A good science-fiction writer will stay away from focusing on the 'shiny technology', and instead focus on how the technology would affect people. Humankind is the one constant in most science-fictin stories, and it is the one constant we can identify with. Whether carrying a sword, a flintlock, a Glock, or a proton-blaster, a human is a human, replete with human emotions, motivations, and behaviors.Larry Niven was one of the better science-fiction writers, because he would introduce a technology, then focus on how it changed society. One story becomes particularly relevant today: The Last Days of the Permanent Floating Riot...