science fiction

[mythgene]

Why is science fiction important? It is the one literature that deals with the basic truth about today's world: It will change. Students introduced to science fiction are better prepared to cope with change and to make good decisions about the future. Science and technology will shape that future, but they will struggle against prejudice, ancient hatreds, and the unequal distribution of the world’s wealth. As H.G. Wells said a century ago, "The world is in a race between education and catastrophe." Science fiction is the way humanity considers a changed future before it arrives.

-James Gunn