The Fredösphere

Thanks to Reflections in D Minor who provided this link to a series of covers from classic sci-fi books.

What is it about this art that is so beautiful?  It's got a hook into a part of me that longs for ... for something.  Maybe it's The Island!

I love the way the space ships have curves.  I love cars that have curves.  Curves seem to have disappeared from our cars sometime in the late sixties.  Why?  Why is the styling of the PT Cruiser such a rare achievement in the contemporary environment?  Probably because they consume a little more steel.  Accountants can measure steel consumption, and they can't measure beauty and style.  They can measure the effects of a loss of beauty, as customers become bored and drift away, but that doesn't happen in the short term and understanding the cause and effect requires subtlety and judgement.

Lead and Gold has said it all better.  Here's a great explanation of the danger to large companies when they become seduced by cost cutting, and also see the links found here.