Fiction Predictions: ChickieNobs Anyone?

Oryx and Crake

 By

 Nidaou on DeviantArt

Can you imagine buying a protein product that was grown in a vat, completely detached from a brain, a beak, or a central nervous system? While you're at it, picture a medical facility where a human life is saved using a heart harvested from a genetically engineered pig. If this sounds like a far-fetched future dystopia, it was, but now these are literal snapshots of modern reality. 

Welcome back to Fiction Predictions. 

This month we explore Margaret Atwood’s chilling 2003 dystopia, Oryx and Crake. Decades before biotech startups began serving cultivated meat and surgeons successfully crossed the species barrier in organ transplantation, Atwood mapped it out for us in story. But was she seeing the future, or, as she claims, simply following a logical thread to its conclusion

Author & Book Overview

The Author: Margaret Atwood is a literary icon, a master of speculative fiction who anchors her worlds in harsh realities rather than fairytale fantasy.

The Book: Make no mistake, Oryx and Crake (2003), the first book in her MaddAddam trilogy, is a dystopian novel that can take a hot minute to get into. Once hooked, it will reveal itself through the eyes of Snowman (formerly Jimmy), the lone human survivor of a man-made apocalyptic plague. Told through flashbacks, the story immerses us in a corporate-controlled world where we meet Jimmy's genius childhood friend, Crake, and the mysterious woman they both loved. Not unlike themes in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Taneth Lee's Silver Metal Lover, we live through unchecked scientific hubris that doomed humanity. Not for the faint of heart!

The Setting: As you can imagine, it's a bleak, corporate-dominated future where gene-splicing is a consumer-driven pastime and society is strictly divided between wealthy tech compounds and chaotic slums.

The "Predictions"

Lab-Grown Meat: Enter "ChickieNobs," genetically modified organism chunks that grow breasts and wings without brains or feelings. This mirrors today's rapidly advancing cultivated and cellular meat industries. (Forget about shopping organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO, let alone no bad oils).

Spliced Animals: And here we have "pigoons" (pigs bred to grow human organs for transplants) and "splices" like "snats" (snake-rats). The word sounds cute, but trust me, they aren't. Today, scientists are already onto it, growing human organs inside pig embryos (xenotransplantation).

Biotech Pandemics: The plot revolves around a man-made global pandemic engineered inside a corporate lab to wipe out humanity. It perfectly mirrors, if not reality, then the modern anxieties regarding synthetic biology and biosecurity.

Extreme Climate & Hyper-Consumerism: The book depicts a world of blistering UV rays, collapsed ecosystems, and corporations commercialising everything from youth serums to suicide.

Was Atwood a "Seer"?

I want to say yes, but I know Atwood famously claims she does not predict the future; she simply looks at the present and follows the trends to their logical conclusions. Still, is that now a form of 'seeing'? Is that so much different from Shelly, Lee, Ballard, the rest...?

What do you think? I would love to see your thoughts in the comments.

Kim 📘 🙏🏼 💙

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About Kim Falconer

The Amassia Series

Kim Falconer, also writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. 

 Quantum Enchantment

Kim can be found on AKWilder.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and KimFalconer.com. 

Throw the bones on the AKWilder.com site. See you there!

Read Blood and Water, a PNR alt history that will leave you questioning every natural disaster ever endured.

“There is no doubt fiction makes a better job of the truth.” 

Fiction Predictions - When Writers Become Seers

Better Tomorrow by YuumeiART

Hello, Supernatural Underground Community!

A new year is here, and with it begins my new monthly series of posts. The theme for 2026 (drum roll) is Fiction Preditions.

It was sparked by the question: "How can authors write a work of fiction about society or technology, and then, decades later, we are living it?"

Introduction

Even the possibility of this happening provokes a deeper exploration: how do writers operating in the realm of imagination and fantasy travel the boundaries of time by predicting future technologies, social norms, and cultural shifts? That's exactly what I want to explore, month by month, until we hopefully come up with some answers.  

Neuromancer and AI vs. The Midnight Train

To kick off our exploration, let’s take a closer look at William Gibson’s iconic novel *Neuromancer*, published in 1984. This cornerstone of cyberpunk literature introduced readers to "cyberspace," a term Gibson coined that has since become embedded in our daily vernacular. He prophesied the notion of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, fleshing out a digital landscape that now feels completely familiar. Not only did Gibson capture the essence of hacker culture, but he also accelerated conversations around technology that many of us are still navigating today.

Fast-track to 2026, and we see an exciting new release: *The Midnight Train* by Matt Haig. This narrative explores how revising the past can reshape the future. (More on backward causation/retrocausation in a moment). TMT resonates with our current climate, where the past and present intersect through the lens of technology, quantum physics theory and inner active imagination therapy. 

All very interesting, but how does this happen?

The Role of the ‘Seer’

Throughout history, figures like Nostradamus have been branded as seers, individuals with the ability to foresee events long before they happen. Some view this as pure coincidence, or as synchronicity, while others argue that these predictions stem from 'truths' -  insights into human behaviour, trends, and the cyclical nature of society. Writers often follow similar trajectories, utilising their imagination to extend beyond the constraints of their time. By examining current sociopolitical climates, technological advancements, and cultural movements, even unconsciously, writers can craft narratives that resonate with readers and reflect potential futures.

I know it's not an answer, but it's a starting point.

Let's take Isaac Asimov, for instance. While his name evokes images of robot armies and galactic empires, it’s his scientific education, observations of technological progress and of human nature that propelled him to make accurate predictions about future advancements. From the advent of computers in homes to the rise of biotechnology, Asimov’s foresight illustrates how speculative fiction can serve as a mirror to cultural and technological evolution. Or maybe, a window into. . .

Imagination vs. Reality: The Lens of Storytelling

YA Art by PrasetuaJQ

Still, how does this happen? Part of it lies in the audacity to attempt. The audacity to dream. Our speculative genre inherently invites us to stretch our imaginations and explore the possibilities that may appear outlandish today. By challenging societal norms and igniting conversations about future happenings, writers create a worldview for us to project our hopes, fears, and aspirations onto.

But here is the core, the point and the purpose of storytelling. While we call it “fiction,” it can still become rooted in reality. The ability to envision the "what ifs" of our world allows fiction to create pathways for innovation as well as to support psychological readiness for change. This brings us to our contemporary narrative world, where current writers continue to explore the motivations behind our ever-evolving 'reality'.

Backward Causation: A Curious Concept

As we reflect on our relationship with fiction, we discover the idea of backward causation, also known as retrocausation, a theory that claims the future influences the past, not the other way around. This concept challenges the way we perceive time, in a first-then-final order. Notions such as visualising a future prompt changes in the past may describe a fluid universe we are not quite prepared for!

So, is speculative fiction a self-fulfilling prophecy? If so, is the collective unconscious involved? Can innovations presented in a book inspire real-world advancements as inventors and thinkers draw from movements in the collective? These are questions I want to explore in the Fiction Prediction Series this year.

Conclusion: A Journey Begins

Can this meeting of imagination and 'real life' in speculative fiction lead us to reconsider how narratives potentially create reality? As we embark on this twelve-month journey, I plan to offer a kaleidoscope of visionary books—past and present—each prompting us to ponder a new way of seeing this topic. 

From iconic works to fresh perspectives in contemporary literature, we’ll explore how writers can be seers, capturing insights that connect us through time, forward and back. 

Please join me in this series, and feel free to drop a comment on what books you want to explore, too. Suggestions are always welcome.

Let’s see where this idea takes us! 

Happy New Year!

xx Kim

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About Kim Falconer

Kim Falconer, also writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. 

Currently, she is ready with the third book, planned to be out in 2025. TBA

 Quantum Enchantment

Kim can be found on AKWilder.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and KimFalconer.com. 

Throw the bones on the AKWilder.com site.. See you there!

Read Blood and Water, a PNR alt history that will leave you questioning every natural disaster ever endured.

“There is no doubt fiction makes a better job of the truth.”

From the Backlist: Tis the Witching Hour

Warm Bodies - Love with an Emo Zombie  - Salon

Welcome to the Back-list! Today we are featuring Amanda Arista's 2013 post, focusing on the one thing that can send shivers straight up the spine. 

Fear is such a powerful sensation, don't you think? ... so tell us, do you have this one?

Read Amanda's full post HERE! 

Tis the witching hour: The one irrational fear of Amanda Arista

by Amanda Arista

 

As you know, we are a blog dedicated to the sexy things that go bump in the night. So it really shouldn't surprise you that most of us aren't really afraid of the dark. We have demons, vampires, werewolves, and fey running through our heads most of the time. And those are the good guys. Each year, I take months to plan what scary little devil I'm going to be for Halloween.

With this new series that I am still working on, I've discovered that it takes a lot to scare me. If you've read the blog before, I grew up on a steady diet of serial killers and exorcism movies growing up. I'll take a good haunting any day. Doesn't phase me much.

Even it comes to the real world, I'm pretty much the same. No fear of flying. Heights don't bother me. I'm the girl who picks up the bugs in the office and takes them outside. I used to be squeamish around needles, but working in a hospital for eight years got me over that. I love deep water, have no problem with pitch black rooms, and don't mind being in a big crowd.

However, Hollywood has finally revealed to me what I am afraid of:

LARGE HORDES OF FAST-MOVING ZOMBIES

At least I can say it outloud now. 

 

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About Amanda Arista:

Amanda is the author of the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and The Merci Lanard Files. She is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary Management.

Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU The Writer’s Path and taught other aspiring authors for six years in the program. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. 

 

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Thanks for dropping by! We hope you have a spine tingling Witching Hour. 

 

 

Sister Acts: From the “Band of Sisters” to True Sisterhood

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Last month we rocked from “the band of brothers” to bromance – and this month’s it’s time for the sister act!

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When taking a closer look at bromances, I tagged them as an integral sub-category to the “band of brothers”, involving “the celebration of friendships that are forged in adversity and as strong, if not stronger, than romantic relationships.” 

It’s very much what we would now call “found brotherhood” – but as I also noted in May’s post on the “Band of Sisters”, both the bands and “found sisterhood” themes are by no means common in Fantasy fiction. 

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What I believe carves out a much stronger path through the genre is “true sisterhood.” In the same way The Lord of the Rings establishes the archetypal “band of brothers”, Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic shines a limelight on true sisterhood.

The relationship between sisters Sally and Gillian (played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman respectively in the film), is both the core of the book and also embodies classic sisterhood themes: love, loyalty, and protectiveness in contention with jealousy, rivalry, and misunderstanding. The fractures in the relationship must be resolved in order to resolve the various magical conundrums besetting the sisters, as well as to gain community acceptance. 

I first recall encountering sisterhood as a potent Fantasy force in Kate Elliott’s Cold Magic, where Cat and Bee have been raised as sisters (although they’re actually cousins) and forged a really close bond. Although tested by events, that bond is as important as their romantic relationships when dealing with the magical and societal curved balls—think politics, derring-do, and dark magic—that the story throws at them.

Another pair of cousins who’ve been raised as sisters and have a really close bond, are Laura Hame and Rose Tiebold in Elizabeth Knox’s Dream duology, Dreamhunter and Dreamquake. Laura and Rose’s lives fork unexpectedly, and they do grow apart – as can happen with even the closest of sisters. 

Nonetheless, both have an important part to play, including standing by each other, in a story involving both an alternate realm where dreams can be captured and brought back to entertain society (think alternate-Edwardian), and a potential political coup.

Frey and Rafi are the twin protagonists in Scott Westerfeld’s Impostors, with one (Frey) the secret protector of the other, who is the official political heir to their state. Again, they’re close, with the public sister and hidden one seeing themselves as the two sides of the same coin (or blade!) The test comes when Frey stands in for Rafi on a visit to a neighboring state, and everything starts to unravel…

In Dhonielle Clayton’s Belles, Camellia (Camille) and her five “sisters” have been raised together (as sisters) since birth to serve their nation (Orleans) as dispensers of the beauty that is denied to most citizens. The plot is dark, involving themes of exploitation and corruption, but the relationship between the sisters—particularly Camille and her love-hate relationship with Amber, but also the errant Edel—is undoubtedly the axis around which the book revolves.

Another celebrated tale of two sisters is Stephanie Garber’s Caraval. Fleeing their despotic and murderous father, sisters Scarlett and Donatella get caught up in the magical Caraval, a night carnival where everything is a game – or is it? Separated from Donatella at the outset, Scarlett must play for her life and her sister’s in a contest where secrets lie hidden within secrets and nothing is as it seems. Edge-of-your-seat stuff, but also a story where much, if not all, swings on the sisters’ relationship.

And there’s more – Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid series with the fraught relationship between sisters Verity and Antimony. (In their case, there’s a brother, too.) The threesome of Lula, Rose, and Alejandra in Zoraida Cordova’s Labyrinth Lost – and Katrina Leno’s Summer of Salt, which also features two twins who must find their powers, and where their relationship with each other is key. 

BUT I think if we’re going to talk sister love and the way it shapes a story and changes the course of events, I don’t believe it’s possible to go past Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games – where everything changes when Katniss volunteers as tribute to save her sister, Prim(rose) from what is believed to be a death sentence: participation in the Hunger Games. 

"I volunteer."

As always, I would love to learn your favorite “true sisters” of Fantasy – if you’re willing, do share with a comment. J

~*~

About the Author

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

~*~

Previous Posts:

February: Honing in on 2021—Celebrating the "Band of Brothers"
March: Celebrating the "Band of Brothers" in Fantasy #2
April: Celebrating the "Scooby Gang" #3
May: Celebrating the "Band of Sisters"
June: From Band of Brothers To Bromance!