The book Soonish by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith is not a novel or story, and it doesn't have characters in the traditional sense. More importantly, the story revolves around emerging technologies and the breakthroughs that science and industry are creating (in the realms of engineering, space flight, domestic use, etc).

Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

The authors are, in and of themselves, characters, because they discuss their own lives and their potential use of and outlook on the emerging technologies. They are both scientifically-minded and passionate about technology and research, and they are self-described "nerds". They have a passion for science, chemistry, physics, and much more that is extremely relevant to the text.

Scientists and Researchers

The Weinersmiths also interview and discuss with quite a few scientific minds and researchers in the fields they are studying for the book, but, once again, these aren't characters. Everyone they discuss with is a scientific researcher or innovator, so they are all passionate, technologically-minded individuals as well, and they would certainly subscribe to the term "nerd" to define themselves simply because of the nature of their academic and industrial pursuits. They are champions in the fields of engineering, materials science, computing, 3D printing, space, and aerodynamics, among many other things, and they give their insight into the groundbreaking emerging technologies that "Soonish" explores.

Potential Future Technologies

The biggest aspect of this work are the variety of different technologies and advancements that are discussed, from space elevators to nuclear fusion to the "Bucket of Stuff" idea—a futuristic version of 3D printing where objects could be rapidly and intricately created with little to no instruction. These breakthroughs take us from modern day reality into a world of futurism, to explore what the world might look like Soonish—not necessarily in 20 years but most likely sooner than 100 years. These technologies are developing rapidly, and we know they're being pursued, but we don't know how they'll develop just yet. The technologies are more characters than even the individuals in the story.