As is natural for a man of my era, Heinlein is the exemplar when it comes to science fiction craftsmanship.\u00a0 But whereas in his youth he was something of a progressive I am a conservative.\u00a0 So, whereas his earliest \u201cwhat if?\u201d scenario for his future history was the United States becoming an unlikely Christian theocracy, I\u2019m confronted with the reality of a United States that\u2019s already halfway to becoming a woke oligarchic police state.\u00a0 Therefore, I\u2019ll use that as the first component of my world building.\u00a0 Of course, it\u2019s hardly original or surprising.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s even lazy or boring.\u00a0 But I think it fits.\u00a0 Besides it can be a one off that\u2019s quickly cured by a revolution that leaves a more interesting and fertile chaos in its wake.<\/p>\n
And just as easy to add to the pot is the looming energy drought that is already a part of the daily conversation.\u00a0 Global warming, green energy, fear of nuclear power; all of these conspire to make the future a bleak prospect for the everyday people trying to eek out a living and raise their families.\u00a0 Therefore, technology around new energy sources and technologies is a no-brainer.<\/p>\n
Now, all that\u2019s good stuff but we need some cooler technology than geothermal turbines.\u00a0 So, we\u2019ll add in cold fusion (or at least warmish fusion) based on the alleged ability of some heavy metals (platinum group, tantalum, etc.) to produce neutrons under the right conditions.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re going to need a Mars mission I\u2019d say.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Why not?<\/p>\n
What about global unrest?\u00a0 I guess so.\u00a0 I\u2019m not all that interested in Asia or Africa, or Europe for that matter, anymore.\u00a0 I guess I should think about their status to make the story convincing but I\u2019ll leave that alone for the beginning.<\/p>\n
What other technology?\u00a0 Well, biological and genetic should be in the mix.\u00a0 Maybe the ancient DNA information turns up some anomalies that point to a more complicated hominid prehistory that can be leveraged for some genetic engineering stories.\u00a0 Maybe some research produces a useful understanding of how other aspects of the cellular apparatus beside the DNA mediate evolution.\u00a0 Maybe some kind of evolutionary acceleration can be controlled using biochemical stimuli that are not currently recognized.\u00a0 Maybe this science is unlocked by a genius who wants to change humans.\u00a0 What kinds of change?\u00a0 Obviously, intelligence but how about gills to breathe underwater?\u00a0 Look at all those millions of square miles of ocean.\u00a0 Maybe make humans photosynthetic.<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence is a for-sure part of the universe.\u00a0 We need AI\u2019s that in many ways appear to be conscious but whether they actually are I don\u2019t currently know.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to see what works.<\/p>\n
Extraterrestrials?\u00a0 I really don\u2019t know yet.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s too early for that.\u00a0 After all I don\u2019t currently have a star drive.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll start by finding out if there\u2019s simple life somewhere in the solar system.\u00a0 Could it be bio-pollution from Earth.\u00a0 Could algae and tardigrades have drifted from Earth to Mars.\u00a0 Sure, why not?\u00a0 And could they have developed some interesting new tricks trying to survive on a freezing, almost airless desert?\u00a0 Of course!<\/p>\n
I used to toy with the idea that the gas giant planets (Jupiter and Saturn) might have a stable layer somewhere in between their hot cores and cryogenic surfaces where creatures swim and fight and live and die.\u00a0 Maybe that would be fun to play with or maybe an ocean inside of one of the Jovian moons would be better.<\/p>\n
Okay, I think that\u2019s enough to start with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As is natural for a man of my era, Heinlein is the exemplar when it comes to science fiction craftsmanship.\u00a0 But whereas in his youth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[241,1289,818,1263,237,4,242],"tags":[76,1290,38,1355,265],"class_list":["post-30415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-fiction-by-me","category-ocf","category-stuff-that-personally-interests-me-miscellaneous","category-reviews","category-sff","category-sff-book-reviews","tag-fiction-writing","tag-my-fiction","tag-review","tag-reviews","tag-science-fiction"],"yoast_head":"\n