Why write SF?
The inadequate answer,: it's harder to give up than to continue. Impossible to turn away from the glittering possibility of a perfectly crafted poem about what might be, a short story that anticipates tomorrow, a novel that, against all odds, presents a compelling new vision of reality
And so, we scribble on about the creatures to be found in the deep space between stars, the working world when the boss is actually an android, what it means if the rich can live for centuries... Dreams that become reality as we watch -- what can be more fun?
Weird and wonderful science
It's a science fiction world out there. There are robots rooting for life in the Martian soil, machines a few molecules across, spacecraft taking close-up pics of the outer planets' moons.
But right here at home, there are revolutions taking place every month in IT, in medicine, in materials science. Paper books are giving way to tablets, compasses to GPS systems, newspapers to hand-help electronics. And so on, and so on
What's new? What's next? Where is it all taking us? We are down the rabbit hole in good and earnest -- future reports from Wonderland.
The mess that is modern society
Societies evolve. And devolve. It's a mess. Then again, it's always more or less a mess -- two steps forward, one and a half steps back.
In some places, members of once-repressed groups (like women!) actually have rights. In others, organized crime takes on government, or social order has completely collapsed. We are back to torturing prisoners and enemies without much apology. The world economy seems to hover on the verge of collapse.
The Eve of Destruction or Business As Usual? Only time will tell. Definitely a situation worth watching, if only to know when to retreat to the bunker.