My science fiction.
Alongside my research, I write science fiction. Echos of Tomorrow is my collection of seven connected stories about digital minds, human identity, and rights.
Why science fiction
For some time, I’ve been concerned with the place of the individual and our relationship with society, civilization, and technology. Society is there in every small interaction: how people look at us, what seems normal, and what does not.
A fish in water does not feel the water. Social norms can be so deeply rooted that it is hard to distinguish ourselves from them. We make assumptions about ourselves, our neighbours, and strangers; about how society should be organized and controlled, and whom we should believe.
Science fiction has been my favourite genre for years. I think it gives us a way to see ourselves and other people, including our everyday lives and expectations, from a different perspective. These are the concerns I bring to my writing.
Echos of Tomorrow
In my book, an Echo is a digital copy of a human mind. When the original person dies, that mind can continue in a robotic body, carrying the same memories, personality, and ambitions. Is it still the same person? What rights should it have?
The seven connected stories follow individuals and societies across centuries of change: courtroom battles, detective investigations, robot revolutions, and a robot raising a human child. Questions of identity and rights run through these different lives.
You can also explore my work with artificial minds and cellular automata, or read more about me.