If you’ve ever dreamed or imagined anything beyond our world, I think that’s where a lot of sci-fi takes its cues for me. And by cues, no pun intended.
That’s my answer to a question that came in from World of Science Fiction, where Michael asks: what is the element of enjoyment that makes science fiction enjoyable for you? It’s a really great question, Michael, and thank you for asking it.
Back to the Future, and Then Star Trek
For me it might’ve gone as far back as Back to the Future, which sort of gave me my first idea that there was a future as a thing.
And then, obviously, Star Trek. I got into Star Trek, and Star Trek really helped me understand that there’s a world beyond our own. It was the first place where I fundamentally began to think a lot about, hey, what would it take for us to get that kind of world?
Gene Roddenberry Socialism
I’ve always jokingly called it Gene Roddenberry socialism. But really it’s more interpersonal than that. It’s we as mankind working for and toward a future together, where we go out and explore, because it’s a post-scarcity type of era.
With the invention of the replicator, suddenly we could just make things out of thin air. Which means anybody could have anything, which means the acquisition of wealth and things of that nature become secondary. They become non-important. So for us it’s really much more about moving forward and advancing the planet as a species.
Those things capture my imagination.
Asimov, and Looking Forward Even in Fantasy
Isaac Asimov’s run of books, I, Robot, Foundation, those kinds of things made me begin to really look at science fiction beyond that.
There’s a level of fantasy that goes with it. I think even in fantasy, when I was fantasy role playing, I was really looking for opportunities in my role playing to look to the future, whether it’s steampunk or the actual, quote unquote, future. Not necessarily dystopian futures, but those are there. I’m much more of a utopian future person. I.e., Star Trek.
What If, What If, What If
So the elements, I guess, for me are fundamental to hope. A better tomorrow. Technology, of course, and technological advancement. Exploration, of course. The idea of opening our minds as a species, whether it’s aliens or whatever else is out there.
The Day the Earth Stood Still stands out in my mind as one of those really pivotal sci-fi movies that genuinely made me go, wow, what if? What if, what if, what if.
I think those are big milestone moments that are worth looking into in the grand scheme of things, and I love that idea and that concept.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. What are the fundamental elements of enjoyment that make science fiction enjoyable for you? The conversation lives in the comments on the video above.
