So, I’m having some technology issues.
I don’t mean that I’m having problems with my personal
technology. I’m talking about in the Sci-Fi book I’m currently writing. It’s
set in some nebulous future where space flight is pretty common. It’s main
character is a teenage girl. And I wanted the technology to reflect the kind of
social networking that teenagers do in modern society. Only, you know, sci-fi
it up a little.
The problem I’m having, however, is that current cell-phone
technology is pretty sci-fi all ready. I mean, think about it. You probably
have in your pocket right now a phone that is every bit as powerful, if not
more so, than the desktop I am currently using to write this blog post on. You
can not only talk to other phones from it, but you can also surf the internet,
use it as a GPS unit, connect with Facebook, Twitter and Google+, play video
games, view movies and TV and even us it as a calculator to figure out how much
of a tip to leave at that restaurant you went to last night. And none of this includes
instant messaging or texting. And all without being plugged into the wall. The number
of things a phone can do these days is impressive.
And the number of ways a teenager uses it to keep in touch
with people is also impressive. Not that any of this is limited to teenagers,
mind. It’s just that my main character is a teen, and so I’m trying to think in
those terms.
Most teens that have cell phones these days are in almost
constant contact with each other. Texting and updating their social network
status’s are just part of it, I’m sure.
So, here’s the issue I am having. What will this kind of
interaction look like in, say, one hundred years?
Right now, in my book, everyone has what basically amounts to
a tablet, a high-tech iPad with a holographic interface. From it, they can
connect to the net, communicate with people via holographic video chats, etc.
However, the tablet seems a little bukly to me, in light of
current cell technology.
But, I run into problems if I try to make it all smaller. So
far, my best thought is to have something similar to a Bluetooth, handsfree set
in your ear. From there, a holographic display appears in front of you that you
can manipulate with your hands (like in Minority Report). It would be mostly
clear so it doesn’t interfear with your vision. It works basically like a
personal computer, maybe even with some kind of AI in it.
I like this idea, but I still fear that it’s not all that
advanced. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.
It would take some re-writing to make this idea work, but I
like it better than the tablet approach I’m using now.
For now, I’m going to keep writing as if the tablet approach
is the final decision until I figure out where I want to go.
In the mean time, I would love to hear from you about your
ideas and tips for handling technology limitations in sci-fi stories.
