Science Fiction

I would have been happy to talk about social dynamics, statism, collectivism, authoritarianism, the altruist-collectivistic morality, ... the values of a free market, the utility of invisible-hand processes, and such. ... Someday perhaps the Berlin wall of science fiction will be brought down. But I do not think it will come down in the near future.

Many of the concepts introduced in 'The Prisoner' were science fiction in 1967. Today, they are everyday occurrences. Number 2 has access to files regarding every aspect of the lives of the inmates of The Village, and his agents maintain constant surveillance of the inmates through the use of hidden cameras and microphones. The population of The Village is controlled through the manipulation of the media, and most of Number 6's fellow inmates are all too willing to turn against him for his 'unmutual' or 'undemocratic' beliefs. Those who speak out against Number 2's authority may find themselves in 'rehabilitation' ...

[Heinlen] explained to [literary agent] Blassingame in March 1949: "... [Alice Dagliesh's] definition [of science fiction] ... fails to include most of the field ... Speculative fiction (I prefer that term to science fiction) is also concerned with sociology, psychology, esoteric aspects of biology, impact of terrestrial culture on the other cultures we may encounter when we conquer space, etc., without end. However, speculative fiction is not fantasy fiction, as it rules out the use of anything as material which violates established scientific fact, laws of nature, call it what you will."