Science fiction is full of technologies that we wish were real. Things like flying cars, bionic arms, robot servants, and faster-than-light travel would make our lives so much easier. Many of these technologies (time travel, for instance) is something we can only dream of. But others (like flying cars) are perfectly possible and within our reach even today.
The new book by Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan), You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised, is characterized by explanations of some of the fascinating technologies envisioned in classic science fiction along with explorations of the progress modern science has made towards achieving those visions. Classic science fiction references appear side-by-side with summaries of state of the art scientific research.
The book is divided into 5 broad chapters, each covering 10 technologies that we have made progress towards realizing. The chapters are Travel and Transportation, Computers, Cyborgs, and Robots, Communications, Weapons and Security, and Life, Health, and Sex.
The Pros
This book is very well written. Each technology is described with multiple fictional appearances as well as detailed accounts of modern advances involving that technology. I was also surprised at how realistic many of the concepts once considered impossible have become. There were also detailed diagrams and high-quality images for all of the sections, which made the content much more engaging.
The Cons
Some of the technologies in the book were much less interesting than others. In a desire to have the same number of sections in each chapter, some sections were added that probably could have been left out – language translators, watch toys, and sex toys, for example.
I definitely recommend this book. It was a quick read, and each section was engaging and interesting. The price is very reasonable, as well.
The Stats
Title: You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised
Author(s): Nick Sagan, Mark Frary, and Andy Walker
ISBN10: 1556526857
ISBN13: 978-1556526855
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Cost: $11.21 (from Amazon)
Format: Paperback, 160 pages
Published: April 1, 2008
Technorati Tags: Carl Sagan, Nick Sagan, Mark Frary, Andy Walker, science fiction, technology, books, book reviews, You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised
Popularity: 2% [?]
June 28th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Winning the third heat in 55.15. Other heat winners were defending champ Ti’erra Brown of Miami.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:34 am
I don’t like the imaginal future world, the flying cars, bionic arms, robot servants, and faster-than-light travel. Compare with that, I like the past world.