Writing about science fiction in this politically charged era is extremely challenging. Why is that, though? Stories centered on technological possibility, alien cultures, exploration, discovery, and interplanetary conflict should be immune from controversy, right? Alas, it is not so.
But again, I ask myself, why?
I believe the reason is, more so than other genres, sci-fi functions not only as a vision of the future but also a mirror reflecting current power and belief structures (hereafter,...