hi welcome to watchmojo.com i’m your host leila joining us Robert J Sawyer a
host leila joining us Robert J Sawyer a
host leila joining us Robert J Sawyer a winner of all of the world’s top awards
winner of all of the world’s top awards
winner of all of the world’s top awards for best science fiction novel let’s
for best science fiction novel let’s
for best science fiction novel let’s just start with perhaps your plans in
just start with perhaps your plans in
just start with perhaps your plans in 20-30 I read somewhere to go back and
20-30 I read somewhere to go back and
20-30 I read somewhere to go back and start rereading your work yeah when I
start rereading your work yeah when I
start rereading your work yeah when I turned 70 I think it’d be an interesting
turned 70 I think it’d be an interesting
turned 70 I think it’d be an interesting thing as a way not just of enjoying the
thing as a way not just of enjoying the
thing as a way not just of enjoying the books but reminding myself of who I was
books but reminding myself of who I was
books but reminding myself of who I was when I was 30 years old when I wrote the
when I was 30 years old when I wrote the
when I was 30 years old when I wrote the one in 1990 you want to enlighten us a
one in 1990 you want to enlighten us a
one in 1990 you want to enlighten us a bit about the difference between fantasy
bit about the difference between fantasy
bit about the difference between fantasy and science fiction writing science
and science fiction writing science
and science fiction writing science fiction is about things that might
fiction is about things that might
fiction is about things that might realistically happen fantasy is about
realistically happen fantasy is about
realistically happen fantasy is about things that never could happen there’s
things that never could happen there’s
things that never could happen there’s always a way to get from our here and
always a way to get from our here and
always a way to get from our here and now to the venue of a science fiction
now to the venue of a science fiction
now to the venue of a science fiction story usually it’s just by time passing
story usually it’s just by time passing
story usually it’s just by time passing into the future and reasonable changes
into the future and reasonable changes
into the future and reasonable changes in science in society how much risk
in science in society how much risk
in science in society how much risk taking is involved in being a futurist
taking is involved in being a futurist
taking is involved in being a futurist because your predictions might reflect
because your predictions might reflect
because your predictions might reflect either your accuracy or inaccuracies
either your accuracy or inaccuracies
either your accuracy or inaccuracies well absolutely a science fiction writer
well absolutely a science fiction writer
well absolutely a science fiction writer is in part a futurist somebody who’s
is in part a futurist somebody who’s
is in part a futurist somebody who’s trying to predict what’s coming down the
trying to predict what’s coming down the
trying to predict what’s coming down the pike so you are gutsy you put your name
pike so you are gutsy you put your name
pike so you are gutsy you put your name to a prediction you say here’s what I
to a prediction you say here’s what I
to a prediction you say here’s what I think it’s going to be like in this
think it’s going to be like in this
think it’s going to be like in this particular year sometimes you get it
particular year sometimes you get it
particular year sometimes you get it right sometimes you get it wrong but
right sometimes you get it wrong but
right sometimes you get it wrong but sometimes when you get it wrong it
sometimes when you get it wrong it
sometimes when you get it wrong it actually is a good thing because you’ve
actually is a good thing because you’ve
actually is a good thing because you’ve said hey if we continue down this road
said hey if we continue down this road
said hey if we continue down this road it’s going to be bad we need to not go
it’s going to be bad we need to not go
it’s going to be bad we need to not go to this future so sometimes it’s a
to this future so sometimes it’s a
to this future so sometimes it’s a warning and we’re very happy when the
warning and we’re very happy when the
warning and we’re very happy when the thing we predicted because we predicted
thing we predicted because we predicted
thing we predicted because we predicted it doesn’t come to pass and how has your
it doesn’t come to pass and how has your
it doesn’t come to pass and how has your interest in quantum physics and quantum
interest in quantum physics and quantum
interest in quantum physics and quantum computing and human consciousness been
computing and human consciousness been
computing and human consciousness been important to your success in late 70s
important to your success in late 70s
important to your success in late 70s early 80s we never once mentioned in
early 80s we never once mentioned in
early 80s we never once mentioned in psychology class the word consciousness
psychology class the word consciousness
psychology class the word consciousness and so it was just a black box things
and so it was just a black box things
and so it was just a black box things happen in your head and we couldn’t
happen in your head and we couldn’t
happen in your head and we couldn’t understand what they were in the decade
understand what they were in the decade
understand what they were in the decade since we’ve started to really learn what
since we’ve started to really learn what
since we’ve started to really learn what it is that causes us to be self-aware
it is that causes us to be self-aware
it is that causes us to be self-aware and a lot of interesting speculative
and a lot of interesting speculative
and a lot of interesting speculative science suggests that there’s a quantum
science suggests that there’s a quantum
science suggests that there’s a quantum mechanical part to human consciousness
mechanical part to human consciousness
mechanical part to human consciousness which is a really mind-blowing idea and
which is a really mind-blowing idea and
which is a really mind-blowing idea and I’m fascinated by that so I’ve used it
I’m fascinated by that so I’ve used it
I’m fascinated by that so I’ve used it in a number of novels I book about
in a number of novels I book about
in a number of novels I book about copying human consciousness the way we
copying human consciousness the way we
copying human consciousness the way we might rip a song off of a CD and
might rip a song off of a CD and
might rip a song off of a CD and transferring it into some artificial
transferring it into some artificial
transferring it into some artificial body and
body and
body and I think we’re going to be able to do
I think we’re going to be able to do
I think we’re going to be able to do that in the next couple of decades
that in the next couple of decades
that in the next couple of decades you’ve won a lot of very prestigious
you’ve won a lot of very prestigious
you’ve won a lot of very prestigious award so I’m curious as to what the
award so I’m curious as to what the
award so I’m curious as to what the challenges remain perhaps within the
challenges remain perhaps within the
challenges remain perhaps within the publishing realm of science fiction sure
publishing realm of science fiction sure
publishing realm of science fiction sure the mean I have won a lot of words I’ve
the mean I have won a lot of words I’ve
the mean I have won a lot of words I’ve 143 awards for my work internationally
143 awards for my work internationally
143 awards for my work internationally nationally the biggest awards in my
nationally the biggest awards in my
nationally the biggest awards in my field which is wonderful but they’re in
field which is wonderful but they’re in
field which is wonderful but they’re in my field the biggest challenge for
my field the biggest challenge for
my field the biggest challenge for somebody who writes science fiction is
somebody who writes science fiction is
somebody who writes science fiction is to try and convince that ninety-eight
to try and convince that ninety-eight
to try and convince that ninety-eight percent of the population that doesn’t
percent of the population that doesn’t
percent of the population that doesn’t read science fiction that there’s
read science fiction that there’s
read science fiction that there’s something of value in science fiction
something of value in science fiction
something of value in science fiction between now and your 70th birthday are
between now and your 70th birthday are
between now and your 70th birthday are you planning on writing more books I’ve
you planning on writing more books I’ve
you planning on writing more books I’ve been doing a novel a year I’ll slow down
been doing a novel a year I’ll slow down
been doing a novel a year I’ll slow down a bit as i get older but i still would
a bit as i get older but i still would
a bit as i get older but i still would like to see the overall Robert J Sawyer
like to see the overall Robert J Sawyer
like to see the overall Robert J Sawyer / abhi 30-odd novels by the time I’m
/ abhi 30-odd novels by the time I’m
/ abhi 30-odd novels by the time I’m done
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