Important: Update regarding meetings going forward
Cell phones. Robots. Lasers. Atomic power. These are just a few examples of real-life inventions that were directly inspired by science fiction, making it perhaps the most influential genre in modern history. Although “sci-fi” is usually associated with a predominantly male readership, the very first sci-fi writer was a nineteen-year-old woman named Mary Shelley. More recently, sci-fi broke into the mainstream when Michael Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School, refused to take the board exams required for a medical license, and instead became a full-time writer. He then achieved a feat that had never been done before: by skillfully weaving unprecedented dollops of technical information into a suspenseful page-turning narrative, Crichton single-handedly invented the sci-fi thriller. His book sales regularly rivaled those of Stephen King and John Grisham, which was unheard of for a sci-fi author. In our dinner meeting on Monday, January 13th, we will learn how to create a sci-fi thriller from Amy Rogers, one of the most talented and prominent writers of the Crichton tradition.
Amy Rogers, MD, PhD, is a Harvard-educated scientist, novelist, journalist, educator, critic, and publisher who specializes in all things science-y. Her novels Petroplague, Reversion, and The Han Agent use real science and medicine to create plausible, frightening scenarios in the style of the late, great Michael Crichton. Formerly a microbiology professor, she has served as a judge for International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Awards, and is currently treasurer for Northern California Publishers and Authors. In addition, she runs the ScienceThrillers.com book review website and has written a monthly science column for Sacramento’s Inside Publications that became her nonfiction book Science in the Neighborhood. Learn more at AmyRogers.com.
