The essence of a great science fiction or fantasy novel is the world. There, I said it. Feel free to disagree. But I haven’t fallen in love with a novel without first falling deep into the author’s… Great recs.

On a lazy evening in Regina, Saskatechwan, you can go to a bar called The Fat Badger, grab a beer, and put a little money into the jukebox if you want to hear an old country song about the prairies… “Imagine us surrounded by carbon-neutral farms whose plants are monitored by sensors and satellites. Our brains would be crackling with ideas, thanks to government-funded science education. After a productive day in the fields and the labs, we’d gather at the co-op watering hole and sing our brains out in agrarian socialist solidarity. We’d all sound great too, because we’d have optimized our vocal chords with open source biotissue mods.”

The post-truth era is just getting started. Near the end of 2017 we’ll be consuming content synthesised to mimic real people. https://rnd.dt.com.au/anti-ai-ai-a-wearable-ai-device-244900e4d71c

An exhibition at Sotheby’s in New York betrays a broad generational anxiety about the technological future and the role of humans in it. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/arts/design/sothebys-digital-artists-bunker.html?emc=%5B%27edit_tnt_20170724%27%5D&nlid=%5B%279935747%27%5D&tntemail0=%5B%27y%27%5D&_r=%5B%270%27%5D

Communism’s promise of a workers’ paradise chimed with the utopian imagination of science fiction. To strange effect. Quick overview of the optimist-pessimist spectrum in SF vis-à-vis past and present socio-political and economic theories and realities.

Did you know Worlds Fairs still happen today and millions attend–but not in the United States? Worlds Fair USA is an effort to bring the international showcase of the most amazing art and tech back to the states–bigger and better than ever. If anyone is in NYC in Sept: http://www.worldsfairusa.com/nano/ny/2017/ a “two-day festival filled with mind-blowing technology, futurist talks…”

Jodie Whittaker will be the first woman to play the Doctor, taking over from Peter Capaldi, the BBC said. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/arts/television/doctor-who-jodie-whittaker-bbc.html?action=%5B%27click%27%5D&contentCollection=%5B%27Opinion%27%5D&module=%5B%27RelatedCoverage%27%5D&region=%5B%27EndOfArticle%27%5D&pgtype=%5B%27article%27%5D

GOD is the story of our creator. If you like Volume 1, and want to see Volume 2, then support us by purchasing the Volume 1 DLC through steam… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1_HfhtB5eo. A 3 min short by the studio of Neill Blomkamp (of District 9, Elysium, Chappie). My favorite line: “shrink their brains.”

Posing as humans, today’s bots are different from what science fiction writers imagined, but they represent a serious threat to democracy. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/opinion/sunday/please-prove-youre-not-a-robot.html?emc=%5B%27edit_tnt_20170715%27%5D&nlid=%5B%279935747%27%5D&tntemail0=%5B%27y%27%5D&_r=%5B%270%27%5D

N.K. Jemisin reviews new sci-fi and fantasy adventures by K.J Parker, Nicky Drayden, Brenda Cooper, and Steven R. Boyett and Ken Mitchroney. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/books/review/mightier-than-the-sword-kj-parker-science-fiction-and-more.html?emc=%5B%27edit_tnt_20170714%27%5D&nlid=%5B%279935747%27%5D&tntemail0=%5B%27y%27%5D&_r=%5B%270%27%5D