--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What SF can do better than anything else…" description: "\"What SF can do better than anything else is show us the range of our possible futures, and what we can do to realize the good ones and avoid the nasty ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg" --- # What SF can do better than anything else is show us the… ![“What SF can do better than anything else is show us the range of our possible futures, and what we can do to realize the good ones and avoid the nasty ones.” quote by Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg) > “What SF can do better than anything else is show us the range of our possible futures, and what we can do to realize the good ones and avoid the nasty ones.” [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) ## 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 reveals possible futures and guides actions toward desirable outcomes while warning of risks. **In simple terms:** SF shows futures and how to shape them. Key Takeaway Use SF to envision and plan. Themes future imagination ethics technology Mood visionary analytical Type literary motivational When to use this quote - policy making - technology design - education curricula - public discourse Key Concepts speculative fiction scenario planning Questions to Reflect On - What future do you want to create? - How can SF inform real decisions? A Different Perspective SF may oversimplify complex futures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Our job is not to predict the future. Rather, it's to suggest all the possible futures - so that society can make informed decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/our-job-is-not-to-predict-the-future-rather-it-s-to-suggest-all-the/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/don-t-turn-away-from-possible-futures-before-you-re-certain-you-don-t/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [In the future, instead of striving to be right at a high cost, it will be more appropriate to be flexible and plural at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/in-the-future-instead-of-striving-to-be-right-at-a-high-cost-it-will/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Remember, the goal of structured futures thinking is to come up with a picture of possible futures that will help to inform strategic decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/remember-the-goal-of-structured-futures-thinking-is-to-come-up-with-a/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [“Henry liked to put to himself when he was a schoolboy: what are the chances of this particular fish, from that shoal, off that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/henry-liked-to-put-to-himself-when-he-was-a-schoolboy-what-are-the/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“But the task of science fiction is not to predict the future. Rather, it contemplates possible futures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-the-task-of-science-fiction-is-not-to-predict-the-future-rather/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/you-are-led-through-your-lifetime-by-the-inner-learning-creature-the-2/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [And the reason I am so nervous is that everything I do now is leading me to one of three possible futures... Which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolfo-bioy-casares/and-the-reason-i-am-so-nervous-is-that-everything-i-do-now-is-leading/) [Adolfo Bioy Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolfo-bioy-casares/) > ["Hard" science fiction probes alternative possible futures by means of reasoned extrapolations in much the same way that good historical fiction reconstructs the probable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-williamson/hard-science-fiction-probes-alternative-possible-futures-by-means-of/) [Jack Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-williamson/) > [Quantum science suggests the existence of many possible futures for each moment of our lives. Each future lies in a state of rest until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-braden/quantum-science-suggests-the-existence-of-many-possible-futures-for/) [Gregg Braden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-braden/) > [“And when a futurist dies, the tragedy is that we lose access to all the possible futures they imagined for us. Our only connection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ball/and-when-a-futurist-dies-the-tragedy-is-that-we-lose-access-to-all/) William Ball > [When I was a kid, there were really only two possible futures in the foreground, which were Orwell's '1984' and Huxley's 'Brave New World'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-richter/when-i-was-a-kid-there-were-really-only-two-possible-futures-in-the/) [Max Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-richter/) > [People have to have a language to speak about where they are and what other possible futures are available to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-hall/people-have-to-have-a-language-to-speak-about-where-they-are-and-what/) [Stuart Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-hall/) > [He never believed in fate or providence, or the future being made by someone in the sky. Instead, at every instant, a trillion trillion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/he-never-believed-in-fate-or-providence-or-the-future-being-made-by/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“A bishop friend who is known for his advocacy of controversial positions says his rule of thumb when uncertain about which course to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-john-neuhaus/a-bishop-friend-who-is-known-for-his-advocacy-of-controversial/) [Richard John Neuhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-john-neuhaus/) ## More by Stanley Schmidt > [And, of course, some SF is set close enough to here and now that Anglo and European do apply. Since many of the writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/and-of-course-some-sf-is-set-close-enough-to-here-and-now-that-anglo/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Ideally, I'd like every issue to include a diverse group of stories that meet the qualifications sketched above, but covering a wide range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/ideally-i-d-like-every-issue-to-include-a-diverse-group-of-stories/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [As for sticking strictly to presently known science, I will simply point out that we have already experienced at least two major revolutions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/as-for-sticking-strictly-to-presently-known-science-i-will-simply/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [This means I must pay close attention to the writing, but equally so to the scientific background - which sometimes means doing fairly involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/this-means-i-must-pay-close-attention-to-the-writing-but-equally-so/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [ Through our entire history we have become accustomed to pushing \[animals\] around in ways dictated by our own wants and needs without much regard… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/through-our-entire-history-we-have-become-accustomed-to-pushing/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Of course, the way writers think about those things is almost certain to be affected by their own cultural background, and it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/of-course-the-way-writers-think-about-those-things-is-almost-certain/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [intricately and intriguingly woven, lots of fun, and extremely thought provoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/intricately-and-intriguingly-woven-lots-of-fun-and-extremely-thought/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [When something hasn't been around much for a while, and one example of it turns up and catches people's eyes, they go looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/when-something-hasn-t-been-around-much-for-a-while-and-one-example-of/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/resist-the-temptation-to-try-to-use-dazzling-style-to-conceal/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [I think the international appeal of SF is quite understandable since the kinds of people who like to read it, are, by the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/i-think-the-international-appeal-of-sf-is-quite-understandable-since/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [I think the rising and falling popularity of areas like hard SF and far-future SF is, to a considerable extent, the same as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/i-think-the-rising-and-falling-popularity-of-areas-like-hard-sf-and/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [There are a significant number of people who appreciate what we do, and most of them gravitate to Analog because this is where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/there-are-a-significant-number-of-people-who-appreciate-what-we-do/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Usually if nobody hates a piece, nobody loves it, either; and a magazine which sets itself the goal of provoking thought is not doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/usually-if-nobody-hates-a-piece-nobody-loves-it-either-and-a-magazine/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Don't mistake a good setup for a satisfying conclusion - many beginning writers end their stories when the real story is just ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/don-t-mistake-a-good-setup-for-a-satisfying-conclusion-many-beginning/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [Blaming society makes it awfully easy for a person of weak character to shrug off his own responsibility for his actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/blaming-society-makes-it-awfully-easy-for-a-person-of-weak-character/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) [Explore all 21 Stanley Schmidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) ## More Futures quotes > [Our individual fates are linked our futures intertwined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/our-individual-fates-are-linked-our-futures-intertwined/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [So here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/so-here-is-why-i-write-what-i-do-we-all-have-futures-we-all-have/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [Never mistake a clearer view for a short distance just because the technology looks like it's about to arrive in the very near future.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/never-mistake-a-clearer-view-for-a-short-distance-just-because-the/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [“When I was a kid - a runner for Merrill Lynch at 25 dollars a week - I'd heard an old timer say, "The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-melamed/when-i-was-a-kid-a-runner-for-merrill-lynch-at-25-dollars-a-week-i-d/) Leo Melamed > [“Futures can and do change, something as simple as you're supposed to turn right down a street one day... In your bones u know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/futures-can-and-do-change-something-as-simple-as-you-re-supposed-to/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [We typically don't talk about something until we are about to ship. Not just for AI, but for anything: the comparison is generally what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/we-typically-don-t-talk-about-something-until-we-are-about-to-ship/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Our job is not to predict the future. Rather, it's to suggest all the possible futures - so that society can make informed decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/our-job-is-not-to-predict-the-future-rather-it-s-to-suggest-all-the/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Our Futures are Formed by the Thoughts we Hold Most Often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/our-futures-are-formed-by-the-thoughts-we-hold-most-often/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [The price of a commodity will never go to zero. When you invest in commodities futures, you're not buying a piece of paper that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rogers/the-price-of-a-commodity-will-never-go-to-zero-when-you-invest-in/) [Jim Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rogers/) > [“There are limitless futures stretching out in every direction from this moment—and from this moment and from this. Billions of them, bifurcating every instant!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-are-limitless-futures-stretching-out-in-every-direction-from/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [And that's what I liked about it, because they are, in the beginning, your little beautiful stock figures, who then make a decision to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-williamson/and-that-s-what-i-liked-about-it-because-they-are-in-the-beginning/) [Kevin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-williamson/) > [“What a blessing it is we cannot see our futures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bower/what-a-blessing-it-is-we-cannot-see-our-futures/) [Sarah Bower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bower/) > [Every passing year brings us more past futures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/every-passing-year-brings-us-more-past-futures/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [A futures contract is a derivative, but the futures exchange doesn't call them 'derivatives,' they call them 'futures.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-scholes/a-futures-contract-is-a-derivative-but-the-futures-exchange-doesn-t/) [Myron Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-scholes/) Browse all 95 Futures quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What SF can do better than anything else is show us the range of our possible futures, and what we can do to realize the good ones and avoid the nasty ones.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stanley Schmidt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else-is-show-us-the-range-of-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Futures" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else-is-show-us-the-range-of-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/stanley-schmidt-26994_nasty_what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else_1883427.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What SF can do better than anything else is show us the range of our possible futures, and what we can do to…” — Stanley Schmidt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stanley Schmidt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What SF can do better than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else-is-show-us-the-range-of-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/what-sf-can-do-better-than-anything-else-is-show-us-the-range-of-our/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```