by PJ Manney
I wish these brilliant scientists all possible success in the future, because their achievement is humanity’s achievement: Dr. Theodore W. Berger and his colleagues’ work on the prosthetic hippocampus; Dr. Rodolfo Llinas, the lead scientist on the endovascular nanowire system; Dr. Robert Freitas and Dr. Ralph Merkle, authors of “Nanomedicine” and conceivers of medical nanorobots.
Much thanks and admiration to the songwriters and bands who inspired me and my hero, but most especially Todd Rundgren, the Flaming Lips, R.E.M., Elvis Costello, David Bowie, and the Beatles. You ROCK!
Thanks to my friends for use of your names: you know who you are. I know I fulfilled at least a few parents’ career wishes. And killed one of you.
Moral support and readers: Jef Allbright, Karen Austin, David Brin, Damien Broderick, Charles Burkhalter, Michael Chorost, James Clement, Maria Del Rey, Craig Foster, James J. Hughes, Michael Hurst, Eric Gruendemann, Jo Gruendemann, Paul Gruendemann, Vickie Holland, Amanda Marks, Donna Plank, Eric & Kathryn Savitsky, Amit Shalev, John Smart, Arne Svenson, Laura Faye Tanenbaum, Jonathan Westover. Thank you!
To the team who got it out to the public: Patrick LoBrutto, editor and Goldilocks who made a too-big thing just right. Wanda Zimba and Jeff Zittrain, my copy editors. Joe Quirk, writer extraordinaire who gave the most wonderful story notes a writer could ever ask for. Attorneys Michael Donaldson, Dean Cheley, David Hochman, and Neal Tabachnick. Daniel Edelman who introduced me to the wonderful people at Amazon. And the enthusiastic Jason Kirk, my editor and fellow pioneer at Amazon/47North.
I’d like to especially thank:
Jonathan Westover, who gave me notes, held my hand, slapped my wrist, stood me up, wiped my tears, and shoved me out the door. And Karen Austin, who then kicked me in the ass.
My parents, Richard and Gloria Manney, who instilled a love of science fiction and fact and believed I had this in me.
My husband, Eric, who serves more functions in my life than I can count: editor, conscience, guide, soul mate, lover, and partner in all things professional and personal. I could never have written this without your unfailing help and support.
And finally, I thank my children, Nathaniel and Hannah, with all my heart. They tolerated their mother chasing things to come, then had to hear me yak on about it! I wrote this book for them, hoping they would never be afraid of what the future has in store, but instead face it wide-eyed, clear-minded, and with compassion.
Malibu, California
2015
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2014 Kevin Warn
PJ Manney is a former chairperson of Humanity+, the author of Empathy in the Time of Technology: How Storytelling is the Key to Empathy, and a frequent guest host and guest on podcasts including FastForward Radio. She has worked in motion-picture PR at Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures, story development and production for independent film production companies (Hook, Universal Soldier, It Could Happen to You), and writing for television (Hercules—The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess). She also cofounded Uncharted Entertainment, writing and creating pilot scripts for television. Manney is a culture vulture and SF geek, and the daughter and mother of them, too. When not contemplating the future of humanity, she is a mother, wife, PTA volunteer, and education activist in California.