We need more optimistic science fiction

Recommendations for More Optimistic Sci‑Fi

• Frequently cited novels: Project Hail Mary, The Martian, Contact, The Ministry for the Future, Mars trilogy, Delta‑V, Walkaway, The Lost Cause, The Deluge, Aurora (as a counter to naive tech optimism), A Half Built Garden (polarizing), Forever Hero trilogy, Culture novels, Monk & Robot series and other Becky Chambers works.
• Films/TV mentioned as relatively hopeful: classic Star Trek (especially TNG, Voyager), The Orville, Lower Decks, Prodigy, Bicentennial Man, The Martian, Interstellar, Arrival, Her.
• Other media: webcomic A Miracle of Science; some readers also like early Liu Cixin for its faith in science, though others dispute this is “optimistic.”

What Counts as “Optimistic”?

• For some, merely “humanity survives long‑term” now qualifies as optimistic.
• Others expect optimism to “cheat” a bit: FTL or portals, abundant aliens, near‑infinite energy, tidy happy endings.
• Pushback that this can feel unserious; hard‑SF readers prefer optimism grounded in real constraints (no FTL, thermodynamics, reliability limits, generational‑ship fragility).
• Debate over works like The Ministry for the Future: hopeful macro‑outcome vs. traumatic opening and arguably unrealistic human cooperation.
• First‑contact stories (e.g., Solaris, Three‑Body Problem) used to contrast “bummer but understandable aliens” vs. truly incomprehensible ones.

Star Trek and the Tone Shift

• Older Trek is held up as the archetype of optimistic SF: post‑scarcity, exploratory, principled leaders.
• Many see recent Trek as darker and more militarized; others argue it’s still optimistic but less naïve, showing ideals that must be actively fought for.
• One line of critique calls Trek’s hierarchical, quasi‑military structure inherently dystopian, just told from the winners’ POV.
• The Orville is widely praised as capturing the older Trek spirit better than current official Trek.

Technology, Realism, and Pessimistic Worldbuilding

• Thread plays with “truly pessimistic” futures where tech mostly fails: useless AIs, broken robots, cosmetic warp drives, half‑functional Dyson swarms.
• Detailed side‑discussion: even a 5% Dyson swarm massively exceeds current human energy use; but waste heat and planetary heating could be catastrophic.
• Several posts argue much SF over‑assumes flawless, everlasting systems (e.g., generation ships) and ignores reliability, repair logistics, and physical limits.
• Others complain current SF ignores tech acceleration: static thousand‑year empires and Star‑Wars‑style universes that don’t reflect compounding innovation.

Politics, Economics, and Utopias

• Commenters note that many “optimistic” futures (Trek, Culture, others) are explicitly post‑capitalist/post‑scarcity; “hopeful capitalism” is rare.
• Long subthread on communism: AI‑generated optimistic plots resemble communist ideals “in theory”; history of actual regimes is used both to criticize and to argue that ideology is often secondary to power politics.
• Some want SF to foreground alternative political/economic systems even without new tech; others stress that revolutionary projects routinely end in authoritarianism.

Human Nature, Poverty, and Social Optimism

• One view: we largely know how to solve hunger, homelessness, many diseases and climate change but lack cooperation and political will; hence optimism must be about culture, empathy, and institutions, not gadgets.
• Counters: logistics and tradeoffs remain hard; and some see tension between solving poverty/overpopulation and environmental or geopolitical constraints.
• Heated debate around homelessness: from extremely hostile takes (“blight,” focus on personal responsibility) to strong rebuttals pointing to housing‑first evidence and basic human dignity.
• Several idealistic visions: universal basic security, nurturing talent, prevention‑focused health, people freed from drudgery; skeptics cite ingrained selfishness and current capitalist value systems as major blockers.

Why So Much Grim Sci‑Fi Now?

• Suggested causes: Silicon Valley overpromised utopia and delivered adtech and “enshittification”; climate crisis; resurgent authoritarianism; social media exposing constant dysfunction.
• Others argue prior decades were also full of war and crisis; the difference is more our mood and expectations than objective conditions.
• Meta‑discussion on “deconstruction vs aspiration”: too much cynical teardown leaves nothing to build on; but vague calls for “aspirational” stories risk becoming comfort fantasies for the anxious middle class.

Creating Optimistic Futures: Advice and Projects

• Practical writing advice: write daily; avoid over‑editing while drafting; study style and clarity; manage a “strangeness budget” for new concepts; ensure story survives removal of overt politics.
• Several initiatives and personal works aim explicitly at “thoughtful optimism,” including university‑backed projects and individual utopian series, often focusing on AI alignment or non‑violent global transitions.