Love it or despise it, science fiction is here to stay. Many are the times its demise has been foretold – even by its adherents. But it does more than persist. It thrives.
We will be examine why this is so from a writer’s perspective, exploring some approaches as to how science fiction can inform and expand our outlook, whether we practice the form or shun it.
If we are living in what a number of commentators have called a “science fiction universe,” it will be worth your while to discover what makes it so.
Richard Chwedyk is a science fiction author and teaches science fiction writing classes at Columbia College Chicago. He also teaches Writing Short Stories for Oakton Community College’s continuing education division since 1991. His most recent story, "Dixon's Road," appeared in the July/August issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He has an MA in English from Northwestern University and is also employed as a copy editor for the Leo Burnett agency. His article, “What We Teach When We Teach Science Fiction Writing” appeared in the SFWA Bulletin in 2013.
