Core Imagineering Interest Group

Thought I'd share an interesting podcast I'm listening to that this group might like,

"Elon Musk's visions of the future all stem from the same place: the science-fiction he grew up on. To understand where Musk wants to take the rest of us - with his electric cars, his rockets to Mars, his meme stocks, and tunnels deep beneath the earth - Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore looks at those science fiction stories and helps us understand what Musk missed about them.

The Evening Rocket explores Musk's strange new kind of extravagant, extreme capitalism - call it Muskism - where stock prices are driven by earnings, and also by fantasies."

I'm not a fan of Elon Musk, but I find Lepore's discussion of how SF has shaped him and his beliefs fascinating, and it makes me wonder how today's stories will shape future entrepreneurs.

Jenny

What a great recommendation -- thanks, Jenny!

I listened to the whole series this past weekend and really enjoyed it. My favorite episode was Baby X, which presented science fiction creators with visions unlike those Jill Lepore associates with Musk et al. One author who stood out to me is Vandana Singh (probably already familiar to members of this group), and I immediately borrowed Ambiguity Machines from my local public library.

Also fascinating: Elon Musk's love of The  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Lepore cleverly juxtaposes Musk's political and economic views against excerpts from the BBC radio play of Hitchhiker's Guide.

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Miranda Bennett
Associate Dean for CollectionsUniversity of South Carolina Libraries
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