The Bent Page

In the my latest novel, Universal Coverage, an entrepreneurial-minded doctor named Steven Jossy converts a cruise ship into a floating hospital. This is not exactly a new idea. The U.S. Navy has had hospital ships for many years. However, could you imagine striking out and re-establishing your life aboard a permanent location in the ocean? Well, some creative people have envisioned just that.

Seasteading is the term they have coined, and I think appropriately so. The concept is that the ocean is a new frontier, a place to form new societies. Given the current political climate around the world, it might be a good idea. The engineering challenges are not as great as they might have been years ago. After all, there are mega-cruise ships trolling the ocean, carrying up to three or even four thousand passengers plus an equal amount of crew. Six to ten thousand people is a small community, but it could certainly be a pleasant one. Furthermore, it is possible for these smaller groups to be linked to others in loose or firm alliances. The legal ramifications are quite intriguing.

For more about seasteading, check out the website www.seasteading.org. It will make you think. That’s a good thing.