What Science Fiction Reveals About Culture and Leadership
Jan 30, 2026One of Tom Lombardo’s most important insights is this: science fiction always reflects the world that created it.
Each era tells stories shaped by its anxieties and aspirations. Cold War science fiction wrestled with nuclear annihilation. The social movements of the 1960s reshaped stories about power, race, and gender. Contemporary science fiction grapples with artificial intelligence, climate change, and political instability.
These stories are not predictions. They are diagnoses.
Tom points out that shows like Star Trek often said more about their own time than about the centuries they portrayed. Advanced technology was paired with familiar human psychology because imagining new machines is easier than imagining new ways of being human.
This insight matters for leadership. If we want to understand where society is headed, we should examine the stories gaining traction today. Are they hopeful? Fear-driven? Cynical? Optimistic?
Stories reveal what people believe is possible—and what they fear losing.
For educators, this provides a powerful teaching tool. Rather than treating science fiction as peripheral, we can use it to explore social values, ethical dilemmas, and historical context. Asking why a story resonates often matters more than asking whether it is realistic.
In leadership, paying attention to cultural narratives helps explain resistance, motivation, and behavior. People act based on the futures they believe in—explicitly or implicitly.
Understanding science fiction is not about fandom.
It’s about cultural literacy.
Reflection Question:
What fears or hopes do you see reflected in the stories that dominate popular culture today?
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