You've heard about fractals, probably seen fractal graphics in movies and on TV., maybe seen fractal pictures, or read Glick's Chaos but unless you're a programmer, you probably haven't created your own. Now that Java allows programs to be run on almost any machine, you can borrow mine. Learning about fractals can be, to quote Spock, fascinating.
Nature is predominantly fractal.
So, when you're done playing with this program, send me yours. For further reading, I feel that by far the best book on fractals is the magnum opus Chaos and Fractals New Frontiers in Science by Peitgen, Jurgens, and Saupe. It is thorough yet accessible. If you already understand iterated function systems, start drawing or read about the controls below. It is best to try the program before reading about the controls.