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In this thought-provoking discussion, hosts Juanita Sunday and New London Poet Laureate AnUrbanNerd explore how science fiction serves as a powerful lens for understanding our present and predicting our future. Using Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Octavia Butler's A Few Rules for Predicting the Future as their foundation, they examine how speculative fiction doesn't create problems—it takes current issues and projects them forward to show us potential consequences.

The conversation delves into Butler's framework for future-telling through three key questions: "If this goes on," "What if," and "If only." The hosts discuss how these simple prompts can unlock creative solutions and help us recognize patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Key topics explored include:

► Learning from the Past: Why historical literacy is essential for understanding the future, and how gaps in knowledge about events like the Holocaust or 9/11 can leave younger generations vulnerable to repeating past mistakes
► The Law of Consequences: How every action creates ripple effects, illustrated through the protagonist Montag's journey in Fahrenheit 451 and real-world examples of technological development
► Perspective and Bias: How our current emotional and social context shapes our predictions about the future, from Bradbury's post-WWII concerns to today's relationship with technology
Media and Representation: An analysis of shows like Black Mirror versus the hypothetical "White Mirror," and how positive versus negative portrayals of technology might influence human behavior differently
► Hope Within Warning: How the best speculative fiction balances dire warnings with actionable hope, giving audiences both cautionary tales and roadmaps for resistance

The discussion also touches on contemporary issues like book banning, the digitization of knowledge, and how economic systems can deliberately exhaust people to prevent them from dreaming of better futures. The hosts emphasize that while the future remains unpredictable, individuals can still make meaningful change through their daily choices and actions.

Throughout the conversation, Juanita Sunday and AnUrbanNerd maintain that science fiction's true power lies not in its fantastical elements, but in its ability to hold up a mirror to current society and ask uncomfortable questions about where we're headed—and whether we're brave enough to course-correct.

Featured Works Discussed: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, A Few Rules for Predicting the Future by Octavia Butler, Black Mirror, The Boys, Avatar, Queen & Slim, Sinner, Get Out

Recorded live with audience participation and Q&A segments included.