Is this future possible?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been thinking about my WIP novel, and I was wondering if the future that I'm trying to portray is plausible.

Sometime in the early half of this century, "redesigning" (modification of humans) experiences a renaissance. Designer babies, cloning, human-animal hybridzation, cybernetic implants... all are ubiquitous in the decades to come. Meanwhile, the global economy gets back on its feet, and subsequently, a business boom akin to early/mid 1980s America begins. Deep space exploration gains speed, and by the dawn of the 22nd century, we have functioning colonies on the Moon, Mars, and several of Jupiter's satellites. However, despite these rapid, seemingly wonderful advancements, we may begin to lose sight of what's most important: who we are.

As the years go on, we forget about Mother Earth. Now, in this future, Earth has become a sprawling, polluted urban maze. Janus City, California, alone, has over thirty million inhabitants, and is large enough to be considered its own nation. It is also a door that opens up, revealing what we've become in the pursuit of progress. The Redesigns, once considered the future of humanity, are now spending their time snorting massive amounts of cocaine, trading stocks, having sex with near-total apathy, and sometimes committing felonies with impunity in their skyscraper domains above the abysmal streets and the mostly-impoverished "Norman" masses. The model man is the Entrepreneur; ruthless, oblivious and utterly without insight beyond the coke and babes (sometimes boys) and flying Ferraris. It is the Entrepreneur who seizes the day. It is the Entrepreneur that we aspire to be, to no avail.

The megacorporations are the ones calling the shots through manipulation, coercion, and sometimes, terror. The crime rate in Janus City alone is the highest on Earth. The Normans and Redesigns have genocidal factions on both sides. Police morale is at an all-time low. Education quality for Redesigns is up, down for Normans...

To be frank: THIS FUTURE SUCKS.

Seems reasonable and parts of it seem quite likely.

I really like it. I love science fiction movies, but not so much books because they get too abstract and scientific and I get confused if I can't picture something clearly in my head.

Some thoughts: You didn't say why people aspire to be the Entrepreneur, so that bit I have a problem with. And there also needs to be a good enough reason why everyone's wasting their lives away being hedonists, and a good explanation how the economy continues to thrive despite everyone wasting their lives away being hedonists.

I hope to be able to read your book when it's finished.

I have no comment.

Why have you commented then, if you have no comment?

He joked that he was going to plagiarize my work.

Seriously, Pretorius, cut the crap. You know as well as I do that plagiarism is a very bad thing that could do irreparable harm to your reputation if discovered.

Keep it up, Prof. I'll have you banned.

Call it humor if you want, bucko.

This is why when I get a brilliant idea for a story I hope to right, I don't share it on teh internets.

I think the estate of William Gibson might take issue with the OP's "original" idea...