cultural-obsolescence
The end of traditional media and literary careers reflects a broader cultural shift and the disappearance of established institutions.
2 chapters across 2 books
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 (2016)Lionel Shriver
In this chapter, Carter Mandible visits his elderly father Douglas at a luxurious assisted-living facility, confronting complex feelings of familial obligation, resentment, and the corrosive influence of anticipated inheritance. Their conversation reveals the collapse of the publishing industry, the family's financial decline, and the broader societal decay marked by technological disruption and cultural obsolescence. The narrative explores themes of aging, legacy, and loss against the backdrop of systemic economic and social instability.
Existence (2012)David Brin
The chapter reflects on the obsolescence of human games and pastimes in a future where humans no longer live inside protective domes. Noisy Stomach, a character who once enjoyed the presence of a tame human within the Tribe for practical and social purposes, now mourns the loss of that human, who has been returned for health reasons, symbolizing a shift away from old human customs and dependencies.