What fiction has to tell us about the IT industry

War and Peace is a great example. Its battleground scenes are full of real-time decision making, allocation of resources and making the most of the information you can manage. Its main storylines are even more important, dealing with the complexities of relationships between parents and children, lovers and friends. When we talk about the need to teach IT professionals soft skills, Leo Tolstoy may have written the perfect textbook.

I'm not sure what Ryan's project will prove, but if nothing else I hope it starts a conversation that may not have happened otherwise. Which, of course, is exactly what the best fiction does, too.