The Gentle Seduction (1989)

I really liked the story; the technology can indeed change our mind gradually and make us accept things we once refused. This actually made me ask: how do we rearrange our ideas based on that?

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#5

Post by GinsengJar » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC

That was an intensely compelling read.

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#6

Post by achille » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 11:54 AM UTC

Spoilers: https://areweseductionyet.pages.dev

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#7

Post by solenoid0937 » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

I've had this bookmarked for years. It is my vision for the future.

It is more relevant now than ever, when techno-pessimism is on the rise, and people are forgetting the incredible technology that makes their quality of life real - and could guarantee the lives of billions in the future.

I'm in my 30s and probably won't live to see this future. I only hope cryonics can get me there, but I doubt it - so much information is lost.

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#8

Post by melling » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 12:08 PM UTC

Recursing wrote: post #2

Title should have (1989)

“It'll take at least a hundred years for us to get to Singularity”

We’re only 37 years into the story. The woman would only be in her early 60s.

With revised estimates, The Singularity is now less than 20 years away.

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#9

Post by hosh » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 12:41 PM UTC

I ended up skimming a lot of it, though I closely read the beginning and the end. This is not a vision of humanity I agree with.

Technology is not the only path towards expansion of consciousness, even though in this day and age, it appears so. The wonders, marvels, and growth described in this story can be experienced through other means. To act and build as if it is the only path is, in my opinion, deeply misguided.

Probably not the most popular stance in this crowd.

Re: The Gentle Seduction (1989)

#10

Post by crashabr » Sun, Jan 04, 2026, 12:41 PM UTC

solenoid0937 wrote: post #7

I've had this bookmarked for years. It is my vision for the future. It is more relevant now than ever, when techno-pessimism is on the rise, and people are forgetting the incredible technology that makes their quality of life real - and could guarantee the lives of billions in the future. I'm in my 30s and probably won't live to see this future. I only hope cryonics can get me there, but I doubt it - so much informat…

I would recommend re-reading The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas as a companion story then. Maybe you'll get to underhand techno-pessimism as something more than the the result of people "forgetting the incredible technology that makes their quality of life real".