I think that science fiction is one of the most important things for technologists to read. It provides a inspiration for looking forward, professional and compelling ideation on potential futures. Sci-Fi even shapes how we imagine technology even once it is part of our lives — William Gibson coined the term “cyberspace” in his 1984 novel Neauromancer.
Paolo Bacigalupi has imagined where biology could go as the key technology in a post-oil world. The Windup Girl is one of my favorite novels and I think everyone interested in the future should read it.
From Publisher’s Weekly:
In a future Thailand, calories are the greatest commodity. Anderson is a calorie-man whose true objective is to discover new food sources that his company can exploit. His secretary, Hock Seng, is a refugee from China seeking to ensure his future. Jaidee is an officer of the Environmental Ministry known for upholding regulations rather than accepting bribes. His partner, Kanya, is torn between respect for Jaidee and hatred for the agency that destroyed her childhood home. Emiko is a windup, an engineered and despised creation, discarded by her master and now subject to brutality by her patron. The actions of these characters set in motion events that could destroy the country.