How Reading Fiction Can Make You Better at Cloud Computing

Harnessing The Power of Imagination to Decode the ‘Invisible’ World of The Cloud

“You really know how to waste time, don’t you?” That’s the reaction I often get when someone sees me engrossed in a brilliant work of fiction. As someone immersed in the world of cloud computing, these comments usually fall into two predictable camps. Some accuse me of having way too much time on my hands: “Don’t you have better things to do?” Others dismiss it as an indulgence, suggesting my energy would be better spent on something more “practical.” But here’s the truth: reading fiction isn’t just a pastime – it’s one of the smartest ways to sharpen your skills in cloud computing.

Imagination

The Key to Understanding the Cloud

Cloud computing is an abstract field. You’re often dealing with things you can’t physically see – virtual servers, containers, networking layers, and storage systems that exist “somewhere” in a data center or, more commonly, spread across multiple locations worldwide.

Fiction, at its core, is the art of imagining what you can’t see. When you read a novel, you don’t get diagrams or real-world examples to guide you. The author paints a picture with words, and your brain fills in the blanks. This mental exercise of visualizing and connecting the dots is invaluable in the cloud.