The Ghost of Futures Past: Resurrecting the Lost Scottish Father of Transatlantic Science Fiction

Description

A talk by Keith Williams introducing the life and work of Cupar-born Robert Duncan Milne (1844-99).

Milne published over fifty Science Fiction stories (some multi-part or novella length), mostly in the Argonaut and the San Francisco Examiner between 1879 and 1899. He pioneered SF themes such as climate catastrophe, cryogenics, molecular re-engineering of the body, personality transfer, scientific terrorism and drone warfare, remote surveillance and telecommunications, satellite phones and technologies for visual time travel which anticipate cinema and TV.

Scotland appears to punch below its weight in relation to early science fiction, yet Milne is an extraordinary lost presence who slipped through the cracks of the canon by a series of historical accidents - until now.

Period	6 Apr 2022
Event title	The Ghost of Futures Past: Resurrecting the Lost Scottish Father of Transatlantic Science Fiction
Event type	Exhibition
Location	Dundee, United KingdomShow on map