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.
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.