It's interesting to me when people talk about sci fi as if it needs to be realistic. That's, uh, that's not the point of sci fi.
Even hard sci fi isn't about that. It may be realistic, but only because it's a more effective story with that feeling of realism.
Even hard sci fi isn't about that. It may be realistic, but only because it's a more effective story with that feeling of realism.
But what really is interesting to me is when people talk about the social currents of today, and whether sci fi should portray them as ongoing or solved.
Obviously, this is an authorial choice... but it's an interesting one.
Obviously, this is an authorial choice... but it's an interesting one.
Do you portray a world where we've gone past the stupidity of homophobia or fascism or whatever?
Or do you portray a world where we're still struggling with those things?
Since the point is to tell a story to people of today, both choices are absolutely valid.
Or do you portray a world where we're still struggling with those things?
Since the point is to tell a story to people of today, both choices are absolutely valid.
Star Trek (older series stuff) is interesting to me because they split the difference. They made the Federation have solved all the problems, but constantly run into people who hadn't.
The Federation has solved racism, but here's a hundred species that haven't. The Federation's past capitalism, but here's people (starting from episode 3 of TOS!) that aren't...
The Federation has solved war, has accepted everyone, has done everything right and gently and perfectly and can show the way~
This is a very interesting idea to me for a lot of reasons.
This is a very interesting idea to me for a lot of reasons.
The first interesting thing about it is how fragile it is.
No author likes leaving something perfect as perfect. The Federation must have mud rubbed on it, because it makes a compelling story even if it sabotages the core conceit.
So nowadays the Federation is pretty crap.
No author likes leaving something perfect as perfect. The Federation must have mud rubbed on it, because it makes a compelling story even if it sabotages the core conceit.
So nowadays the Federation is pretty crap.
The second interesting thing about it is how easily it comes off as colonialist or oblivious.
Oh, look, here come the foreigners from the big rich country that know best about everything, here to save us from ourselves.
As a storytelling conceit, it's a prickly one.
Oh, look, here come the foreigners from the big rich country that know best about everything, here to save us from ourselves.
As a storytelling conceit, it's a prickly one.
But if the authors had understood the power of the approach, I think they could have lasted a bit longer before dismantling it to chase bargain basement military sci fi... which has all the same problems and none of the advantages.
A group of people come into a nasty situation. They know better. They should know better. They should BE better, they've already got a solution on the books-
That's a great opportunity to show people struggling against the limits of being human.
That's a great opportunity to show people struggling against the limits of being human.
Even when you've been told the way forward. Even if you've personally seen the way forward. It's not always easy to go forward, is it?
That's a fuckin' conceit, right there. I could write two hundred episodes of that.
That's a fuckin' conceit, right there. I could write two hundred episodes of that.
Anyway, the point is that writing today's troubles as "solved" or "unsolved" in your sci fi setting is not a binary thing.
It's always about the story you're trying to tell with today's troubles.
It's always about the story you're trying to tell with today's troubles.
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