Story is our Rocket Fuel to a Better Future

Right now, the world is a dark, chaotic place.

And the one thing we might all need to get us to a better future could be something as easy as reading a good book.

Let me explain.

I have a fundamental belief about human nature that dictates nearly everything I do. It is the belief that the power of story is the one innately human connection we all have and with that connection, divides can be bridged, amazing problems can be solved, and the future of humanity and for our individual lives can surge to unbelievable heights.

That sounds like some ludicrous opening to an online marketer trying to sell you a course on a get-rich-quick scheme. But alas it is simply the power of what a good book, movie, or television show can have on our minds and it helps to explain my obsession with future technologies and why I think story is the solution to conquering the boundaries of today and tomorrow.

I often am asked by readers why I would spend all my time researching future technologies and writing speculative fiction books about how they could possibly mess up the world when I could be spending my time binge watching Netflix, hanging out with friends, or pretty much doing anything else.

It’s a great question.

For one, I have been absolutely obsessed with the future since I was a little kid. I would watch Youtube videos in elementary school about nanotechnology, I’d read books by Stephen Hawking (I comprehended maybe five percent of it but I found it fascinating), and I’d watch documentaries about what some of brightest futurists thought the world would look like in 2050 or 2100.

All the possible visions of the future have been more fascinating to me than anything else.

And those visions of what the future could be always involve technologies that don't yet exist today but that will have immense implications in the future.

Some of the technologies that will revolutionize society in the future are the same ones I write about in my books. I won’t pretend to be the only writer who is doing this, I am one of millions of people who write and read speculative fiction.

But oftentimes we forget about the power that the content we consume and create has.

And in truth, the power of story, whether consumed in a video game, book, movie, or comedy show, is our rocket fuel to a better future.

Stories were literally invented millions of years ago by the descendants of humans as a way to communicate information. Stories were essential to survival.

Today, the survival mechanism of stories hasn’t lost any of its importance.

If anything it is more important than ever.

Do you know about the potential that the Atomic Precise Manufacturing Revolution has to alter society forever within this century? Are you prepared for nanobots to flow through our bloodstreams, or feeds of data to hook up to our minds?

If you read a lot of science fiction odds are you’ve seen technologies explored like this dozens of times. The simple truth is that extraordinary things are headed our way in the near future (brain computer interfaces, and designer babies to name a few) but I’ll be the last to say that technology will be the answer towards propelling us to a better future.

All the books I write are about normal people attempting to overcome the perilous obstacles of powerful technologies that could be used to save the world but instead are used by a group of people with special interests to destroy it.

All of this is to say that the stories I write along with thousands of others aren’t that different from what goes on in the world today. And frankly, we are likely to face similar obstacles in the future.

As we speak big data continues to encroach on the privacy of ordinary citizens, authoritarian dictatorships have set up propaganda machines using the modern media unrivaled in world history (I’m looking at you China), and social media continues to isolate us from each other and ourselves under the false promise that it can connect the world.

We have lots of issues in the world of today.

And if history is a guide, the world is going to be pretty messed up tomorrow too.

But if history also has anything to teach us, it’s that things will get better.

There may be some dark times, and there certainly will be lots of struggle, but this world will be a better place for everyone in the future.

But as we all know there are no guarantees.

And in order to create a future that leaves no one behind and creates as much wealth, happiness, and opportunity for as many people as possible we are going to have to come together behind what we want that vision to be. We are going to have to come together behind how we want technologies regulated, what innovations we want to fund, and most importantly, who we give the power to use those technologies to.

In divided, dark times like now, it may seem impossible to ever come together.

It may seem impossible to find any hope in the future.

But I have something that can help you.

The power of story happens to be one of if not the most powerful forces in this world. And it will be our rocket fuel so long as we get in for the ride.

I’m looking forward to a better future, together.

~Together we are boundless~

Michael Evans

P.S. If you want to check out my near future thriller books you can check out my Amazon page HERE.

About the Author

Michael Evans is the author of science fiction thrillers that combine near future technology scenarios gone wrong with elements of speculative fiction, dystopias, romance, and, of course, thrillers.

He is 18 years old and will be attending Harvard University in the fall of 2020. In his free time in the real world (which tends to be limited because he spends so much of his time in fictional worlds) he enjoys trail running, camping, walking his fluffy goldendoodle underneath the stars, bridge/cliff jumping (he has always been an adrenaline junkie), and exploring abandoned buildings. His host of wild experiences and daring mentality inspire much of his fiction, and the abandoned locales he has been to which range from abandoned casino boats to haunted mental hospitals may or may not inspire scenes in his writing :).

To find out more about him or his work you are welcome to visit here: mevansinked.com. To receive updates from the author about his new releases and receive a free copy of the Conspiracy Chronicles Starter Library go to: https://mevansinked.com