Today’s topic comes from QSFer Alicia Nordwell: “I adore medical technology in science fiction. You see a lot of fictional weapon, electronic, and spaceship technology advances in stories, but you don’t see a lot of stories focus on that aspect of a futuristic tale. I like playing with nano technology, personally, but I’ve also done a combination of mechanical devices and a healing biological fluid. What are other author’s favorites?”
It’s an interesting topic… where will medical technology take us in the next ten years? Twenty? Fifty?
And more specific to the LGBt community, what effect will it have on us? Will there be a definitive answer on genes and homosexuality? Will the scientific reason for bisexuality or transgender identity be discovered? Will medical science finally cure HIV? Or give terrorists the ability to unleash a gay-specific disease? Will sexuality and gender become entirely mutable?
What do you think?
Of course, essential texts here are White’s *Sector General*, and for the silly, Piers Anthony’s *Prostho Plus*.
Medical technology is a good focus for mundane SF because it can yield wildly different worlds. Forty years ago, “cancer” meant “horrid death”, and “cancer survivor” was not even science fiction.
We’ve seen picking the sex of your child. Pick their sexuality too? Or make it a choice? For real? What is the child’s opinion of that? Here we have great QUILTBAG stories in the making.
I loved Prostho Plus! How about Ethan of Athos?
Sure- *all* of the Vorkosigan Saga rests on two medical developments: cryo, and the uterine replicator. :-D But as they are military SF and Ethan is the only medical main character, I mentioned only two older books.
Thanks for featuring my question, Scott. :) Good examples, Jim! I grew up a huge fan of Piers Antony. I devoured all the books I could find, but that wasn’t many living in a rural area. I never read Ethan of Anthos, but now I want to. Love the 80s sci-fi genre.