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How sci-fi has changed your life, even if you don’t realize it

Step into the shadowy center of the Venn diagram where science and fiction overlap

Without science fiction, you might not be reading this. You also might not be taking advantage of post-holiday sales on Amazon while scrolling through ”Bird Box” memes in Instagram and looking for a “cuffing season” buddy on Hinge. In short, if not for sci-fi, you might not be taking part in any of the modern wonders the internet brings us.

This is because Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, may never have conceived of the idea if not for Arthur C. Clark’s “Dial F For Frankenstein,” a short science-fiction story that first appeared in Playboy and helped inspire the young inventor. It’s just one example of the symbiotic relationship science and science fiction have had throughout modern history.

Videos by VICE

VICE News recently spoke with noted science-fiction authors and scholars, including “The Martian“ author Andy Weir and “The Expanse” co-authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank, for a series exploring the often inspiring, occasionally terrifying, and always thought-provoking ways science and sci-fi have overlapped and shape the world around us.

Watch all 7 episodes below:

1. How science changed sci-fi about Mars

2. How sci-fi reflects our hopes and fears

3. Why “The Martian“ author doesn’t mix politics with sci-fi

4. Why ”The Expanse” co-author thinks sci-fi can change politics

5. How science is becoming more like sci-fi

6. Is Mars the future of space tourism?

7. How sci-fi inspires real innovations