Real Politics, Imagined Futures: The Influence of Geopolitics and Technological Development on Science Fiction Since the 20th Century

Introduction In the realm of science fiction, the interplay between imagination and reality is a dance of influence and inspiration. The language of science fiction acts as a conceptual bridge between the sciences and humanities and also between technology experts and lay people. Science fiction narratives have also been described as being “intertext”—i.e., “having the tendency of crossing back and forth between science fiction texts and our own world.” [1] The genre has thus been used by scholars to convey the complexities of scientific and technological innovation through science fictional analogies and metaphors, [2] whose flexibility allows it to affect the worldview of individuals by dramatising the socio-political significance of present and future science and technologies. [3] These attributes allow science fiction narratives to proliferate the gestalt as “a diagnosis, a warning, a call to understanding and action, and—most importantly—a mapping of possible alternatives.” [4] This brief explores the inverse relationship: the ways in which policy, geopolitics, and technological development have influenced and continue to influence the narratives and themes of science fiction. Scholars have argued that science fiction has been the “cultural wallpaper” of humanity since the beginning of recorded history. [5] It is not possible, however, to conduct an exhaustive exploration of all the globally distributed science fiction traditions that have emerged over previous centuries. The focus of this brief will be on selected works written or translated into English, and authors who have received international acclaim. A comprehensive account of pre-modern science fiction is also beyond the scope of this brief. It takes as its starting point the 1940s, when stories of technological futures were numerous and popular enough to be associated with a single identifiable genre. The journey through the evolution of this genre, from the first half of the 20 th century to the modern era, will uncover how science fiction has not only reflected but also responded to the technological breakthroughs and geopolitical landscapes of its time.