Politics and Science Fiction
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It seems to me that quite a lot of science fiction — in fact speculative fiction as a whole — is used to comment on the current political climate when it was written. On television, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and the re-imagined Battlestar Gallactica are good cases in point. In literature, I could probably list thousands, if I took the time. Top of mind are Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner, The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
What makes me wonder is, why haven’t more politicians figured this out? Now don’t get me wrong. The fact that they haven’t has allowed many a cloaked rebel air his or her grievances without being locked up or beheaded. It’s just that are so many politicians, how shall I phrase it, that obtuse? Just a thought.
Here are some resources I found on this topic:
The Terrible Innocence of Art” by Jorge Majfud
“Political and Social-Themed Science Fiction” by Luke Francl
Political ideas in science fiction on Wikipedia
