Category: science fiction

• We Are What We Pay Attention To

  I talked to Unbound Worlds about how the media we consume influences our behavior and identities: https://www.unboundworlds.com/2018/08/bandwidth-author-eliot-peper-pay-attention/ Complement with Malka Older on the future of democracy, Craig Newmark on the critical importance of a free press in divisive times, or this interview about the inspirations behind the group of hacktivists manipulating the psychology of world leaders in…

• ‘Bandwidth’ Examines How Our Feeds Create Our Reality

  I talked to the Chicago Review of Books about how our digital feeds shape our lives: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2018/06/14/bandwidth-examines-how-our-feeds-create-our-reality/ Complement with the story behind Bandwidth, this podcast interview about imagining the future, and Cory Doctorow on Bandwidth, networks of power, and the power of networks. Get new posts delivered straight to your inbox: … Read the rest

• A Recipe For Avoiding American Ruin

  In my latest column for Scout‘s Incoming Transmission, I interview Omar El Akkad about the price of power, the psychology of extremism, and charting a new course for America: https://scout.ai/story/a-recipe-for-avoiding-american-ruin?shared=772.H1yxHqx77 I previously recommended El Akkad’s critically-acclaimed debut novel, American War, in this edition of my reading recommendation newsletter. Complement the interview with Cory Doctorow on…

• BANDWIDTH

  After two years in the works, my new novel Bandwidth is now available. Bandwidth is a science fiction thriller featuring hackers and spies grappling over the geopolitics of climate change, with a group of techno-utopian activists hijacking the global feed to manipulate world leaders. Fast-paced, lush, and philosophical, it will suck you in and stick…

• The Mental Gymnastics of Space Travel

  In the latest Incoming Transmission over at Scout, I talk to novelist Meg Howrey about the inner lives of astronauts. Read the interview right here. Meg shares many thought-provoking insights into the human experience of astronauts, the psychology of peak performance, and the cultural power of the final frontier. Her novel, The Wanderers, is a…

• BANDWIDTH is now available for preorder

  My new novel, Bandwidth, is now available for preorder. Bandwidth is a science fiction thriller about hackers and spies grappling over the geopolitics of tech and climate change. Imagine Mr. Robot meets The Americans, with techno utopian activists hijacking the global feed to influence the psychology of world leaders. Bandwidth comes out May 1. I put…

• The At-Home Gene Editing Revolution Starts Now

  In the new Scout Incoming Transmission, I talk to bestselling author Daniel Suarez about the future of synthetic biology. Read the interview right here. We discuss the scientific, economic, and political implications of CRISPR and how science fiction can illuminate the social impacts of tech. Daniel shares details on how he goes about rigorously researching his…

• ‘Null States’ Maps Out the Geopolitics of Tomorrow

  My review of Malka Older’s new science fiction thriller that brings the future of democracy to vivid, divisive life ran in The Chicago Review of Books. Read the review right here. Older’s series hits the center of my Venn diagram of weird obsessions: imagining the future, gorging on international street food, seeking out crazy adventures, and…

• Dystopia is a State of Mind

  In the new Scout Incoming Transmission, I ask Cory Doctorow which questions will define the future. Read the interview right here. He points out our most pernicious assumptions and how we need to update our world views and institutions to accommodate technological change. We discuss his new novel Walkaway (featured in the latest edition of my reading…

• Why Business Leaders Need to Read More Science Fiction

  My first-ever piece for Harvard Business Review explores how science fiction can help us overcome false assumptions. Science fiction reveals how fragile the status quo is, and how malleable the future can be. Science fiction isn’t useful because it’s predictive. It’s useful because it reframes our perspective on the world. This is a topic very close…