I see 3 huge reasons why we need science fiction today.

But first, a very brief history of the genre.

Some credit the astronomer Johannes Kepler with the birth of science fiction. Published in 1634 (after Kepler’s death), Somnium describes a dream in which a boy travels to the Moon. The book is part astronomy, part fantastical imagination.

But by most accounts, the science fiction novel is only about 200 years old. Mary Shelley’s 1818 masterpiece, Frankenstein, fits squarely within the genre as we’d recognize it, including technological themes. Later that century, giants such as Jules Verne (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) solidified sci-fi’s place.

And the 20^th century saw the likes of Isaac Asimov (Foundations), Arthur C. Clark (2001: A Space Odyssey), and Robert Heinlein (Starship Troopers). Those “Big Three” often emphasized the scientific angles of their stories.

In this century, we see the likes of Andy Weir (Project Hail Mary), Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), and James S.A. Corey (The Expanse). These more recent works focus more on the characters’ journeys. They often weave in political themes.

So back to the question: Why do we need science fiction today? What does the genre have to offer us given the state of our world?

1) Science fiction helps us think about technology

Where the fantasy genre has magic, sci-fi has technology. And there can be just as much hocus-pocus hand-waving in sci-fi as in fantasy. Faster-than-light (FTL) travel anyone? Anti-gravity? Transport beams and teleportation? These tropes seem like a 25^th-century version of Hogwarts.

Yet pondering such far-out ideas can stimulate real inventions.

Is a Star Trek communicator really much different than a cell phone (maybe of the “ancient” flip-phone variety)?

How about those little droids in Star Wars that scurry around the corridors? Just add a vacuum unit—you know, to keep the Death Star squeaky clean—and you’ve got a Roomba.

If you watch the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (made in 1968), you’ll see tablets that look remarkably like iPads. Wanna bet Steve Jobs saw that movie?

But the deeper contribution of science fiction to matters of technology is an ethical one.

Authors of sci-fi are a strange breed (myself included): part futurists, part prophets and philosophers. They think (and write) about questions like these:

• What will technology look like in 100 years? In 1000 years?
• What are the implications of that technological progress? What’s good about it? What’s doggone frightening?
• When Pandora’s box is opened, is there any hope of stuffing what escapes back in? (I think we know the answer to that one…)

Suffice to say, these questions are in the forefront of the present conversation regarding Artificial Intelligence.

Whether you believe AI is going to save the world, destroy it, or something in between, you will find ample exploration of these issues in sci-fi books. Even those written in the World War II era—well before computers went mainstream.

Helping us think well about technology is one of the enduring contributions of science fiction.

But another angle is just as important.

2) Science fiction helps us think about humanity

In many ways, all stories provide a perspective on the human race. This is true even if the story is populated only with magical talking animals…or dwarves…or three-headed aliens. Why? Because humans are reading these stories—and we make connections to our lives (or human behavior in general) even without consciously thinking about it.

Yet science fiction puts its own spin on things.

We’ve already touched on the area of technology—which is a human endeavor after all. It requires those with vision and guts and probably a few neuroses to spur technological leaps. And once those new toys are in hand (literally, in the case of our ubiquitous phones), human drives and psychology influence what happens next.

Whether malicious software or an atomic bomb, an invention is only dangerous because humans made it so…and chose to use it.

Consider a core premise of dystopian sci-fi: humanity can’t stop from destroying itself. Yet maybe—just maybe—on the other side of that foolish destruction will come wisdom. Hope for a better future.

So-called “first contact” sci-fi—where an alien race is encountered—is more properly an exploration of the human race. How do we behave—or should we behave—when we rub shoulders with the “other”? Do we trust them? Fear them? Lump them into a single category—or treat them as individuals?

In an age of destructive tendencies and divisive dehumanization, science fiction stories offer a helpful window into ourselves.

And there’s one more major benefit.

3) Science fiction helps us think long-term

We live in a world of instant gratification. Of hyper-emotional decision-making. Poor cause-and-effect analysis.

Critical thinking? No need. We’ll just parrot our favorite influencers.

Sacrifice for the future? Nope. Charge it. Get it. Forget it. Then back to Amazon for the next impulse buy.

Into this short-sighted—dare I say childish—atmosphere comes sci-fi.

Science fiction invites us into a time machine (literally or figuratively) that reveals a core message: what we do today has ripple effects far into the future.

Consider a story about an interstellar “generation ship,” where the journey to a new solar system lasts for multiple generations. Talk about a need for long-range thinking!

Or a project to terraform Mars, creating a breathable atmosphere over centuries.

Or colonizing a distant planet. Establishing human civilization under harsh conditions—where there are no “safe spaces” or participation trophies. Where the only imperative is survival of the species.

These kinds of stories—and many others in the genre—help us stretch our thinking beyond the latest post in our doom-scrolling prisons.

Maybe that will help our mental health. Our wallets. Our world.

---

There you go. Three huge reasons why we need science fiction today.

Three reasons why grabbing a sci-fi book is good for you.

Good for the crazy world around you—and for that stressed world between your ears.

Almost makes you want to boldly go and explore someplace new, doesn’t it?

~ Dan