this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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Futurology
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OP is a sci-fi writer himself, so he's in a good position to comment. The TLDR of this piece is that most sci-fi is produced by commercial writers trying to earn a living by producing relatively formulaic work that follows genre conventions. The problem is some of today's tech-billionaires are acting as if these books are bibles of future prediction.
Oddly, people seem less influenced by the positive, utopian sci-fi visions. 'Star Trek' depicted a humanity that moved beyond money, and where society was devoted to exploration and the advancement of knowledge. You rarely see billionaires go on about making the world like it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as there were no billionaires (or any need for them) in 'Star Trek'.
That’s why as a (really small and unknown) sci-fi writer I want everyone to write utopia and beautiful futures instead of dark dystopia where life is a nightmare.
Because if sci-fi has any influence, make it a good one, solar punk Star Trek style or whatever. What is the point of fighting for the future if you strongly believe it will be worse than today.
The dystopian novels serve a purpose too, usually of what to avoid.
In theory yes, much like History.
But then one day you have people thinking "The Handmaid's Tale" is a user manual.
Oh god, has that happened? I've mostly just seen continued growth of the ideas that inspired it.
No, not yet ? I don't think so but I stopped reading bad news to live in my own lemmy wholesome bubble made of food, sci-fi and cats.
Ah, okay. Shits crazy out here, but there's nobody in the West suggesting fertility slaves or abolishing female literacy.
They must have seen S1E26 of TNG where Picard tells the rich asshole he needs to get a job and thought "well fuck that."
And this is, tbh, considered really unrealistic, even by the mayority of the fanbase itself.