think about it, there do appear to be some stories that fit the theme of the Atlantic article, but I still consider the Atlantic's interpretation to be stretched.) The Goodreads blurb wrote: "This brilliant collection, often cited as the first of its kind, explores fundamental questions about ourselves and our treatment of the universe (and other beings) around us and ultimately what it means to be human." I find the Goodreads blurb to be more accurate than the narrative contained in the Atlantic article. But then you need to consider that the Atlantic is a left wing rag.

The Rediscovery of Man

Cordwainer Smith was one of the original visionaries to…

www.goodreads.com

My favorite Linebarger story is the "Lady Who Sailed the Soul". A very emotional story.
In any event, reading Linebarger's stories is a must.

 

[AccessBlaster]

I might put him on my kindle reading list, thanks.

 

[DickyP]

A good author of readable books but he hardly invented conspiracy theory - Karl Popper is the earliest recorded user of the phrase. And as for conspiracy theory as a concept it's been around for ever. Witchcraft?

 

[Isaac]

Speaking of witchcraft, it's odd to me that the witch hunts/trials are often referred to as hatred or discrimination or some kind of bias, but it's not really that at all - it was 100% logically sound.

If you REALLY believed that there was a person going around causing your loved ones to fall deathly ill, causing children to die, causing families to break apart and causing total chaos at their own whim - wouldn't you quite likely support them being executed forthwith? I would, or at least incarcerated forever.

The problem with the salem witch trials wasn't bias, it was knowledge and fear and a lesson to posterity that accusations with light proof should be treated lightly. (Ahh, where is the MeToo movement when I have an especially good one for them!?)

 

[Isaac]

A good author of readable books but he hardly invented conspiracy theory - Karl Popper is the earliest recorded user of the phrase. And as for conspiracy theory as a concept it's been around for ever. Witchcraft?

Since there is always endless debate about who first used a phrase, I prefer to just focus on who popularized it.
For example, I say liberals have to invent or re-define a term every time they turn around in order to keep up with their ever-changing and usually-contradictory philosophies about life and people.

People sometimes 'zing' me -- Ahh, but the term TransfarRaric Latinx NonBinary Human was around back in 1975, Isaac!

But I usually don't mean "invent", because if you really try you can find someone who said the word at some point during human history, I mean invented in a practical sense, the first people to REALLY start USING it -- and esp. using it as the literal premise for a question or assertion