Afrofuturism and the Need for More Inclusive Science Fiction
Science fiction (sci-fi) has been an artistic medium for many writers over the years to convey their own vision of the future. Sometimes they’d consist of utopian settings (e.g., Star Trek), of which inspire us to transform those visions into practical applications. More often than not, however, sci-fi usually conveys dystopian plots, of which serve as a warning about possible futures.
Unfortunately, most sci-fi has a tendency of being Western-centric and thus tends to largely ignore various different cultures and their past of which doesn’t adhere to a certain demographic (re: white male). Keep in mind, the vast majority of sci-fi authors are white males (my demographic). And as someone who enjoys reading and writing sci-fi (especially dystopian sci-fi), I find it somewhat difficult in thinking of dystopian scenarios while operating under a politically-conscious filter.
Whenever a dystopian scenario is written, it usually entails a totalitarian setting where the rights of the general population are limited, if not altogether eliminated.
The problem with this general mindset, however, is in the assumption that these dystopian scenarios are left to the possibility of our future, rather than that of our past or present day. It’s difficult for a lot of dystopian sci-fi to resonate with…
