This episode we Flashback to 1981, when the Space Shuttle first took flight and Analog magazine took a victory lap for science fiction and science fact. Too bad that victory lap included fantasies of a militarized space and winnable nuclear wars. Following that, I outline my personal taxonomy of science fiction: escapist, optimistic, pessimistic, nihilistic. It sounds academic but it’s more fun than that! Except for the nihilism. And the fascism. Content and authors include: George R.R. Martin, Jerry Pournelle, Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Elon Musk, and more.

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