Finding the Future:
A Science Fiction Conversation
For over a century, science fiction writers and readers have speculated about where humanity is heading. Now, it almost seems we're living in a world taken straight from the pages of their futuristic fantasies.
Shot against the backdrop of major conventions, Finding the Future examines the phenomenon of science fiction. Through the thoughtful commentary of prominent authors and enthusiastic fans, we explore the culture of science fiction and the passion of its devotees for the genre.We also consider the effect of science fiction on society, and listen to these sci-fi aficionados as they muse upon what might lie ahead for our rapidly changing world.
This film features exclusive interviews with...
Forrest J. Ackerman
Catherine Asaro
Ben Bova
David Brin
Lois McMaster Bujold
Myra Çakan
Jack L. Chalker
Roger Christian
Larry Vela
Robert Silverberg
Major Authors Appearing in Finding the Future:
Forrest J. Ackerman
Mr. Ackerman purchased his first science fiction magazine (Amazing Stories) in 1926, created The Boys' Scientifiction Club in 1930, and by 1933 had 27 correspondents around the world. He's a proud member of "First Fandom", that is, one of the few who attended the very first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, and has attended every Worldcon (but one) since. Mr. Ackerman has had more than 50 stories published (including collaborations wth A.E. van Vogt and Catherine Moore), has had cameos in over 50 films, was Ed Wood's "literary" agent and represents 200 authors of science fiction and fantasy. Mr. Ackerman received the first Hugo (and two retroactive and three foreign Hugos since then), created the term 'sci-fi" in 1954, and edited 200 issues of the world's first filmmonster 'zine. Recently, he was awarded the 1997 Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Catherine Asaro
Catherine Asaro received her PhD in Chemical Physics and MA in Physics, both from Harvard, and a BS with Highest Honors in Chemistry from UCLA. She has published nine novels, seven of which belong to her Saga of the Skolian Empire. Spherical Harmonic, the most recent novel in this series, came out in hardcover in December 2001 from Tor. Her previous novel, The Quantum Rose, won the Nebula Award for best novel of 2001 and is now available in paperback. Catherine has also published short fiction in Analog magazine and in several anthologies, as well as reviews and nonfiction essays, and scientific papers in refereed academic journals. Her paper, "Complex Speeds and Special Relativity" in the April 1996 issue of The American Journal of Physics forms the basis for some of the science in her novels.
Ben Bova
For more than fifty years, Ben Bova has been writing award-winning science fiction and nonfiction about science, technology, and the future. The author of more than 100 futuristic novels and nonfiction books, Dr. Bova has been involved in science and high technology since the very beginnings of the space age. He has worked with filmmakers and television producers such as Woody Allen, George Lucas, and Gene Roddenberry. His articles, opinion pieces and reviews have appeared in Scientific American, Nature, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other newspapers and magazines.
David Brin
David Brin has a MS in Electrical Engineering, a PhD in Space Physics, and has taught both physics and writing, as well as being a research engineer. He also was a Fellow at the California Space Institute for several years, and a research affiliate at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. David Brin has written over 15 novels, including the Nebula-award winning Startide Rising and The Uplift War. His novel, The Postman, was the basis for the 1998 film of the same name, directed by Kevin Costner. Brin's 1998 non-fiction book – The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Freedom and Privacy? – deals with a wide range of threats and opportunities facing our wired society during the information age.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold is best known for her series of novels featuring Miles Vorkosigan, a severely disabled interstellar spy and mercenary admiral from the planet Barrayar, set approximately 1000 years in our future. The series demonstrates Bujold's mastery of various science fiction genres and sub-genres. Earlier titles are generally firmly in the space opera tradition with no shortage of battles, conspiracies, and wild twists, while in more recent volumes Miles becomes more of a detective. In A Civil Campaign, Bujold explores yet another genre: a high-society romance with a plot that pays tribute to Georgette Heyer (as acknowledged in the dedication). It centers on a catastrophic dinner party, with misunderstandings and dialogue justifying the subtitle "A Comedy of Biology and Manners". Her psychological insights and creation of complex characters are particularly appreciated by many readers.
Myra Çakan
Jack L. Chalker
Roger Christian
John DeChancie
Cory Doctorow
Bob Eggleton
Leslie Fish
Leslie Fish is a filk musician, author, and anarchist political activist. Along with The DeHorn Crew, she created the first commercial filk recording (Folk Songs for Folk Who Ain't Even Been Yet, 1976). Her second recording, Solar Sailors (1977) included the song "Banned From Argo", a comic song which has since spawned over 80 variants and parodies. These two albums (originally vinyl) have recently been put back into print on joint CD, entitled Folk Songs for Solar Sailors. She has also recorded the comic song "Carmen Miranda's Ghost", which was the source for the book Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three, edited by Don Sakers. Her song "Hope Eyrie" is regarded by some as being as close to the national anthem of science fiction fandom as is possible in such a disparate group.
Fish often weaves pagan and anarchist themes into her music. She has also set to music many poems by Rudyard Kipling. She is a popular guest at science fiction conventions, and she can often be seen at the large filksings with her distinctive 12-string guitar, 'Monster', who Leslie says plays best when given good scotch whiskey.
Dr. John Flynn
Esther Friesner
James C. Glass
Alan Gutierrez
Nancy Kress
Frank Lurz
Martina Pilcerova
Mike Resnick
Fred Saberhagen
Robert Silverberg
Joan Slonczewski
Tom Veal
Larry Vela
Larry Vela is a custom painter first known for his work on motorcycles, planes, trucks, then people, and anything that doesn't run away. His keen interest in movie production and all of the arts that are connected with it - such as creation of costumes and props, filming, directing, editing and animation, have led Larry and his associates to form The Velavision Video Group, who produce LepreCon's at-con video newsreels. Larry's notable flat art works include Illusion, Casseiopia, Roadwarrior, and Athena. On top of it all, he was chair for LepreCon XXXI and is co-chair for LepreCon XXXII
For more information about Finding the Future
Please call Director / Producer Casey Moore: (602) 224-0105
Learn more about science fiction fandom:
