Two weeks ago, I wrote about the relationship between science fiction and the historical profession. Science fiction writers such as Isaac Asimov, and scholars such as W.E.B. Du Bois, have used an intriguing interplay between speculative fiction and history to talk about the past, present, and future. Today I want to focus on two authors in particular: Kim Stanley Robinson and Octavia Butler (1947-2006). Both authors have used science fiction to talk about problems in modern day society, often to critical acclaim. What makes the writings of Robinson and Butler intriguing is that the issues they’ve written about are all Read more