[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

oh, nonsense. Lots of SF deals with big crises and yet has an optimistic ending! Lois Bujold deals with major crises facing societies, and doesn't in the least inspire me to slit my wrists by the end. You can have an optimistic book without it being fluff and unicorns farting rainbows.

It seems to me that the people on this thread who are looking for optimistic books aren't actually making it to the end of the gritty books to look for the silver lining.

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

It can if the crisis is averted before serious damage is done.

The crisis is averted towards the end of the book. Until then the characters live in desperation.

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

A method of exciting the particles in a region of space, at the quantum level, in order to induce instantaneous tunneling from one point in space to another, without passing through normal space, thereby moving the particles from point to point faster than light, and maintaining position relative to each other via quantum entanglement; said concept based on articles published in various issues of Scientific American. (Verdant Skies)

So what is the method?

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Photovoltaic panels backed by a nano-antenna that absorbed infra-red radiation, making the solar cells significantly more efficient and longer-lasting; said concept based on research documented by Idaho National Laboratory, along with partners at Microcontinuum Inc. and Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri. (Chasing the Light)

Nano-antenna that absorbs infra-red radiation is what all plants are using.

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Applying a combination of self-hypnosis, bio-feedback analysis and realtime computer imagery to enable a human subject to gain control of autonomous physiological systems that are normally independent of conscious control, such as control of heartrate, glandular systems and memory control/manipulation. (Evoguía)

I don't really see the advantage of doing this. Autonomous systems give a more efficient use of the brain. Why would anyone want to put conscious effort into keeping their heart rate up?

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Of course, there's more to SF than just the science...

I know there is, and I like to see the way in which the technology that the characters take for granted affects the social structure of their society.