Conventions Quote by Barbara Ehrenreich
“In sci-fi convention, life-forms that hadn't developed space travel were mere prehistory -- horse-shoe crabs of the cosmic scene -- and something of the humiliation of being stuck on a provincial planet in a galactic backwater has stayed with me ever since.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Female Eunuch, 1970 (paraphrased)
In sci‑fi, non‑space‑faring species are portrayed as primitive, reflecting a cultural bias that equates technological advancement with superiority.
In simple terms: Sci‑fi often depicts less advanced alien life as inferior, mirroring human ethnocentrism.
Key Takeaway
Challenge assumptions of technological superiority.
Themes
science fiction
culture
technology
ethnocentrism
space travel
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- critical analysis
- teaching media literacy
Key Concepts
anthropology
philosophy
media studies
colonialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this bias reveal about human attitudes toward progress?
- How can we imagine alien societies without tech hierarchies?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the value of diverse evolutionary paths and non‑technological cultures.
![“What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life [as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. Maroney]? It might be a good idea to separate from a chronically carping spouse, but it is not so easy to abandon the whiny toddler, the colicky infant, or the sullen…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/187/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_abandon_what-would-it-mean-in-practice-to-elimin_140275.jpg)
![“Robert Jackall’s book [ Moral Mazes ] impressed on me that corporate dress serves a far more important function than mere body covering. “Proper management of one’s external appearances,” he writes, “simply signals to one’s superiors that one is prepared to undertake other kinds of…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ead/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_attire_robert-jackall-s-book-moral-mazes-impres_186386.jpg)
![“[James] Madison pointed out in the discussion of the constitutional debates - the constitutional convention - that democracy would be a danger. He used England of course as the model and said suppose that in England everyone had the free right to vote; the poor, the propertyless - who are the…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/069/noam-chomsky-42_constitutional-conve_james-madison-pointed-out-in-the-discuss_22456.jpg)
![“[The Massachusetts constitution] resembles the federal Constitution of 1787 more closely than any of the other revolutionary state constitutions. It was also drawn up by a special convention, and it provided for popular ratification - practices that were followed by the drafters of the federal…” quote by Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ebc/gordon-s-wood-13199_constitution_the-massachusetts-constitution-resembles_34263.jpg)
