Could you imagine society without science fiction? Always referred to as just a genre of literature, science fiction is much more than that. The genre is very important by tackling, critiques of current problems, using current concepts or ideas to show what outcome may happen, and finally conveying “teachings” or “messages” to an audience. This essay will show the world how truly important science fiction is to our society.
Think for a second a world decimated by COVID, when science fiction writers hear this, they start to develop a story around how they feel against the topic and will try to convey a message through that writing to show the reader their opinion. This writing will begin to make you question your morals and perspectives on certain things, like for example whether the police should be defunded. Society needs to let these stories convey their messages as it will helps us keep moving forward instead of diving deeper and deeper into this hole humanity has gotten itself into.
Quit being ignorant and start listening to the messages being conveyed through science fiction.
Think. What will society be like in the year 2100?
Society will often think of grand ideas for the future, and science fiction is the perfect place to let these ideas run wild. One example of this could be, the development of cancer curing technologies or artificial intelligence, and possibly transferring our consciousness to other bodies. Where did these ideas fully get flushed out you may ask? Well, science fiction has laid the groundwork for many of these ideas and concepts. Transferring our consciousness has been a widely debated topic for years. For an example of this, we don’t have to look any further than the story “Neuromancer” by William Gibson, which has the main character’s consciousness being copied and being used by other people in the matrix. So, if you’ve ever had a family member who passed away, to let’s say cancer or a disease, then reading some science fiction stories may give you hope that you’ll be able to bring back those love ones in the future.
Think of the way the world has almost gone to shit (excuse my language) multiple times during the past year and a half, whether it was the riots after the tragic killing of George Floyd, the threats made by the dumbass who served in America’s office for four years, or maybe the racism towards minority groups in America and the world. It’s safe to say that our world has been trying to tear itself apart for the past year, but this is where science fiction comes in, by allowing writers who see these events happening to critique them.
We have seen this happen before and science fiction was there to help us get through it.
The feminist movements that occurred from the late 1800s to early 1900s to later in the 1960s and even a little right now, have all been critiqued by science fiction multiple times. Sometimes in a positive light, and sometimes in a negative one. But the fact remains true. Science fiction allows writers to voice opinions and help our society tackle the answers to many problems we face today in our world by showing the outcomes and what concepts may help.
In culmination, science fiction helps us combat our everyday lives and come to terms with different ideas and concepts from all around the world. This in turn makes science fiction one of the most important genres of the modern era which is why we should start listening to its messages and meanings, before some of the problems they tackle become reality. So, in the meantime, go to a bookstore, head to the science fiction section, and explore its endless possibilities.