When I was 8 years old, my father gave me my first science fiction book. As with many addictive substances, the first one was free, but the habit grew to consume a substantial share of my personal income and time.
I fully expected to be among the pioneers to colonize space.
I was hardly alone in this childhood dream. And unlike me, some of the kids who read science fiction in their formative years went on to become fabulously wealthy in the tech industry. They're the customer base for Virgin Galactic, and other space tourism dreamers who eventually hope that we can, if not colonize the solar system, at least arrange for all-inclusive weekends at some of its finer points.