What is science fiction, and why is it important?

This is covered by many writers of the genre, so perhaps another treatise is not worth adding to the mix, but Many times writing about something helps me clarify my own thinking on the matter. Since I am writing science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian fiction, it's probably appropriate to define what I'm trying to create. At least I'll be able to tell if I have succeeded in my attempts.

One of the basic tenets of science fiction is that it has to have future possible scientific developments woven into the world created by the writer as if they were part of that world. The scientific aspects of the story have to be realistic enough that a present day reader would see the connection between our world and the one created by the author. This differentiates science fiction from fantasy, which usually has no basis in science. Think of Harry Potter's world of wizardry and Terry Pratchet's Disc-World. These are fantasies rather than true sci-fi. Many lump the two genres into one--sci-fi/fantasy, but I try to keep them separate in my thinking. I enjoy reading both, and I enjoy writing both, and I'll even throw another genre into the mix, that of dystopian fiction. Its name speaks for itself. Think of Orwell's 1984.  That said, a good read in any of these genres has to have people at its center, just as other literary works do.

We want to read about people and how they deal with their problems. The best science fiction puts the problem in a future or dystopian setting, and asks what if ... ? That 'what if' question is what makes science fiction worthy of my time to read. What if society were faced with an alien invasion? How would humanity react? (Read H. G. Welles's War of the Worlds) What if we inadvertently loosed a deadly virus on our world? How would we come to grips with so serious a problem? (Read Steven King's The Stand) What if a giant asteroid were headed this way and we were sure it would smash into us, leaving no survivors on the Earth? How could we be saved? (Read Andreas Christensen's Exodus)

Actually more than one book has been written about each of those themes, because each of them calls up serious questions that deserve to be asked, and an author's job is to examine human nature under the stresses created by such scenarios. In the end, it's about people. To quote Steve MeEllistrem in his blog posted April 28, 2015,

         The best science fiction, the science fiction that lasts, examines our society as it is and extrapolates out to what it might become. It issues a warning to all of us to understand the path we’re on and to reassess whether we want to stay on that path.

         This is true of all fiction, of course. We read to be entertained, to experience life through another's soul, to look at how others see the world, so we can perhaps understand our place in it

Genres can be mixed, too, which makes for a delightful smorgasbord to please any reader's palate. Look at Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. These are both Young Adult  novels as well as fantasy novels. Randy Ingermanson's Oxygen has elements of both the suspense and romance genres, while being foremost a science fiction novel.  Richard K Morgan's Altered Carbon series is reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels, but it's clearly science fiction.

With self-publishing, the availability of inexpensive books in any genre is amazing. A new author will usually offer his first book for free or a nominal sum. Books may be uploaded onto Amazon or iTunes simply by following easy self-publishing guidelines. As readers, we can go to either of these sites and check for free books. There is even a free pod cast service for authors to upload their books and make them available as audio books for free. I was introduced to Nathan Lowell, who wrote Quarter Share through podiobooks.com. I have since purchased every one of his books for reading on my Kindle. An author may even record his own books for Audible.com, or hire a narrator for a royalty. Self publishing is a subject for another post. Just know it makes for exciting reading by new writers in any genre for not a lot of money.

If you're a science fiction fan, as I am, it's a great time to be alive.