Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999) Novelist, editor
As quoted in The Faces of Science Fiction (1984) by Patti Perret
As quoted in The Making of Kubrick's 2001 (1970) by Jerome Agel, p. 300
1970s
Context: One of the biggest roles of science fiction is to prepare people to accept the future without pain and to encourage a flexibility of mind. Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories. Two-thirds of 2001 is realistic — hardware and technology — to establish background for the metaphysical, philosophical, and religious meanings later.
Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999) Novelist, editor
As quoted in The Faces of Science Fiction (1984) by Patti Perret
Media Kashigar (1956–2017) Iranian translator, writer and poet
Source: Iranian Students News Agency, 2004 http://www.isna.ir/news/8307-08004/%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%8A%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%83%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D9%86%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B1
“There is more to a science fiction story than the science it contains. There is also the story.”
Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, known for his works of science fiction …
Robot Dreams (1986), introduction
General sources
“A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.”
Frederik Pohl (1919–2013) American science fiction writer and editor
“Science Fiction is the fiction of ideas.”
Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) American writer
The Paris Review interview (2010)
Context: Science Fiction is the fiction of ideas. Ideas excite me, and as soon as I get excited, the adrenaline gets going and the next thing I know I’m borrowing energy from the ideas themselves. Science fiction is any idea that occurs in the head and doesn’t exist yet, but soon will, and will change everything for everybody, and nothing will ever be the same again. As soon as you have an idea that changes some small part of the world you are writing science fiction. It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible.
Alan Moore (1953) English writer primarily known for his work in comic books
"The Mustard magazine interview" (January 2005)
Context: Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky.
Doris Lessing (1919–2013) British novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer and short story writer
Boston Book Review interview by Harvey Blume http://www.dorislessing.org/boston.html (February 1998)
“Science fiction is no more written for scientists than ghost stories are written for ghosts.”
Brian W. Aldiss (1925–2017) British science fiction author
Penguin Science Fiction (1961) Introduction