Sci-Fu discussion

It is my pleasure to present the long awaited sequel to my and William Maltese's pop sexual-political-thriller TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009), entitled THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020). NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, is now leaner and meaner. Once again commanding wealth and power thanks to a series of sociopolitical advances and technical innovations like Eugitors, ShimmerSuits, ContraSpray, T-rips, CandyShades and CandyCable, NewAmerica a challenging and dangerous place for three young firebrands to live "on the edge of madness."

Set in the near future, THE EDGE OF MADNESS explores the evolving relationships between three friends, all of whom know little to nothing about their past and even less about their futures. What they do know is that each is unusually gifted: Rob, an uber-conscious male with an enhanced sense of smell; Frann, an ostentatious gay male with an Olympian physique; and Andry, a brilliant moon-child and professional acronymeur with a taste for Wicca...and her two male friends.

THE EDGE OF MADNESS is an exploration of a possible future, where every hedonistic pleasure is available -- if one can afford it. People work in order to purchase the newest technologies promising ultimate pleasure. But as in Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD and George Orwell's 1984, citizens are watched carefully by emotionless “Enforcers” who show up anytime unusual events occur. 
 
Like Huxley and Orwell's works, THE EDGE OF MADNESS has something to say about almost everything present and future. But it's also a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them is: Can true love or sanity be found in such a world? 
 
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way, it's an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real." Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.

Why is sci-fu so important? It gives readers science-driven choices which are of utmost importance in a world where appeals are infrequently factual, reasonable. Extending the anticipated effects of a new science-driven choice into the logical future, adds further by identifying possible side effects. Nothing is perfect, Everything effects everything else in this globally integrated world, despite efforts to dis-integrate that network and fall back into petty factionalism.

Perhaps the best way I know to help people decide what actions to take is to provide a "mirror of the future" based on a variety of plausible, possible and/or science-based futures. "Futuring" as such can be a highly effective, low cost method of "testing" ideas and actions. In addition, sci-fu (scifu or science-based futuring) stimulates curiosity, discovery and the search for meaningful action in life.

Just received an email from MS, a gentleman I consider a remarkable futurist. He says, "I truly enjoyed your comments...they make think in more dimensions...Long time ago I always advocated a total gestalt approach to solving our problems consisting of all the elemental parts you state...I found that people resent this. because it sounds overwhelming and too wide, though too correct. Later I shifted to focusing on one little aspect at a time...building a base with others who think in the same way or who got inspired and started to think in the same way. I ended up succeeding on a small scale rather than working on grand ideas...I don’t know which is right. However, as a writer, you create grand ideas...as an architect, I create small ideas but build them."