Brief Ecology

Brief Ecology

Share this post

Brief Ecology
Brief Ecology
The Venn Diagram of Kurt Vonnegut, Alex Garland, Nature Imagery, and AI

The Venn Diagram of Kurt Vonnegut, Alex Garland, Nature Imagery, and AI

Eco-Thoughts #2

Ben Lockwood, Ph.D.'s avatar
Ben Lockwood, Ph.D.
Apr 08, 2025
∙ Paid
8

Share this post

Brief Ecology
Brief Ecology
The Venn Diagram of Kurt Vonnegut, Alex Garland, Nature Imagery, and AI
3
1
Share
Photo by Ben Lockwood

Kurt Vonnegut's published his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952. It's a searing critique of a futuristic, techno-capitalist society that's obsessed with automation and orderly profit. If that sounds familiar, then the prescience of entire book will floor you. It's hard to believe the novel was published over 70 years ago, given how relevant it seems to our current time, when tech CEOs promise that artificial intelligence will soon unleash a new era of human development and prosperity.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Brief Ecology to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Ben Lockwood
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share