The Sci-fi Appeal

Sci-fi stories such as; The road, Interstellar, The matrix, Snowpiercer, and Arrival teach us to change our values by challenging our perspective and views in our modern society.

But are humans truly willing to change?

Sci-fi stories threaten our values, which in a weird way, appeals/intrigues  us based on the simple fact that humans crave knowledge & control.

Take for example the story of “9”,  in  “9” the human race is decimated by a self-replicating AI that has turned against its creators (the scientist) due to it being used for war, with the only salvation for humanity coming in the form of 9 “stitch-punk” ragdolls that were made with the scientist’s soul using alchemy.

The story of “9” is one that displays how humans always value control & are greedy, and when someone challenges that perspective then we tend to be stubborn and place blame on someone else. “9” teaches us to let go of the need to have control over everything and live free because of what will happen if we let, the need of control consume us.

Sci-fi stories are able to challenge these values and appeal to us because we can relate to these stories, due to the fact that it is based on Science and not magic. Supernatural stories can having a “teaching” and can certainly challenge our views too, but because Sci-fi stories are based more off reality, we as humans  easily relate to these stories and what the protagonists go through.

In conclusion, Sci-fi appeals to us as humans because it challenges our perspective & the things we value in our society.

Writers in this genre, convey “teachings” which are purely objective but should be listened to nonetheless because it exposes, how truly awful our values really are in our society and attempts to convince us to change what we value by showing what consequences will arise.

Hand with Reflecting Sphere
January 1935
Lithograph
31.8×21.3cm

However, whether humans listen to or follow  these “teachings”, to change our thinking….is left up for debate.

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