The Big Ideas Club Presents: Foundations of STEM Fiction is a curated anthology that explores how early science fiction grappled with the moral weight of technological power. Featuring three visionary stories from the 19th century-"The Senator's Daughter" by Edward Page Mitchell, "In the Year 2889" by Jules Verne (or his son Michel), and "The Sandman" by E.T.A. Hoffmann-this volume offers a window into the earliest imaginings of a world transformed by media, machines, and mechanized perception. Each story examines the human cost of scientific advancement: In "The Senator's Daughter," we see a dystopian America where bio-political laws divide citizens by race and gender, and food itself becomes a chemical abstraction. Verne's "In the Year 2889" envisions a future where media monopolies, telephonic journalism, and atmospheric advertising blur the lines between communication and control. Hoffmann's eerie masterpiece "The Sandman" questions what happens when love is redirected toward a lifelike machine-long before AI even had a name.

With new AI-Literacy sections and modern introductions for each work, the collection guides readers to ask: Can emotional experience survive in a world governed by technological logic? What happens to freedom when every human process can be replaced, monitored, or simulated? Perfect for classrooms, independent readers, and anyone interested in the intersection of speculative fiction and science ethics, Foundations of STEM Fiction is both a historical archive and a living conversation. Part of the Big Ideas Club series, this volume is ideal for readers age 14+ and includes structured reflection prompts, ideal for homeschooling, literature enrichment, or STEM/humanities crossover programs.