Not Just Make-Believe
Science fiction has a reputation for wild ideas like spaceships, time travel, alien worlds, and robots that think like humans. But actually, a lot of ideas we see in sci-fi is actually based on real science, or ideas being seriously explored by scientists right now.
From mobile phones to artificial intelligence, many things that once appeared in sci-fi stories have become part of our everyday lives. Writers often draw on emerging research, then stretch it a little to imagine the future. In doing so, sci-fi becomes a powerful space where science and imagination meet.
Science First, Fiction Later
Take space travel. Long before humans went to the Moon, authors like Jules Verne and Octavia Butler were writing about it. They used their understanding of existing science and added storytelling. Today, scientists are actively working on many of the things sci-fi has explored for decades: Mars missions, space farming, robotic companions, and even advanced prosthetics inspired by cyborg characters.
Genetics is another example. Sci-fi often deals with cloning, gene editing, and engineered lifeforms. These aren’t just fantasy — scientists are already using CRISPR technology to alter genes in animals, plants, and even humans in medical trials.
Why It Matters for Our Children
For Black children especially, sci-fi can be a door to science, technology, and creativity. Stories by Black sci-fi writers like Nnedi Okorafor, Samuel R. Delany, and Octavia Butler show young readers a future where they are not just included, but central.
Sci-fi can help inspire children to ask bold questions: What if we could cure all diseases? What would cities on other planets look like? How can we build technology that respects the Earth?
Science fiction is all about the imagination, the super power that all children have. Let’s encourage them to use it.
