UK Ministry of Defence enlists sci-fi writers to prepare for dystopian futures
Share:
Imaginations of science fiction community used to help policymakers prepare for potential crises in Britain. It’s a scenario that would make Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, shudder: a future where self-driving cars are the norm but a catastrophic electronic breakdown traps thousands of people inside them.
This dystopian vision of the future was one sketched out by science fiction writers at an event this week where experts were asked to prepare Britain for threats ranging from pandemics to cyber and nuclear attacks. The writers joined researchers and policymakers working in crisis management and resilience at the gathering organised by RBOC (Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities), a network of academics whose funders include the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Emma Newman, a sci-fi novelist who was at the event, said: “Taking a very character-based approach can help reveal aspects of future scenarios that you might not necessarily get from a more pulled-out approach.”. Newman, who was shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke award in 2017 with her novel After Atlas, emphasised the value of being able to imagine individual experiences in future scenarios.
“So when the power goes out for the first hour from, say, an electro-magnetic pulse incident, it means someone might not be able to make a cup of tea, but for others it’s about vital medical equipment,” she said. “But then let’s think of a society in 2050 where you just have self-driving cars. What if you suddenly end up in a situation where there are thousands of those people trapped in their cars?”.
