The Times ran a gee-whiz article over the weekend about recent science fiction novels that predicted America’s economic decline with “eerie accuracy.” The article focuses in particular on Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story, a dystopian novel that provoked some strong reactions among my book club members. But as Charlie Jane points out at SF blog io9, these authors don’t possess any uncanny powers of foresight. SF authors have been weaving dystopic tales of American decline for at least a couple decades. The books highlighted in the Times simply appeared at a time when our real-life economy happened to take a dive. And things aren’t quite as bad as what’s depicted in the books. At least, not yet.

As a sidenote, Shteyngart’s novel is worth a read. The main characters at the center of the book are two of the most unpleasant and annoying people you’ll meet in contemporary lit, but the novel still offers a wryly funny take on the economic implosion of a near-future America.

I was supposed to interview a nurse this evening, but he cancelled a couple hours beforehand. Via e-mail, he explained that he wasn’t comfortable learning to care for someone on a vent without close supervision. Of course, that’s fine. I’d rather have a candidate bow out than try to convince himself that he’s not unnerved. But I’ve never regarded my vent dependency as the most challenging aspect of my care. For the most part, the vent does its thing without much fuss unless a tube disconnects or it malfunctions (which is rare). I’ve hired nurses with no vent experience and many of them are still with me several years later, so a lack of experience doesn’t really concern me. Then again, 25 years of living with a vent has probably made me more than a little blasé about my predicament.

Regular readers of this blog know that I’m not much of a foodie. On most days, my diet is a rather monotonous affair consisting of a highly nutritious but unpalatable liquid. But sometimes I stumble upon something that reminds me how pleasurable food can be. Over the weekend, I was at Parma 8200 with visiting family. It’s an Italian restaurant located in a nondescript suburban corner. When dessert was served, I noticed my brother’s partner eating some kind of chocolate custard that looked quite tasty. I asked him about it and he explained that it was a chocolate budino and offered to let me try some. I ate a spoonful and fell in love. It has a consistency thicker than pudding, as if someone baked a chocolate cake and then melted it into a bowl. The chocolate itself wasn’t too sweet and it was pleasantly warm, which made it all the easier to gulp down a few more spoonfuls.

I may have to treat someone to dinner just so I can try it again.

While I’m disappointed with several of Obama’s actions as president (the tepid stimulus, the abandonment of the public option, the surrender to Republicans on austerity measures), I can’t criticize the man’s reading choices. The New Yorker looks at Obama’s summer vacation reading list, which skews heavily towards contemporary fiction. I’d be curious to compare Obama’s list to those of Perry and Romney. I’m willing to bet that Perry, assuming he reads at all, is probably still meaning to get around to finishing the last fifty pages of The Shack. Romney seems like the kind of guy who re-reads Atlas Shrugged every couple summers.

Any president who reads David Mitchell has my vote. I’m sure my fellow liberal elites feel the same way.

I’m saddened but not entirely surprised to learn that Steve Jobs is retiring as Apple’s CEO. His resignation letter hints that his persistent health troubles have not improved and may have worsened. While I don’t consider myself an Apple devotee, Jobs deserves piles of credit for transforming a marginalized computer company into an iconic brand that churns out elegantly designed and inherently cool products. Without Jobs, the personal computer might still be stuck in the “beige box” era. Jobs demanded products that melded form and function, a design ethos that can now be seen in electronics, cars, furniture, and any number of consumer goods.

Apple will likely continue to prosper. Jobs hand-picked its management team and it’s nearly unthinkable that they could damage a company with so much momentum. And Jobs will continue to exert his influence for at least a while longer. Heck, he still might persuade me to switch to a Mac one day.