One of the things I love so much about science
fiction is the way the past, present, and future can all continue to influence
each other.
What do I mean?
1) The
last ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of the Steampunk
genre. Society is so enamored with the idea of steam-powered and gear driven
technology that it influences our reading, writing, television entertainment,
and even our music industry. I
discovered one such band in San Diego a couple of years ago. Check out Steam Powered Giraffe below!
2) Scientific
theories which have been accepted for 100 years, like Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, make a frequent
appearance in our books and television entertainment. However, did you know
that physicists were still trying to prove, or disprove, that theory? See how
David Tennant explains this:
3) Both
of the above examples can influence parallel universes like the ones found in
our anthology, but what about when an author tries to stay ahead of popular and
developing technology? Scientists are often pursuing breakthroughs based on
sheer speculation. Authors in turn come across these theories and use those
ideas to fuel their own works. Whether it’s shark skin technology (scientists
hope to use it for recreation, medical, and aeronautic purposes), genomic
imprinting, or Hymenoptera training (similar to Antman or Fran Wilde’s “Like a Wasp to the Tongue”) any theory in
development can open the door for an authors imagination. When nine writers
were invited to Microsoft’s research lab’s, the result was an anthology of
scifi stories. Read more about that HERE.
4) Likewise,
writer’s imaginations can open the door for scientific discovery. Just look at
all of the gadgets used in episodes of Star
Trek. Many of them fueled the drive for scientists to create the technology
we use today. Check out these other sciences stimulated by fiction HERE, or the books that motivated Steve Jobs HERE.
All of these examples show how science, technology,
and art can inspire and feed each other.
