Utopia or post-apocalyptic

Robert Heinlein, science fiction writer, and author of cult classic, "Stramger in a Strange Land". views science fiction writing in general as a good predictor of the future. When we study science fiction writing we are introduced to a multitude of worlds and scenarios that describe where our planet and mankind are heading.

There are the utopian views that depict a world of peace and harmony where the purpose of society is to enhance the lives of each of the individuals. These books include "Vril, the Power of the Coming Race.", by Bulwer Lyton, "Island", by Aldous Huxley, "The Republic", by Plato, and the classic "Utopia". by Thomas Moore. None of these societies might be places where you would want to live but they all express a positive outcome for humanity.

Then there are the post-apocalyptic novels which describe a world in the future where mankind is nearly wiped out by either a nuclear holocaust, plague, environmental breakdown, or cosmic disaster. These include, "The Stand", "The Day of the Triffids", "On the Beach", "Lucifer's Hammer, and "The Last Man", written in 1826 by the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley. These books focus on a group of survivors who must bank together to survive and create a new world.

In addition to these extremes there are tons of other books describing a future in which we continue to exist as a species with all our weaknesses and problems, fighting with each other, and scrambling greedily to achieve material wealth. The main differences are that we are now doing this on other planets with tremendous technological advances that enable us to live hundreds of years and travel to all parts of the universe through worm holes or event horizons.

"The Reality Dysfunction". a four thousand page four volume epic, describing a world in which the dead, led by Al Capone are coming back through some type of time warp to battle and take over the existing universe is one of the better ones.

"Ender's Game" and its sequels are also an interesting depiction of our future. The works of Philip Dick, Philip Jose Farmer, Robert Silverberg, and Frank Herbert are all imaginative attempts at glimpsing the world to come.

If Robert Heinlein is correct, and science fiction offers a window to our destiny, how are we to know whether to be optimistic or pessimistic. How are we know whether we are moving into a world where we will all live to 250 without any problems, or be struggling under the most horribly difficult conditions. Or will life just progress in an orderly fashion, with more of the same except for better quality cell phones, T.V's and video games.

Jane Roberts, in her books about Seth, a channeled entity and philosopher talks about the idea of probable realities. What he means is that at any given time, there are multiple courses our lives can take depending on what we do. These realities all exist as possibilities and can be known to a trained observer, real psychic, or advanced computer model. They represent the results of our "free will". The future is not fixed. It is fluid and changeable. In order to create the one we want, the one we deserve ,we need to raise our consciousness and begin to take responsibility for not only our actions but our thoughts. This is very exciting to me. We are all in it together.