The Importance of Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction

Fantasy and science fiction have been popular genres probably since fiction writing was a thing. From people like H. G. Wells who gave us images of aliens invading Earth to J. R. R. Tolkien who created worlds so real that it feels like it's only a matter of time before we find evidence they existed. (Note to self, famous authors like initials.) Sometimes, however, I feel like people overlook the importance of such genres. While writing other types of fiction, such as contemporary or historical fiction, are important, I think fantasy and sci-fi have their own special importance in the world.

Science Fiction

Let's start by examining the more realistic of these two genres, sci-fi. It's been popular for a long time as humans considered the theoretical use of technology or life on other planets. Known for its aliens, spaceships, and weird technology, sci-fi is a staple of every storytelling medium.

Through science fiction, we can consider how technology shapes our lives and how it may continue to shape it. What if everyone had a personal robot, or a computer in their head? What if we all practically lived a virtual world? Sometimes it can a wonderful utopia of how technology could advance, or it can show the darker side, with tech or robots taking over our worlds.

Or what about spaceships and aliens? What if we discovered life on other planets? What if we could travel the stars or colonize Mars? What would we discover out there? These stories of extraterrestrials and space travel ignite our imaginations about the wonders of the galaxy.

But at its core, sci-fi is a look at humanity. When we write about aliens, it's not so much about them as about looking at our own flaws and misconceptions. When we write about a more technologically advanced world, we consider what humanity would be like with that kind of power at its fingertips.

Even more fantastical stories like Star Wars are really about the human characters and how they react to the situations they've been thrown into. Science fiction shows us all our flaws and our strengths. And it shows us how we're always striving to survive and create beauty wherever we go.

It's also a great opportunity to show the wonder of God and how when we try to play Him, we just muck it up. Through sci-fi, we can show how he designed the universe and us, or just bring glory to him through our stories.

Fantasy

But how can fantasy be important in the grand scheme of things? It's not hard hitting like sci-fi and it's not realistic like contemporary fiction. Magic doesn't exist and neither do fantastical creatures like dragons or unicorns (at least, not anymore).

Fantasy has its own unique story telling abilities. With it, we can create our own worlds, magic systems, and politics. We can explore different questions, things like morality, history, and more.

It gives us a space to play, because anything is possible. Through fantasy, we can explore ideas that would never be possible in a more realistic book. And at the same time, we can show how the world or humans might be different if different things were real.

What if there were mutants? How would we react to that? How would life be different if we lived on floating islands in the sky? What if no one could see color, thus making everything "equal"?

I love fantasy because it's more about characters, about how we act and what we do. I love the fact that the boundaries have been redrawn to include so many fascinating ideas. Through fantasy we can play out our wildest dreams and see what happens.

It's also possible to write fantasy and still glorify God through it. Look at C. S. Lewis, or N. D. Wilson. They manage to make beautiful fantasy worlds that show who they serve, even in very subtle ways.

The world needs fantasy books more than ever right now. We need a place to escape from our everyday world and be swept away to new and strange lands. We need to follow along with other people and their troubles instead of our own, if just for a little while.

And if you have some extra time, I highly suggest reading Tolkien's essay, On Fairy Stories. It has a lot of great points explained better than I ever could in this little blog post.

What are your thoughts on the importance of fantasy and sci-fi? What's your favorite made-up world? Tell me in the comments.

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