This essay was published originally as an appendix to “Trogs.”
“Trogs” weaves together several themes, the most important of which describes Galileo Station’s military struggle for independence from the United States. A major challenge I had in writing the book was imagining what lunar warfare might look like. What new military technologies will emerge over the next 50 years? What challenges will humans encounter in a hostile lunar environment? How far will Artificial Intelligence and robotics advance in five decades of accelerating progress?
Readers should not take the world (and moon) described by “Trogs” as an effort to predict the future. My aim is modest: to imagine a plausible future that (1) is consistent with where we are now, what we can see on the near horizon, and what we can reasonably extrapolate 50 years ahead; (2) is within the bounds of chemistry, physics and economic feasibility; and (3) conforms to the constraints of the lunar environment. While my vision likely will not pan out in all particulars, none of what I describe is wave-a-magic-wand fantasy.
The Future of Earth warfare is now
Many technologies deemed futuristic only a few years ago are being deployed today. Continue reading.