We kick the week off and clear out the cobwebs with an interview with Jeffrey Ford a quirky writer and a heavy duty blogger. Enjoy.

MT What’s the first science fiction story you ever read?

JF Probably something like Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet. I remember the first adult Science Fiction I read was Frederick Brown’s Martians Go Home.

MT Is there a place in the real world that seemed like it was ripped out of the pages of a science fiction story?

JF When I was a kid, we didn’t yet catch a glimpse of the Blade Runner future, or even the Soylent Green future, for that matter, and so we were more expecting a bright, clean, place with huge glass buildings in which earth shattering inventions were taking place. Anyway, the only place like that was one of the college campuses that we’d often drive past at night. All the lights were on and it was futuristic looking then. How off was I? I’m still waiting for my fucking flying car.

MT Should humanity give up on manned space travel and focus on unmanned probes for the next few decades?

JF I suppose that would be a good idea. At least until they figure out where they’re going and what it’s like there. The only problem I think NASA or whatever agency or private concern will have with this plan is that it will be awfully hard to get funding because people will lose interest without a human component to it. Although, I have to say, many of us were excited about the Mars probes and there were no folks on board there. There was the ability for the public to interact through cameras etc.

MT What else do you read besides science fiction?

JF I read a lot of fiction in translation and pretty much all over the map. My constant fix of Science Fiction comes from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, which I have a subscription to. Great magazine.

MT What are you working on now?

JF Working on the continuation of “Botch Town,” which appeared as a novella in my recent book of short stories, The Empire of Ice Cream (Golden Gryphon Press). It will be reworked and extended into a novel for 2008. I’m also working on a number of stories for magazines and anthologies.

MT If you had the power to ressurect a space program that was cancelled or never got off the ground which one would you choose?

JF The one where they sent chimps into outer space.

MT What technology exsists right now that you think has the most underated potential?

JF The technology of writing. The only thing is people would have to become far more contemplative and mindful to see my point. Writing is the most amazing solid state technology. Fantastic, when you really think about it. I don’t think we’ve fully explored the possibilities of the written word.

MT Who do you think is the most underrated Science Fiction writer?

JF Tom Purdom, whose work often appears in Asimov’s.

Related

Jeff’s homepage (link)
Jeff is also a very active blogger (link)

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