Someone once asked me why I write science fiction. They wanted to know why I don’t write more serious stuff. Something like literary fiction, they argued. Something, they said, that tells us something about the human condition.
This was years ago and I didn’t have a good answer back then. I write stories that make me feel excited. It’s always been like that for me, especially novel-length stories. There has to be something enthralling and magical to the story or idea to counterbalance the countless hours, months, years I spend writing it. The way I like to think about it is that some stories have chosen me.
But there’s something else I want to add here. Something that’s more important. It’s this: Stories, no matter the genre, can always tell us something about ourselves.
One of the most profound things I’ve ever heard in science-fiction was this:
“It’s not enough to survive. One has to be worthy of surviving.”
This was Commander Adama from Battlestar Galactica. He’s calling off an order to assassinate because he has realised that the end cannot justify the means. The quote speaks to humans acting in a way that is in accordance with the highest version of themselves.
Science-fiction in particular can tell us something about the human spirit by exploring themes of survival and courage (Seveneves). Good science-fiction can be a profound exploration of other planets, cultures or people (Anathem). Many stories challenge our ideas of how our own society functions (Left Hand of Darkness).
Dystopians (1984, Brave New World, Equilibrium) tend to be significant not because they predict the future accurately but because they tell us something about a current trajectory. By exaggerating certain dysfunctional aspects of society, these stories show us exactly why certain things are unhealthy.
Sometimes we don’t realise the significance of certain stories until years later. I wasn’t particularly fond of The Time Machine when I first read it, but as time went on, I noticed its themes strongly in certain areas like education.
Science-fiction can be highly significant as a genre. It doesn’t have to be, but it can be. In any case, the genre doesn’t need to be defended.