Science fiction describes a world more wonderous and better than our more ordinary real world. It is the world and the universe as it can be imagined to be. What the author imagined is presented as real and to an extent we experience the author's vision as being real. Before us are the wonders that technology has yet to produce, marvelous devices that correct what is wrong with the real world and give us that which we want from the real world. The preceived reality of those devices tells us that they will someday be available for our use. We are uplifted by the notion that life will be good because of those marvelous inventions.
Science fiction promises that our imaginations are prolific creators that can give us the means to make life be as we want it to be. That promise is more than an idle hope. Science fiction has likely been the inspiration for many technological inventions. Indulging the imagination in a science fiction story demonstrates how our intellects can produce that which has not been thought of before. Knowing that new ideas can be conjured up gives the intellect the que to create and a yearning to create.
Good science fiction has characters with admiralble qualities that deal with difficult situations in creative ways. The central characters mostly interact with other characters in exemplary ways that inspires us to want to be able to emulate. The interplay of characters and plot combine to make us proud to be human and inspires us to pursue our ideals. Just as with real people, the science fiction characters are often given flaws and weakness that they either struggle to overcome or, for the most part, accept as just part of an overall good package of traits, abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Science fiction uses science to explain the mechanics of all that is around use. We are warned of dangers and informed of possibilites. We are exposed to what is extraordinary and unexpected. And in the process we are entertained.
The overall impact of the science fiction novel can be thought of as an expression of our dreams, wants, needs, and hopes for the future. It is all laid out before us in enough detail to immerse us in another world that seems real. It is a wonderous experience that inspires us to regard our real world with more awe. Good science fiction rouses the spirit, encouraging us to improve our lot using imagination, creativity, and perseverance.
Alan Detwiler grew up on a small farm. The weather and the natural world are very much a part of living on a farm. On a farm, everyday observations demonstrate how plants and animals grow and develop and how weather and climate interact with living things. Alan and anyone growing up a farm knows that our food supply is very much dependant on how much it rains, when it rains, and how warm or cold it is.
Genetics and disease are topics of special concern to anyone living on a farm. Farm crops and farm animals are not the plants and animals of the wild. They have been genetically altered by human intervention. Farmers are especially aware of those differences and how genetics produce those differences.
Farm living, plus an interest in science gave Alan the background for writing Earth's Edge which deals with genetic engineering and examines drastic global warming and pandemic. Those two threats are very serious and are perhaps likely to drastically affect our lives. The consequences of either of those calamities are bound to be unpleasant, but why react with anxiety? Wouldn't a better reaction be to take action to be prepared and feel good that you have done so?
Earth's Edge, a speculative science fiction novella is available as a Kindle ebook at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UMP1HQ/ and as a Nook book at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Earths-Edge/Alan-Detwiler/e/29400123798...