Science FIction for its Own Sake

Sometimes readers and writers that I respect, but that don’t read a lot of science fiction, will say something like “Science fiction is important because of what it says about society today.” Every time I hear this, I die a little inside.

It seems that, underlying this statement is an assumption that no one would ever write (or read) science fiction unless the science fiction component is necessary to get across some contemporary message. It feels a bit condescending, like science fiction has to be justified within a framework of literary fiction to give it legitimacy. Certainly, there is a place for this type of science fiction – the original Star Trek did it, The Handmaid’s Tale does it, and so does The Orville. But to think this is the only justification, or purpose, of science fiction is to ignore most of the award-winning science fiction literature and roughly half of the movie industry. This attitude may be why literature classes might include Octavia Butler, or Kurt Vonegut, but never Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke. It’s why many readers see science fiction as commentary on where we are, not where we might end up in the future.

I suspect romance, mystery, and thriller writers face the same problem. It’s as if, somehow, the pleasures of a genre aren’t enough to justify it's existance. How could anyone read science fiction of fantasy for their imagined worlds, or thrillers for their high stakes and tense situations, or romance for romance?

In this environment, I have to admit a certain lack of couth; my favorite science fiction novels aren’t dear to me because of their cautionary messages or their insights into the human condition. Frank Herbert’s Dune has nothing to do with environmental destruction. It’s a mesmerizing tale of byzantine power struggles. Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep is not a warning about AI intelligence, but a brilliant vision of a new law of physics and the galaxy-spanning civilization it spawns. The Lord of the Rings (despite Steve Jackson’s vision) is not a commentary on the First World War or the struggle of nature vs. technology, but a heroe’s journey enriched with centuries of Celtic and Scandinavian mythology.

If the stories I write provide some insights into contemporary society, that’s great. But that isn’t my intent.