Q & A [Technology Science Fiction]

SCIENCE FICTION and real-earth technology seem to be fundamentally intertwined. For at least two centuries writers have speculated on what the world would be like if scientific advancements, seemingly beyond the reach of current technological thinking, came into being. From Frankenstein´s monster to the space-pioneering novels of the mid-20th century, the best visions of the future, it seems, have been from the pens of writers capable of blending the creative imagination with a plausible understanding of where technology might lead us. There are few sci-fi novelists of the status of either Sir Terry Pratchett or Stephen Baxter who set as much stock by the scientific credibility of their work. Both British, both are established leaders in their fields, with Sir Terry - who is best known for his ´Discworld´ fantasy novel sequence - one of the highest-selling and best-loved UK authors of his generation.