Language, fiction, futurity

Virtual hummingbird
Originally uploaded by SantaRosa.

An excerpt of some work on science fiction:

The real virtuality of fiction impinges on our understanding of futurity. Pierre Levy suggests that language virtualises time, which Òas a complete dimension, exists only virtually,Ó (Levy, 1998: 92). As I have suggested, the virtuality of matter is fully real in present-futurity, where futurity is understood as the potential attached to matter (Massumi, 2002:15). The virtual is the real potentiality of matter (Deleuze, 1988b: 96, Bergson, 1960:13). LevyÕs understanding of technology opening up the virtual is extended to the technology of the text. Levy suggests that language and texts constantly redevelop configurations of the virtual, Òreinterpreting a past actuality in which we remain involved,Ó (Levy, 1998: 92). He goes on to argue that Òhuman language virtualises real time,Ó (Levy, 1998: 93) and that Òquestions, problems and hypotheses bore holes in the here and now to end up in the virtual world on the other side of the mirror, somewhere between time and eternity,Ó (Levy, 1998: 93). Science fiction, then is to be understood in terms of this virtuality, conceptually groping the future potential of reality. This is to say, then, that science fiction changes fields of perception, not in terms of social critique, or metaphor, but as an exploration of virtual worlds.