Sci-Fi Writers Urge Strapped Researchers to Keep Dreaming

Project Hieroglyph

Hieroglyph, a collaboration with Neal Stephenson, teams up authors with scientists, engineers and other researchers to write science fiction stories that envision a near future radically changed by technological innovation. The project aims to break out of the gloomy, dystopian rut that dominates so many of our visions of the future by inspiring people to think critically and creatively about science, technology and society. CSI hosted an online platform that enables quick, easy collaboration between writers and researchers and invites broad public participation. Learn more at hieroglyph.asu.edu.

We’re overdoing dystopian sci-fi. Can we please take a break?

by Gautham Shenoy, Factor Daily

Kamala Harris is wrong about science fiction

by Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post

Cover for Slow Catastrophes, Uncertain Revivals. Edited by Michele Speitz and Joey Eschrich Designed by Ariel Shamas. Blurred photo for tree branches.

Slow Catastrophes, Uncertain Revivals

A collection of research-based “fiction with footnotes” short stories about environmental futures, created by students in Dr. Michele Speitz’s course “Slow Catastrophes, Speculative Futures, Science & Imagintion” at Furman University in South Carolina.

The book cover for Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future

Hieroglyph anthology earns futurist award

Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, an anthology of ambitious, technically-grounded science fiction visions of the near future curated by the center, has been honored with an award for Most Significant Futures Work by the Association of Professional Futurists.

Ed Finn and Project Hieroglyph on Arizona Horizon

On June 9, 2015, CSI director and Project Hieroglyph co-editor Ed Finn visited the Eight, Arizona PBS show Arizona Horizon to discuss Project Hieroglyph, science fiction, optimism for the future, and the trade paperback edition of Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future.

Apocalypse Moon: Neal Stephenson on his new novel, Seveneves, and the future of humanity

An interview with Neal Stephenson about his new novel, Seveneves, humanity’s resilience, and more.

Cover of Science and science fiction. An interview with Paul Davies. Statement reads Ed Finn sat down to discuss project Hieroglyph with physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies, director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University.

An Illuminated Manuscript About Space Exploration, Science Fiction, and Physics

You just don’t see many illuminated manuscripts these days. There’s a good reason why: They take a long time to make. I learned this recently when I set out to commission a thoroughly modern illuminated manuscript: not a religious text, but an interview with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies, a professor at Arizona State University and the author of books like How to Build a Time Machine.

Future Tense: Can We Imagine Our Way to a Better Future?

On October 2, 2014, Future Tense and Issues in Science and Technology hosted an event in Washington, DC inspired by Project Hieroglyph.

Project Hieroglyph Book Launch: Phoenix, AZ

Launch event for Project Hieroglyph’s first anthology, Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future (HarperCollins, 2014) at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, AZ on October 22, 2014.

Talks at Google: Project Hieroglyph

On September 10, 2014, Project Hieroglyph visited Google in Mountain View, California for an event as part of their Talks at Google series.

Project Hieroglyph in Seattle: Cory Doctorow and Neal Stephenson

On October 26, Hieroglyph contributors Cory Doctorow and Neal Stephenson and CSI director Ed Finn appeared at Town Hall Seattle, in an event titled “Reigniting Society’s Ambition with Science Fiction.”

Enough With Dystopias: It’s Time For Sci-Fi Writers To Start Imagining Better Futures

Project Hieroglyph on Slate’s Future Tense Channel

Slate magazine’s Future Tense channel is running a series of stories inspired by and excerpted from Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, exploring about the connections between science fiction storytelling, scientific discovery, public policy,

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Innovation Starvation, the Next Generation

Humankind has lots of great ideas for the future. We need people to carry them out.
Neal Stephenson
Slate – Future Tense

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Don’t Diss Dystopias

Sci-fi’s warning tales are as important as its optimistic stories.
Ramez Naam
Slate – Future Tense

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Book Review: ‘Hieroglyph’ edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer

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The Dystopian City and Urban Policy

Science fiction has inspired scientists and political activists, but it should be an inspiration for municipal governments too.
Annalee Newitz
Slate – Future Tense

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Meeting My Protagonist

When I wrote a novel about a Nigerian space program, I didn’t expect it to be so close to the truth.
Deji Bryce Olukotun
Slate – Future Tense

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Project Hieroglyph Story: “The Day It All Ended”

A short story from Hieroglyph, a new science fiction anthology.
Charlie Jane Anders
Slate-Future Tense

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Only Science Fiction Can Save Us!

What sci-fi gets wrong about income inequality.
Lee Konstantinou
Slate – Future Tense

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Project Hieroglyph: Science fiction for better futures

Joey Eschrich
Robohub

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Forget the Tricorder

Why gadgets aren’t the coolest part of science fiction.
Joey Eschrich
Slate – Future Tense

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Project Hieroglyph Story: “Covenant”

A short story from Hieroglyph, a new science fiction anthology.
Elizabeth Bear
Slate – Future Tense

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Q&A: The sci-fi optimist

By Zeeya Merali, Nature

The book cover for Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future

Hieroglyph: Stories & Visions for a Better Future

Inspired by New York Times bestselling author Neal Stephenson, an award-winning anthology of stories, set in the near future, from some of today’s leading writers, thinkers, and visionaries that reignites the iconic and optimistic visions of the golden age of science fiction.

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Project Hieroglyph: Fighting society’s dystopian future

By Debbie Siegelbaum, BBC News

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What will it take to get us back to the Moon?

By Jekan Thanga, Boing Boing

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How America’s Leading Science Fiction Authors Are Shaping Your Future

To the Best of Our Knowledge

CSI and Imagining Possible Futures on Public Radio

This article originally appeared on ASU News Ed Finn, director of ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination, and an assistant professor in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering and

Project Hieroglyph Trailer

Ed Finn, director of the Center for Science and the Imagination, describes the mission of Project Hieroglyph. Hieroglyph is a platform that unites scientists, engineers, artists and authors to create ambitious, thoughtfully optimistic, scientifically-grounded visions of the near future.

ASTC 2013 Keynote – A Conversation with Neal Stephenson

Straight Out Of Sci-Fi: Cyberpunk Author Plans Tallest Skyscraper Ever

Countering Dystopian Science Fiction’s ‘Wet Blanket Effect’ on Innovation

Is There a Difference Between Necessary and Unnecessary Bad Science?

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Help Neal Stephenson Engineer the Weird and Create a New World of Sci-Fi

How tall can we build?

One of our Hieroglyph collaborations.

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Sci-fi writers help scientists bridge gap between fantasy and reality

How Neal Stephenson’s 20-Kilometer Space Tower Could Change Everything