My own feeling is that science fiction, of all the different forms of literature, is the one that most easily accepts the notion of change. Things are changing very quickly, and any kid who thinks about it knows that the world in which he or she will be a grown-up — which he or she will be helping to run — will be considerably different from this one. Maybe better, maybe worse, but different. Science fiction explores the future world.
I think more and more young people are beginning to feel that science fiction is the kind of literature that a person interested in reality should be reading.
”-
- Isaac Asimov
A while back, I asked why it is that some science fiction is so good at predicting the future. Far and away, the most common answer was because people who read science fiction are then inspired to make that future a reality.
Asimov knew that.
Check out more from his 1983 interview with Dr. Julius Strangepork in Muppets magazine (yes, seriously) at Brain Pickings.
(via wilwheaton)