Re: Is Levi-Strauss essential? was It still works? Avoid it anyway.

Mike Chary (fchary@ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu)
16 Jan 1997 02:39:38 GMT

In article <5bk1g5$srg@darla.visi.com>, Dan Goodman <dsgood@visi.com> wrote:
>>
>Going back in the comment chain: Is it necessary for a science fiction or
>fantasy writer to know about Levi-Strauss's work in order to construct
>believable societies?

Obviously not. Good ol' Claude didn't sart publishing his significant
stuff until the 1950's. This is well after _Foundation_ had been
finished. I mean, science fiction writers had been writing about
believable societies for years.

>And -- what anthropological literature IS useful to science fiction and
>fantasy writers?

Well, that's something for a science fiction writer to decide surely? The
scope of anthropolgy is human cultures. SF writers are trying to invent
their own stuff. I wouldn't want to constrain them to anything
in particular.

-- 
Court Philosopher and Barbarian, DNRC http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu/~fchary
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