Re: Oldest SF not necessarily most dated?

Steven L. wrote:
>
> Perhaps that's a weakness of SF in general:  It tends to ignore
> economics.  It was inevitable that the West's insatiable thirst for
> oil was going to make the Middle East Muslims very very wealthy--and
> with wealth comes power.  At the same time that money to pay for all
> that oil was being sucked out of America, making us poorer--and with
> that growing impoverishment comes increasing debt service.  Sooner or
> later, the imbalance of power would result in Islamism coming out of
> the woodwork and feeling its oats.  Which has now happened.

In 1986, Frederick Pohl serialised (in Analog) his novel THE COMING OF THE

QUANTUM CATS, which starts off in an alternate history (one of several in 
the narrative) where Saudi oil interests dominate the United States to the

extent that they've basically conquered them with economics. It wasn't
clear 
to me whether or not there had actually been a war - or, at least, I can't

recall if it's mentioned in the text - but Muslim emirs rule the country, 
and have imposed sharia: it's illegal for a man to swim topless in a
public 
pool, the drinking age is 35, and criminal punishments often include the 
loss of thumbs or fingers. Non-Muslims swear on both the Bible and the
Quran 
in courts of law.

-- 
Christopher Adams
Sydney, Australia

For theirs is the power and this is their kingdom
As sure as the sun does burn
So enter this path, but heed these four words:
You shall never return