Why Do I Read Science Fiction?
Science is based on verifiable facts.
Fiction is based on facts that need to be verified.
So, I see a relation between science and fiction, in the fact that science fiction is the reality awaiting scientific verification, in the form of approval or dismissal. And that is what makes science fiction a fascinating experience for me as a reader.
9 + 10 = 19
This is science and scientific verification taking place at the basic level.
But for a child in his 2nd standard, rephrasing the same sum as follows:
Which two numbers should you add to get 19?
OR
____ + _____ = 19
The child would look at it in complete amazement. And for her, there is every reason to believe it is fictitious , because her mind is used to, viewing the same mathematical sum as follows:
9 + 10 =
When a mature and experienced science fiction writer creates a story line based on few groundbreaking scientific concepts, the reader, scientists included, are like this child viewing the same sum as:
____ + _____ = 19
And to me this is the neural bliss I extract from science fiction novels which are based on strong and well researched scientific thoughts and ideas. Although they are still breeding only in the mind of the science fiction author, who via the sci fi novel, communicates this idea to all the believers of science and logically thinking men and women.
Many with the right scientific acumen, even persuade themselves to work on the salient aspects of the scientific ideas expressed by the sci fi writer whose imagination has attained a crescendo like exaltation, in the form of the science fiction novel.
It is one of the primary reasons I read science fiction novels like:
They all excite human imagination, and successfully manage to hinge the reader’s thought with the possibility of what could be. What if this could be achieved in reality? And whenever the human mind deals with something as appealing and challenging as “what could be” it springs into action. Here the action is to weave a web of micro realities around the concept and weigh its tangibility on the scale of actual and mathematically verifiable reality. And often the scientific idea proposed by the science fiction writer satisfies every logical aspect.
Yet we discard most of these innovative ideas in the oblivion of our disavowed memories. But why do we do so?
I feel there are few reasons that justify this behaviour towards these brave scientific ideas propounded by daring science fiction writers.
1- They are way ahead of their time and the technology required to accomplish them is not available
2- Accomplishing a brave scientific idea, is contingent on huge investment, and everyone is not brave enough to risk so much money
3- The idea is misinterpreted due to the lack of scientific knowledge available to verify its credibility
4- It challenges socioeconomic dogmas and conventionalities
5- The idea is disruptive at a larger scale and would mean a death sentence for many multinational companies
6- The idea is too brave to be examined by any scientist because it needs a pioneer and dreamer like Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie
7- It is too true to be believed
Thus, most of them get buried in the science fiction novel, the moment the reader turns the last page and places the book on the book shelf, or closes the Kindle version of the science fiction novel on his/her Tab.
And there in the book, it lies in a state of dormancy, until some pioneering braveheart stumbles on it in future and discovers its potential to change the course of scientific belief in the related field or fields.
One such example!
The first work of science fiction set primarily on Mars was the 1880 novel Across the Zodiac by Percy Greg.
The rest is history.
It launched Mars into the limelight and offered it a stardom unlike any other planet, as far as science fiction novels are concerned. This in turn enthused the community of scientists who wanted to explore new ideas and set a precursor for future generations of scientists.
Mars had now become a preeminent planet because it attracted a lot of attention from space and planet explorers, eager to find a planet that would support life. Because the Moon had lost its appeal when it was established that it cannot support life.
This led to Mars being the point of major attention for the community of space explorers and scientists who for several reasons believed in the mystique of the planet and were hopeful that someday humans will set foot on it and make it their home.
And have we stopped! And have not science fiction novels played an incredible and not at all a dismissible role in maintaining our interest in this planet?
Well here is the best way to answer this question, rather the only way to clarify the doubt.
Number of Launches to Mars
Mars Missions by Country
List of Mars Missions
The human interest in Mars has not ended. There are plans underway to send permanent human settlers to Mars and set up human colonies on the planet. If not intergalactic, or interstellar, we humans no doubt are going to be the Martians. And trust me, we will accomplish this without having to turn green or red. Anyway that is inconsequential as far as the contextual essence of this blog post is concerned.
As I am writing this blog post do you know how I am feeling? I feel I am watching a soccer match where legends like: Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldinho and many others are in action, and I am a part of the Mexican wave that does not want to ebb at any point. Such is the excitement one experiences when referring to science fiction; that too when the primary planet it focuses on as a main subject is , Mars.
Anyway, let me leave the Mexican wave and join you. Because here is where I belong for now!
On Mars, and with you via this blog post.
Many Mars focused science fiction novels tend to create a macabre like impression about Mars. But its lure and its appeal is everlasting and undiluted. It somehow and almost always manages to inspire the mind of every true science fiction reader, who wants to believe in new hopes, new scientific ideas and a renewed rhythm that adds a new pace to his/her inner quest that wants to find its tryst with the reality of Mars. Where every element of mystique associated with Mars is further strengthened and rendered invincible, in the belief of every science fiction reader, who wants to believe in: “the new, the fresh, the challenging, the inspiring” ideas portrayed as a reality that is conquerable with human will. The iron will, that is forged in the furnace of trials of life and relentless scientific probing.
It is at this stage, every science fiction reader, becomes a science fiction believer, who now is part of a revolution of thought, new ideas, new horizons that await us in the distant and unknown territories of the universe, that indeed is limitless. But let me tell you, we shall chase it till the very edge, with our equally endless and infinite human imagination. It is my belief that we shall overcome as a single race of thinking and caring beings, the weaknesses, both physical and mental, that have left us fettered to the wee scientific thoughts.
It is time, mankind takes a new leap into the new possibilities and pace right through them and claim the moment of glory that the universe has been longing to confer upon us. Only that we need to realise, the universe has a mind of its own as well, and as long as we do not think as humans, and as long as we only think as individuals, restricted by our obligations that we exclusively reserve for our own culture, sect or society; till then the universe will fight its battle of survival. And do you know, against who will the universe wage its Holy War?
Against us, The Humans!
We have to make a choice now. And scientific collaborations like the one, displayed in making the first wonder that humanity launched into space, The James Webb Space telescope, we have proven that there are men and women, politicians, scientists, business corporations, countries and ordinary men and women like me and you, who want to come together and contribute to science, contribute to humanity and spread our species across the farthest reaches of this endless space.
Science Fiction and James Webb Space Telescope
And Like I said earlier, I would like to reiterate once again. We shall chase this endless universe with our limitless imagination, and it shall be possible only if we think as a single community of men and women. Until this happens, the universe will never reveal its secrets, and we will be caught in a time loop, that shall be trapped in a blackhole, with no exit point.
And it is this hope, this mission, that led me to write the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. In 2075, when humans will be surrounded by self aware machines, I am hoping love, feelings and human emotions will prevail and still exist. They Loved in 2075, is a journey of a boy named Saabir, who needs to save his clan from going extinct, also help the clan of Hope from dying due to global warming, because this clan does not have the adaptations to cope with the growing heat. And, on the personal front, Saabir also has to help the love of his life to understand human emotions and love Saabir like a human being. Which she fails to do because of her excessive exposure to self aware machines and technology. Her interaction with self aware machines that process synthetic feelings, has rendered her emotionally numb.
To know whether Saabir succeeds in 2075 or he is unable to find and love a female who feels like a human and is a human too. And not a packet of synthetic feelings.
To experience never ending science fiction based excitement, read the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. And experience 2075 with a blend of all possibilities that might exist then as undeniable reality. Including:
Global warming
Depletion of ozone layer
New technology with fascinating accuracy
Quantum computing with incredible processing abilities
Human feelings, love, emotion, relationships?
Self aware machines who behave and look like us
And the Earth that does not look anything like it is today for us. And this is what will be the cause of our extinction, and only timely realisation and initiation of corrective measures could save us. And Saabir is our only hope.
Read, They Loved in 2075, For Saabir, for hope, for your grandchildren and if for nothing or nobody at all, read it for the sake of your love for reading science fiction. That is a good reason!
On that note, I will conclude this blog post and leave you with many imaginations: About Mars, About Saabir, His Girlfriend, Self Aware Machines, but most important of all, I will leave you with the beauty of your dreams and imagination, where Saabir can be the protagonist, who eventually conquers the dominion of evil and hoist the flag of hope, for you, me and our future generations.
If this was not inspiring enough, let me motivate you a bit more.
“Fiction is no longer a mere amusement; but transcendent genius, accommodating itself to the character of the age, has seized upon this province of literature, and turned fiction from a toy into a mighty engine!”
Read it to experience the might within you and be the engine of good change around you!
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