Interesting categorization of future shock levels by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky, the basic premise being that there’s a hierarchy of what you might call SFnal weirdness, and that you’ll have trouble introducing people to an idea in proportion to how much more deeply weird it is than the ideas they’re accustomed to thinking about.

Not that Yudkowsky puts it in quite those terms, ’cause he’s coming at it from the point of view of an extropian and I’m coming at it from the point of view of an SF writer.

[A] Singularitarian can shock [an average] science-fiction fan, but not an Extropian — the Extropian will be interested, perhaps enthusiastic, but not shocked. . . An Extropian can shock your average Wired reader, but should be careful about trying this with the “person on the street” — they may be frightened. And so on. In general, one shock level gets you enthusiasm, two gets you a strong reaction — wild enthusiasm or disbelief, three gets you frightened — not necessarily hostile, but frightened, and four can get you burned at the stake.

I think he’s exaggerating, there — no one’s going to burn you at the stake for talking about the Singularity at a cocktail party; what they will do is find an excuse to go help refill the punch bowl, or whatever, and leave you talking to thin air.

But ithe principle behind Yudkowsky’s scale is still a useful one for SF writers: when you start asking yourself questions like How much explaining am I going to have to do? — or, conversely, Am I being weird enough? — you have to start by asking, Who is my audience?