Nano@Tech welcomes Kathleen Ann Goonan, a visiting assistant professor in Georgia Tech's School of Literature, Communication and Culture, on "Nanotechnology in Science Fiction: Uses, Projections, Perils and Delights"

NOTE: The Nano@Tech seminar series provides lunch only to those who have pre-registered by Friday, February 4, 2011 at: http://www.nrc.gatech.edu/?q=content/nanotech-rsvp.

Abstract:
Nanotechnology, from the time Eric Drexler introduced the concept in "The Engines of Creation" to the present day, when increasingly refined and nuanced discoveries and applications are heralded daily, has been a rich source of science fictional ideas and possible futures. These range from the simple (but frightening) possibilities put forth in Crichton’s "Prey" to more complex utopian and dystopian projected futures found in a wide range of science fiction literature. This talk summarizes the inceptions, projections, and possibilities put forth by a number of well-known science fiction writers. The author will discuss the issues raised in her own Nanotech Quartet; she will also relate her involvement in various think tanks as the realities of nanotechnologies have unfolded in the public debate over uses and ethics in disciplines and fields influencing and influenced by nanotechnology.

Speaker's Bio:
Kathleen Ann Goonan is an award-winning novelist, essayist, and speaker. Her latest novel, "In War Times," won the Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of 2007, and was chosen as the American Library Association’s Best Genre Novel of 2008. The novels of her Nanotech Quartet — "Crescent City Rhapsody," "Queen City Jazz," "Mississippi Blues," and "Light Music" — gathered recognition from the New York Times (Notable Book of the Year), as Nebula Award finalists, and by receiving the Darrell Award.