A couple of weeks ago I had to do some flying – two consecutive 6 hour flights to be exact. Normally I bring along some magazines or other non-fiction but, for the first time in years, this time I brought along a science fiction book by Robert A. Heinlein.
Please understand, I used to be a serious Sci-Fi geek and my walls and floors were lined with hundreds of softcover Sci-Fi books. All sorts of authors, but my tastes ran to “hard” science fiction – the kind of story where the plot hinged on some sort of physics or astronomy (there was very little in the way of biology-based Sci-Fi at the time). As a result I was a serious fan of the “Big Three” writers – Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein.
Over time my tastes changed and I moved away from science fiction to science fact. The softcover books were left behind and/or sold as I moved, and were replaced by hardcovers covering a wide range of topics. Genetics took place of pride in my library, and I started to look down on my Sci-Fi past.
But not everything was left behind. There were a few books that I kept, and three of them were Heinlein titles. The titles are not important, but when I last had to travel I picked up one of the books. In addition to vastly enjoying the story – and marvelling at his open mind and seeming prescience in many areas – I made a realization:
Heinlein (and the rest of the Sci-Fi authors I read) helped shape my ability to share my ideas through speaking.
This came as a surprise, but in retrospect it should not have been.
In science fiction – and especially in the “hard” version of it – the author has to quickly bring the reader up to speed on the necessary science. Since the author cannot assume that the audience is knowledgeable in the area in question the author has to be skilled in teaching the science to the reader quickly, clearly, and in an engaging manner.
Quick, clear, and engaging. Kind of what you need in a presentation, don’t you think?
This realization hit me several thousand feet above the Pacific, and took me a few minutes to absorb. But it appears that – quite unintentionally and very much by osmosis – I had picked up many communication techniques simply by reading experts in the field.
Check it out for yourself. Pick up a “hard” Sci-Fi title. Start reading. And when the characters or narrator start talking science, pay attention to the tricks that they are using to communicate the ideas. You will find that they simplify the science and focus on the core while staying engaging. Paying attention to how they do this is almost as entertaining as the story itself.
And afterwards, ask yourself how you might be able to use these same techniques to your advantage in the future.
The Speaking Scientist 