Fractopian Fiction tells human-condition stories that happen to take place in a near-future world, extrapolating from current trends and technological developments to create realistic images of what life in the developed nations might be like just a few generations down the road. Its worldview is ontologically conservative, involving neither the singularity nor the apocalypse. It represents neither a utopia nor a dystopia, but may include aspects of both.
by Jens Durke
I just wanted to start with saying that her foot in his face surprised me as much as it did him. She must have jumped a bit, which made it all the more impressive, to be honest. It escalated so quickly it was a full-out brawl by the time I could make a stupid face, open-mouthed, one finger wavering questioning in the air and all the regalia you’d imagine. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This started as a normal day at the job. We were somewhere over the Kaishi Industrial Complex, right where it rubs shoulders with the Bosing slums and the Sunridge sprawl, and Jeremy was telling stories…
by Tiffany Reynolds
by Joliet Shiften, Union City News
September 21, 2111
As many readers know, over the past several years this reporter has written many articles on the building of the Ashvin Arcology. Some time tomorrow, the last printing of the superstructure will be finished. Designed thirty years ago by Toichi Sandburg, grandson of the great Japanese architect and engineer, Tokanece, this 2km by 1km tower covers twice the floor space of Tokanece’s dream "Tokyo Sky."
What are the superfoods of tomorrow, and how will we produce a wide variety of inexpensive food for an ever-growing population, on an unforgiving earth?
by Tod Foley
FOODIEMARTTM says: Welcome, New Citizen! Stop by one of our local FoodieMart outlets for a free Lunch Kit! Did you know that FoodieMart features the world's most advanced SmartShopping system? Signal MORE for more info!
A conversation with Lauren Teffeau, author of the recently-released near-future science fiction novel "Implanted." Topics covered include digital convergence, neural implant technology, online privacy, climate change, the law of digital recency, and the future of capitalism. Includes an excerpt from "Implanted," and occasional interjections by my attention-seeking cats.
by Jens Durke
"I didn't say people want to smell corpses all the time, but every once in a while it's healthy, and there are folks out there paying good credits for experiences like that. It's really off the charts with augmentation apps and, believe me, there's shit to smell in virtual realities no real nose could comprehend. Bestselling shit, no less. It's called ‘benign masochism.' Look it up, Karyn."
An Augmented Reality can be understood as a digitally-produced “layer” or “display screen” interposed by specialized hardware between you and the physical world. The potential of this emerging technology to enhance the ease and quality of life is enormous, and it will affect nearly everything in the coming informational age. Story excerpts from “Dork Knights of Harohbakh” by Shawn Koch, and “The Master Key” by L. Frank Baum.
by Tod Foley
Bots swish quietly up and down the sterile halls of the New Citizen In-Processing Office. As a newly-approved immigrant to Union City you've been scanned, digitized, analyzed and treated to a wide range of innoculants via an injection of nanobots now swarming around within your bloodstream. You've never felt healthier in your life.
A look at the uses of Science Fiction to predict and influence the future, featuring insights from Yuval Harari, Berit Anderson, Douglas Rushkoff, Pat Cadigan and Stephen Oram. Story excerpt from "The World Set Free" by H.G. Wells.
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