Characterizations in speculative fiction

There is insightful commentary in this blog by Satima Flavell for the speculative fiction writers out there. It's a reflection on the importance of psychological elements and how characters need to be well-written to effectively drive them.

I took away some good reminders from this exchange (the comment by the referred author, Ruv Draba, that follows the post is insightful too). So, I'll keep their comments in mind while writing my next opus.

Of the entire post, my favorite quip was Ms. Flavell's comment: "I have always felt that good speculative fiction is, at least to some degree, allegorical – that the created world is a metaphor for the real one." I wholeheartedly agree with this comment and I think it's the driver for much speculative fiction. We look at our current world and observe sound knowledge like global warming being debunked and wonder how far society could take bad decisions like such naysaying. So, we use our imaginations and draw these events out into the future weaving an entertaining tale in the process. With any luck, we'll shed light on our current missteps in the process and help point out the stakes of such fallacies.