--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science fiction has always been a means…" description: "\"Science fiction has always been a means for political comment. H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds' wasn't about a Martian invasion - it was a critique ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/robert-j-sawyer-3858_politics_science-fiction-has-always-been-a-means_2243117.jpg" --- # Science fiction has always been a means for political… ![“Science fiction has always been a means for political comment. H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds' wasn't about a Martian invasion - it was a critique of British colonialism, and... 'The Time Machine' is really an indictment of the British class system.” quote by Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/robert-j-sawyer-3858_politics_science-fiction-has-always-been-a-means_2243117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/robert-j-sawyer-3858_politics_science-fiction-has-always-been-a-means_2243117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/robert-j-sawyer-3858_politics_science-fiction-has-always-been-a-means_2243117.jpg) > “Science fiction has always been a means for political comment. H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds' wasn't about a Martian invasion - it was a critique of British colonialism, and... 'The Time Machine' is really an indictment of the British class system.” [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science fiction uses speculative worlds to critique contemporary politics and social structures **In simple terms:** Stories can mirror and question real-world issues Key Takeaway Use genre fiction to explore political ideas Themes political commentary social critique speculative fiction Mood analytical critical Type literary educational When to use this quote - teaching - political activism - creative writing - media analysis Key Concepts colonialism classism political allegory Questions to Reflect On - How does speculative setting affect critique strength? - Can satire dilute serious messages? A Different Perspective Fiction may oversimplify complex issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Critique British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critique-british-5093187/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-means-280034/) [Political Comment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-comment-842809/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-worlds-987573/) ## Related quotes > [I attend many functions, go to different areas, you wouldn't have heard any political comment from me. 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I'm talking about it from the standpoint that which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/i-don-t-think-it-s-too-late-for-the-war-of-the-worlds-to-come-true-i/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) > [I'm always reaching for something we really haven't done, and War of the Worlds has a lot of this sort of documentary look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muren/i-m-always-reaching-for-something-we-really-haven-t-done-and-war-of/) [Dennis Muren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muren/) > [Like the panic stricken populace of 'The War of the Worlds' and countless other 1950s invasion movies, the victims are there to provide the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-tudor/like-the-panic-stricken-populace-of-the-war-of-the-worlds-and/) [Andrew Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-tudor/) ## More by Robert J. Sawyer > [Naturally, one does not normally discuss plans to commit murder with the intended victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/naturally-one-does-not-normally-discuss-plans-to-commit-murder-with/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Not wanting to die was another universal constant, it seemed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/not-wanting-to-die-was-another-universal-constant-it-seemed/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I'm much more interested in writing about the things that engage and enrage me as an adult rather than in wallowing in childhood sorrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-much-more-interested-in-writing-about-the-things-that-engage-and/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Our job is not to predict the future. 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Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Real people are complex, contradictory, and have their own motivations - they can't just be mouthpieces for the writers' point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/real-people-are-complex-contradictory-and-have-their-own-motivations/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [“All right,” he said. “Since you asked, Webmind is an emergent quantum-computational system based on a stable null-sigma condensate that resists decoherence thanks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/all-right-he-said-since-you-asked-webmind-is-an-emergent-quantum/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Social progress is a big thing for me. 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Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I'm a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-a-member-of-the-writers-guild-of-america-and-the-writers-guild-of/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) [Explore all 116 Robert J. Sawyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) ## More Fiction quotes > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [Fiction is a way of exploring possibilities present but undreamt of in the living of a single life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/fiction-is-a-way-of-exploring-possibilities-present-but-undreamt-of/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [“The fiction will seek the real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coheed-and-cambria/the-fiction-will-seek-the-real/) [Coheed and Cambria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coheed-and-cambria/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. 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