While many people may not consider science fiction, fantasy or speculative fiction to be “literary,” research shows that all fiction can generate critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence for young readers. Science fiction may have a power all its own.
Literature as a moral mirror
Historically, parents have considered literature “good” for young people if it provides moral guidance that reflects their own values
This belief has been the catalyst for many movements to censor particular books for nearly as long as books have been published.
The mental health of reading
- Reading science fiction and fantasy can help readers make sense of the world
- Exposure to outside-the-box creative stories may expand readers’ ability to engage reality based on science
- A 2015 survey found a connection between respondents’ consumption of varied literary forms and an ability to understand science
The powerful world of science fiction
- Science fiction and fantasy do not need a mirror image of reality to offer compelling stories about serious social and political issues
- The fact that the setting or characters are extraordinary may be precisely why they are powerful
- Critical thinking and agile habits of mind prompted by this type of literature may actually produce resilience and creativity
