The World of Science Fiction

I know exactly when it became clear that I was going to be an adult science fiction reader. The summer between middle school and high school I was given a reading list: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I liked them both, but Brave New World offered up something completely different, new ideas to think about and new ways of seeing the world. I remember thinking, would it be so bad if the world was like this? Almost everyone in that world was really happy. In fact, in my mind it was the main character who kind of screwed things up for everyone else. Everyone had been conditioned to really enjoy their lot in life. Needless to say, at thirteen, I wasn’t someone very happy with my lot in life so this instant fix idea seemed quite enticing. Was this bad? When we discussed the book in class the my English teacher pointed out that many of the innovations that Aldous Huxley came up with in 1932 had become closer and closer to a reality. Today it’s even closer to a reality, lots of people taking antidepressants, euthanasia is becoming more acceptable, and making babies is getting more technologically advanced everyday. How the heck did he know all this? That was the book that did it for me. I transitioned from a child reader to an adult reader and my adult reading would include the wonderful genre of science fiction. I’d always be on that quest for the next fix that would get me thinking about all the possibilities. What book was it for you?

This blog is going to discuss both fact and fiction. What are the latest technical innovations and where might they lead? What science fiction (books, tv and film) is out there for those of us who love this genre and what does it get us thinking about? Please feel free to comment.