Welcome to project hieroglyph, founded by Neal Stevenson and produced by Arizona State University's Center for Science and the Imagination. Our purpose here is to rekindle grand technological ambitions through the power of storytelling. Audacious projects like the Great Pyramids, the Hoover Dam, or a moon landing didn't just happen by accident. Someone had to imagine them and create a narrative that brought that vision to life for others. They are dreams that became real not because they were easy, but because there were hard. The editors firmly believe that if we want to create a better future, we need to start with better dreams. Big dreams--infectious, inclusive, optimistic dreams--are the vital first step to catalyzing real change in the world. As it turns out, sometimes that dreamer is a writer of fiction, often science fiction.
This is the opening paragraph to the introduction of Hieroglyph, a new project and collection of short science fiction stories aimed at techno-optimism. The project was spurred by author Neil Stevenson and edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. I found their Introduction: A Blueprint For Better Dreams a welcome burst of furious color and an optimistic start to a day of dreaming with students at Pratt's Degree Project reviews.