Exploring the Relationship between Knowledge and Fiction (Part 4: Knowledge at Societal Level)

This is the fourth post in the "Knowledge and Fiction" Series.

Part 4: Knowledge at Societal Level & World Building

The novel I am working on is set in 2065, which is 40 years from now.  As we are witnessing that a lot can happen in a week, a lot can happen in  40 years. At the same time, 40 years is only half a lifetime. I am not engaging in comprehensive world-building in the traditional sense. I am not envisioning flying cars and life on Mars. In crafting this world of 2065, I am constructing a framework for how knowledge and expertise function in the future. In many ways, world-building is about the unseen structures—institutions, trust networks, and ways of knowing—that define everyday life. Themes to consider include:

• The role of expertise in a knowledge-driven society.
• Impact of advanced technologies on data and information flows.
• Trust in knowledge institutions and emerging professional roles.
• Global knowledge flows: What networks facilitate or hinder them?
• Knowledge access disparities: Who benefits, and who is left out?
• Consequences of knowledge loss, whether through societal breakdown or natural disaster.

These are contemporary themes that are unlikely to become obsolete in 40 years.  At the same time, I am likely overlooking elements that will be prominent by 2065. 

The way we (in Western society) approach knowledge today, in 2025, is not the same as the way we approached it 40 years ago.  The way we access and treat information, the way we handle data, issues around misinformation, lack of trust in traditional institutions of knowledge, etc., all these changes are part of broader societal shifts.

Since I am looking at 2065 for the setting of the novel, I need to figure out how things will have evolved around these themes.  For a while in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were references to “knowledge societies” but over time focus on knowledge was replaced by focus on data and now we’ve entered the era of the “AI-driven society”.   For the purposes of my plot --putting on my amateur futurist hat--, here are some questions I am contemplating:

What is the role of expertise in 2065?

In the past, I might have asked what is the role of expertise in a knowledge-driven society. Today, I would ask about the role of expertise in an AI-driven society. For the purpose of writing speculative fiction, I have to imagine the role of expertise 30-40 years from today. 

• Who is considered an expert in 2065?  What expertise is most valued?  How is that expertise validated? Whose knowledge is valued?
• Perhaps the term “expert” has become pejorative in 2065 because of a catastrophic failure of so-called “experts”.
• What are some emerging pathways to expertise?  Have traditional credentials (degrees and certifications) been replaced by new ways of learning and acquiring experience?  Have resumes finally disappeared as obsolete relics of the past? Is expertise measured on an individual’s ability to manipulate or work with advanced technologies?
• What new roles and professions have emerged?  What do they “do” for work?  Has the distinction between work and the rest of life changed?  Are the characters still struggling with work/life balance?  I hope not.
• What areas of “old” knowledge might become relevant again?

What is the impact of advanced technologies and data flows in 2065?

I will no doubt be challenged to come up with a realistic perspective on technology in 2065. The speed of progress is difficult to predict.  It’s somewhere between fast and extremely fast. Technological advances don’t impact everyone equally or at the same pace, which could be an interesting aspect to explore.  We are still very early in the era of AI advances but by 2065, the term “AI” will mean very little, just as  the term “IT” means very little now because it covers too many different things.

• How far along will quantum computing be by 2065 and what will be the impact on daily lives (if any)? What about neural interfaces and nanotechnology?  What about medical advances in the treatment of all the conditions related to cognitive decline and more broadly, aging?
• How will robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) have evolved?  For this aspect, I’m particularly interested in the convergence of robotics and IoT to address challenges related to an aging population in most of the Western world and parts of Asia.   In that context, I am researching AgeTech and even experimenting with more wearable technology than I have in the past.
• What ancient, sustainable technologies might make a comeback?
• How will new technologies impact societal inequalities and divisions?
• How will information and data overload impact decision-making and governance in 2065?

What is the level of trust (or mistrust) in knowledge institutions and professional roles in 2065?

Considering the erosion of trust in all kinds of institutions, including media and academia, and confusion around the role of science, I consider it a very legitimate concern for 2065.

• What will be the role of academia, scientific research institutions, and the media, and how will they evolve?
• What new roles might emerge to address challenges in scientific knowledge?
• How can speculative fiction portray conflict around trust and sensitive issues that currently lack consensus without becoming “political” in nature? 

What are the relevant global networks facilitating global knowledge flows in 2065?

Even if the action takes place in a relatively confined setting, the characters don’t live in isolation. Their primary network might be very local, siloed and constrained by geopolitical factors, or global but narrowly defined by professional needs. It’s not clear to me (yet) that any of this is central to the plot but it’s worth exploring.

• Can new technologies facilitate decentralized knowledge hubs and global (planetary) cooperative AI systems?  This might involve autonomous networks of locally based AI systems collaborating (for the common good?).
• What are the barriers to such knowledge flows?  What are the technology barriers and AI-related challenges?  And perhaps equally important, what are the human/political challenges, geopolitical tensions, linguistic divides and other implications for knowledge equity.

What does access to knowledge look like in 2065?

• Who has privileged access to knowledge in 2065?  How is that privileged access leveraged?  In 2065, data is a highly prized commodity – it already is now.  There is probably some highly profitable, illegal trade in data, including personal data.
• Who is left out of the knowledge economy?  What is the impact of increasing disparities and technological illiteracy?  By 2065, there are new names for issues emerging from disparities in technological adoption.
• Are there societal counter-movements fighting against some of the new technologies and their impacts?
• Is anything happening underground to challenge authorities and promote access to “forbidden” knowledge?
• Are there any ethical dilemmas around access to knowledge, access to proprietary, dangerous, or personal data?

What knowledge(s) are lost or on the verge of collapse in 2065?

As of 2025, there are concerns about linguistic diversity not being represented well in Large Language Models, lack of acknowledgement of traditional and indigenous languages, and overall Western domination of knowledge institutions and research.  What will be the status of these concerns in 2065?

• What systems will have been put in place to preserve knowledge and create resilient local knowledge networks?
• What ancient or old knowledge previously perceived as obsolete will have been rediscovered and leveraged to solve 2065 challenges?

There is a danger, of course, of overcomplicating the novel, getting lost in research and losing track of the critical elements of the plot. 

What I have been reading:

The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow, by Michael F. Roizen, M.D..  

People put M.D. or Ph.D. after their names to signify expertise.  Will these traditional credentials still hold weight in 2065? Defining who holds knowledge, how they acquire it and how they convince others of their expertise in 2065 is part of world-building. 

The first part of the book is about current and anticipated advances in medicine that will increase human longevity, not just by allowing us to live longer but to live healthier longer.  Some of what the author describes and the timelines seem optimistic – I am no expert in that field.  Realistic or not, reading about the potential future of medicine has been very useful to imagine certain aspects of the world of tomorrow for the novel.  The second half of the book is a lengthy reminder that regardless of medical advances, there is a lot we all can do individually today to maintain good health with lifestyle choices… and then hope to benefit from the medical advances if and when we need them in the future. That also resonated with me even if I’ll admit to scanning that section as it did not tell me anything I didn’t already know.

Final Thoughts

Speculative fiction has long explored knowledge as a force that shapes worlds. In Dune (Frank Herbert), knowledge monopolies define power structures, while in The Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson), access to knowledge is a key theme. The approach to world-building mentioned in this post differs—it focuses on how knowledge institutions, technologies, and trust evolve over time, shaping the fabric of everyday life in 2065.

As I refine my world-building for 2065, these knowledge themes will continue to shape the story’s backdrop. While much of this won’t be explicitly detailed in the novel, the underlying structures will influence every aspect of the characters’ reality.

Creative Writing: January Update

Writing a novel a journey of discovery. I had a plan–I followed it, but I'm also deviating from it. And that's exactly how it should be.

I started writing the novel in early January. I have made good progress so far, reaching about 24,000 words. It's a good place to pause because it's the end of what I consider to be Act 1.

I thought I would write a full first draft of the novel without stopping for revisions. I worried that if I started rereading what I had written, I would become paralyzed and would never manage to put the full story down in a first draft.  A fully-flushed out novel is a significant commitment. That's what I like about it.

However, as I began planning Act 2, I realized I needed to ensure Act 1 was fully coherent, my characters were well-developed, and that I was actually ready to move forward. I am now spending a few days rereading and adjusting key elements in Act 1, focusing on flow and strengthening dialogue to solidify the characters.

For example, one character’s journal entries feature prominently, but they slow the action and feel out of place. I wrote these entries before starting the novel, so they’re important to me—but now I realize they were more of a tool for developing the character than something the reader truly needs, at least in their current form.

I'm sharpening the dialogue to ensure it not only sounds natural but also reveals character and moves the story forward. I know I have a problem with an AI that sounds too human—or too much like the character it interacts with. But who’s to say that in 2065, an AI assistant wouldn’t mimic its user? I have to decide one way or the other and stay consistent.

I am not in a rush to finish the first draft. Over these past few days of reflecting on what I’ve written so far, I’ve also been playing with various loglines. As part of that process, I started exploring how each key character might introduce the story if they were telling it in their own memoir. This exercise has made me realize just how 'open' the story still is—and that I may need to narrow down the number of themes I’m addressing. None of these little exercises and experiments will make it into the novel itself, but it’s fun. More importantly, it’s helping me focus on what truly matters. I do have to be careful, though—I have a tendency to introduce too much complexity.

To accompany this journey, I signed up for an upcoming writer's conference, I am looking for a writers' group. and I am reading or listening to interesting non-fiction, including:

• Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard which brings out the theme of curiosity, scientific discovery, deep knowledge and understanding of nature and sustainability.
• Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape, by Cal Flyn. which brings out a mix of dystopia and hope, related to themes of nature and resilience.
• Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide for Designing a Thriving Future, from the Stanford d.school), by Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, which is simply amazing as it mixes some future-focused short stories with insights around designing the future, and is sprinkled with very imaginative Dali-inspired illustrations.

As I read these books—sometimes in parallel, listening to Finding the Mother Tree on my daily walks and sitting down with Assembling Tomorrow because it demands closer attention—I can’t help but see parallels between their themes and my own work. A reminder that writing is never done in isolation.

Next week, I will return to the Knowledge and Fiction series with a post on Knowledge at the Societal Level, which translated into the language of writers rather than Knowledge Management folks, revolves around aspects of World Building. 

Exploring the Relationship Between Knowledge and Fiction (Part 3: Character Development)

This is the third post in the "Knowledge and Fiction" Series.

Part 3: Character Development Through the Lens of Knowledge

All stories have the following five elements: plot, setting, characters, point of view, and conflict. In this post, I will focus on characters and the process of character development.

Not everything in a character’s backstory makes it into a novel, but the more detailed the backstory, the easier it is to deliver believable characters whose actions, inner monologue, and interactions align with who they are. My background as a Knowledge Management professional influences how I think about backstories, by focusing on—no surprise—knowledge.

I’m not suggesting this is the only or the best way to approach character development. It’s simply how my brain has been wired after several decades of working in knowledge management. Here are a few aspects I consider:

Key Considerations for Character Development

• Learning History
  Everyone has a personal learning history. What is the character’s learning history? How and what have they learned from their experiences? This could include pivotal moments in their education, career, or personal life that shaped their knowledge base.

• Approach to Learning
  A character’s ongoing approach to learning is related to their learning history and could impact how they approach new ideas and their awareness of knowledge gaps. Are they open-minded and curious, or do they resist new ideas? What knowledge do they have access to, and how do they seek or acquire it? How do they consume information—are they avid readers, podcast enthusiasts, or experiential learners? What’s their attitude toward technologies that support learning and information access?

• Unique Skills and Sharing Knowledge
  What unique skills have they acquired, and how did they acquire them? Are they good at sharing knowledge? If so, with whom, and under what circumstances? Consider how their willingness or reluctance to share knowledge impacts their relationships.

• Knowledge Network
  What does their knowledge network look like? Who do they rely on for specific insights or advice? Explore the dynamics of trust, mentorship, and collaboration within their network if it has a potential impact on the plot. Are they well-connected or isolated?

• Tacit vs. Explicit Knowledge
  How do tacit knowledge (intuitive, experience-based) and explicit knowledge (codified, formalized) manifest in their actions? Consider how these types of knowledge influence their decision-making and problem-solving.

• Emotional Impact of Knowledge
  Knowledge is not neutral—it carries emotional weight. What a character knows or doesn’t know affects their emotions, choices, and relationships. Some knowledge is empowering, while other knowledge becomes a burden.

  One particularly complex emotional dynamic is the burden of knowing more than others:

  • Does the character feel isolated by what they know?
  • Are they responsible for sharing or withholding information that could change lives?
  • Does their knowledge put them in a moral dilemma or create an internal conflict?

  Emotional engagement with knowledge can reveal vulnerabilities, strengths, and motivations, shaping the character's arc.
  
  
  

  

  Just a "KM" slice of questions that might be relevant to character development.

  
  

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Three Connected Ideas for Future Posts

• Illustrating Character Development through a Knowledge Lens Using Fictional Characters
  This would be a close follow up to this post, taking each of the elements I have highlighted and exploring each of them with a different well-known character from fiction (books or movies). 

• The Role of Memory in Character Development and Plot
  A character’s knowledge is shaped by memory, which carries its own mysteries. Memory is not just about what a character has learned but how their memories shape their worldview and decision-making.

• Point of View and the Role of the Narrator
  How is knowledge shared with the reader through an engaging story? How can each key character’s knowledge shine through, unhindered by the voice of the main narrator?

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As I write these posts and develop my novel, it’s tempting to include details that would reveal elements of the plot. For now, I’m intentionally keeping these discussions generic, resisting the urge to give away too much.

What I can say is that because my novel takes place in 2065 and advancements in technology impact all of these elements—memory, learning, and knowledge-sharing—on both an individual and societal level.

Exploring the Relationship Between Knowledge and Fiction (Part 2: Evolution)

This is the second post in the "Knowledge and Fiction Series."

Part 2: Evolution

Fiction often resides at the intersection of two distinct continuums: didacticism vs. pure entertainment, and realism vs. speculative genres such as fantasy and science fiction. On the first axis, stories may be crafted to educate, provoke thought, or impart moral lessons, leaning towards didacticism. Business novels and fictional case studies--mentioned in the previous post--, fall at that end of the continuum. At the other end, fictional accounts may exist purely to entertain, offering escapism without a direct message. I’ve experimented with both extremes.

On the second axis, realism anchors a story in the tangible and familiar, often reflecting societal norms or historical settings. Meanwhile, speculative fiction—including fantasy and science fiction—liberates itself from these constraints, imagining worlds governed by different rules, whether shaped by magic, advanced technology, or alternative realities.

These continuums intersect in countless ways. The specific intersection I’m aiming for now, lies toward the speculative end, focused on a relatively close time horizon of the next 30–40 years. On the didactic-entertainment axis, I’m stepping away from didactic fiction. Yet, I can’t imagine writing a novel purely for entertainment. I say that now, but I’ve written—and filled my head with—fiction entirely for my own enjoyment, so I don’t mean to diminish its value. In fact, didactic fiction that isn’t entertaining rarely reaches many readers.

At this stage in my life, the fiction I want to write should provoke thought, raise awareness, and inspire individual and collective reflection. If it’s not entertaining, it must at least be engaging. That’s my aim.

More specifically, in this new phase of exploration—and perhaps because I can’t entirely turn my back on 25+ years of knowledge-related work—I want to investigate how speculative and science fiction address knowledge-related themes, such as:

• Knowledge as power
• The role of knowledge in survival
• The emotional and cultural contexts of knowledge
• Fragility and preservation of knowledge
• Dangers of knowledge misuse
• Knowledge as a living, evolving entity
• Personal knowledge vs. collective knowledge
• Ethics of knowledge control
• Interplay between human and machine intelligence
• Knowledge as a tool for social and economic mobility
• Different ways of knowing—and perhaps even how the concept of “knowledges” relates to ideas around the multiverse and quantum theory.

That last one might be a stretch, but explorations require stretching the imagination and taking risks. That includes the risk of saying or writing something ridiculous—or venturing into unknown areas that later prove fruitless. But that’s probably a topic for another blog.

I wrote a novel once that touched on this theme. I think it was called In Her Mind’s Eye. It’s the only novel I ever tried—weakly—to publish. The main character had synesthesia, which allowed me to explore a unique way of experiencing the world, sensing, and knowing.

 

This is illustrative, not meant to be exhaustive.

This exploration could easily expand into multiple dissertations. Instead, I’ll take a selective approach, using my current novel’s needs to guide the inquiry. I’ll need discipline—an analysis of the ‘critical knowledge’ needed to complete the novel successfully. Even writing these blog posts often leads to tangents, connecting ideas and exploring different pathways. It might not make for “good writing,” but let’s call it “exploration writing.” It feels raw, like an explorer’s journal. And yes, I overuse the words explore and exploration—I call myself a knowledge explorer, after all! 😊

In a recent post, I addressed my insecurities about writing. I find myself oscillating between confidence, acknowledging the preparation I’ve done over the decades, and self-doubt, reminding myself that I’ve never published a novel. But that’s nonsense. As I tell myself: “Je vais me foutre la paix.”

What’s Next?

2025 Blog Series: To provide a sense of what’s coming, here is what the full series looks like, with the caveat that the italicized posts have not been even drafted yet.  At the end of each month, I also plan on writing a short post on progress made with the actual writing of the novel – without giving away the plot.

• Setting My Sights on Fiction– 12/26/2024
• Facing the Blank Page – 1/1/2025

Beginning of the Knowledge in Fiction Series

• Part 1 – Past Experience 1/8/2025
• Part 2 – Evolution 1/15/2025 – this post
• Part 3 – Knowledge and Character Development
• Part 4 – Knowledge at Societal Level
• Part 5 – Knowledge as Plot Element
• Part 6 – Fiction Writing, World Building, and Knowledge Management
• Part 7 – Books for Writers – Learning to Write

Reading and Listening

• Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande
• Playground, by Richard Powers
• Hua Hsu, “Richard Powers on What We Do to the Earth and What it Does to Us,” The New Yorker, September 9, 2024.