Aug 11 2008
Science fiction and design thinking
This July, I finished reading two excellent sci-fi pieces – Rudy Rucker’s Postsingular and Cory Doctorow’s sci-fi graphic novel – Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now. Both novels are freely downloadable from the above links. (Quite a stellar business model - fans like me are very likely to buy most of their books at some point).
Both books have been as refreshing as a splash of cold fresh spring water - made me feel how constrained my own vision of the future may have been. They also made me reflect on the smallness of the typical techno-utopian vision for the future shared by technologists and designers alike.
Postsingular is a novel breathtaking in its expanse of thought and scale of execution. You will find nano-scale intelligence and malintent, Californian street kids and geeks figuring out the Planck frontier, crossing between dimensions, futuristic interfaces and political marketing and a sweet twist on the traditional view of Nature and Gaia and post-human intelligence. I’m a fan and am waiting eagerly for Rucker’s next novel ‘Hylozoic’.
I also mentioned my inspiration via Rucker and Postsingular in a recent presentation on Design Inspirations from Science Fiction at Dcamp 2.0 Bangalore which I recently organized through UPA Bangalore.
[…] Original An experiment in light expression Copyright © life sc_project=3641399; sc_invisible=1; sc_partition=43; sc_security=”833c6a1d”; […]
[…] now | user-saved public links | iLinkShare 2 votesScience fiction and design thinking>> saved by heartslessqueen 1 days ago4 votesNow Dining | Gordon Ramsay in Los Angeles>> saved by justinknoll 10 days ago1 votesA special thanks to Republic Bank>> saved by playboybunny888 12 days ago2 votesNicole Salazar films her own arrest [viewer discretion advised]>> saved by Fireangel0821 16 days ago1 votesUnConvention TV - episode 2 now online>> saved by charchoco 17 days ago1 votesJames Gandolfini gets married>> saved by xzogamma 25 days ago1 votesLOLmagnetz Now For Sale On ThinkGeek!>> saved by risko1995 26 days ago2 votesSITE MOVED: Get Energy Smart! NOW!!!>> saved by mdluttmann 29 days ago2 votesPocketMac Version 4.1.25 now available>> saved by SK8erchick00 30 days ago2 votesConflicts, then and now>> saved by chevycobaltlt 34 days ago3 votesNow Is Time to Focus on Solutions for Social Security>> saved by thousandmiles 42 days ago1 votesTropic Thunder: It’s all about RDJ>> saved by tinymurr 46 days ago2 votesGenerational Theater>> saved by D1G1T4L3CH0 48 days ago2 votesthe big fat diet bandwagon and the smart women who fall off it>> saved by smilegundame 50 days ago4 votesThe Teacher Says my Child Has ADHD. Now What?>> saved by QESAQESAQESA 52 days ago2 votesWin $50 with this week’s Coolest (Worst technology gadgets of last>> saved by kaleparski 58 days ago1 votesCraft Room Tour and Asian Noodle Salad>> saved by malexander1219 60 days ago3 votesNew RSC journal now available>> saved by Usagi1920 79 days ago […]