On Science Fiction (Isaac Asimov)

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Science fiction should not be judged too narrowly or haughtily. A story does not lose value only because it is not fully in accord with reality. Imagination has its own place because reality is not th…

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The line suggests that literature can explore worlds beyond everyday reality. Imagination, myth, and fantasy can also express human excitement and curiosity, so fiction should not be limited only to r…

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He uses the comparison to show that old stories still thrill readers even when the setting is no longer part of present-day life. The example proves that a story can remain exciting without matching m…

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It is a rhetorical question used to defend mythological and legendary stories. The point is that people still enjoy such stories even if spears and shields are no longer used in real life.

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Asimov does not treat sword-and-sorcery as literal science fiction. He considers it the equivalent of science fiction set in a prescientific universe. It should be self-consistent, well-written, and e…

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A prescientific universe is a story world based on imagination, myth, or legend rather than modern science. Such a world can still work if it follows its own rules clearly and consistently.

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A story can be imaginative and still be believable within its own world. Self-consistency makes the fictional universe fair and understandable, even if it is not scientifically real.

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He wants such stories to be self-consistent in their own universe and to be well-written and exciting. He does not require them to be forced into scientific or pseudoscientific explanations.