1. It Makes Us Appreciate What We Have
Space is a very harsh environment for the human body. As we detect and gain more understanding of planets in the far reaches of space, Earth appears to be an incredibly special place. Imagining spacecraft in the cosmos and alien environments in which humans did not evolve, makes us realize just how much we take our planet for granted. We are surrounded by an abundance of unhospitable darkness, yet we are not alone. We have each other. If anything, that should make us appreciate other people and what we have.
Books: Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein, Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
2. It Teaches Us About Ourselves
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to make a split-second decision or react on instinct? Science fiction can place a character in unique situations no human has ever been in and try to imagine how we might react and why we would choose to do so. It investigates what it means to be human in unique ways.
Books: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters, All Systems Red by Martha Wells
3. It Explores the Unknown
When something new has been discovered or theorized, it’s the job of science fiction to imagine what it could mean and how things could change because of a new construct, invention, disease, or theory.
Books: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, Ringworld by Larry Niven, The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
4. It Uses Science
Not only does a lot of science fiction allow us to learn about ourselves, it’s a fun way to explore the sciences. Science has a major impact on our everyday lives, whether its medicine, technology, physics, or a social science.
Books: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, The Martian by Andy Weir, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
5. You Can Escape into Reality
Arthur C. Clarke was once quoted saying that science fiction lets us “escape into reality.” Science fiction can take us to strange planets and unimagined worlds, yet through them it can open our minds to realities in our own world. The genre very often concentrates on real issues we face.
Books: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, Ubik by Philip K. Dick
6. It Dares You to Imagine New Worlds
If you know good science fiction, you know it dares the reader to ask questions about their own world through a different lens. Science fiction is a great tool to examine social dynamics like gender, age, and race because it can imagine worlds where all those social constructs are unknown or more rigid than they are in our world.
Books: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursala K. Le Guin, Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
7. It Examines Where We Are Going
Many science fiction authors are known as futurists because they explore what is possible. What will Earth look like in a hundred years? What will humans look like in a thousand years? How will humans be able to live in space for extended periods time? Science fiction has been credited with inspiring inventions and coining new terms now used in the real world.
Books: From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, Neuromancer by William Gibson, The World Set Free by H.G. Wells
8. We Are Not Alone
Aliens. You can’t talk about science fiction without mentioning aliens. Science fiction explores a myriad of inquiries regarding aliens. What would other beings look like if they evolved on a planet with a unique environment? How would we communicate? Will we be friends or enemies? How would society react to the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe? How will they see us?
Books: Contact by Carl Sagan, Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang (Movie: Arrival), Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates (Movies: The Day the Earth Stood Still)
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