I'm dreaming of a brave new world...

...designed by science fiction writers. Orson Scott Card, the brilliant author of Ender's Game, has some great ideas about how to improve our zoning laws and neighborhoods. I don't think he fully understands the real reasons behind high oil prices, but I like his method for replacing big-box retail with local grocery stores. What I like about his idea of computerized stock is his ability--the hallmark of a good science fiction writer--to think through the all the implications of existing or feasible technology. Card is one of the best science fiction writers of our time because of his ability to imagine the potential of technology in practical ways. We need more of this kind of thinking applied to the real world.