Science Fiction and Innovation Design (English Version)

(ed. Thomas Michaud

Science fiction is an increasingly influential force in technoscientific innovation, serving as far more than mere entertainment. It functions as a critical cultural and intellectual resource that actively shapes corporate strategy, engineering paradigms, and the collective imagination driving future development. The genre operates through a dual capacity: it is both a wellspring of inspiration, offering a « playground of the intellect » for engineers and entrepreneurs, and a repository of cautionary tales that deploy dystopian and post-apocalyptic scenarios to critique the potential consequences of unchecked technological advancement.

Core methodologies such as Design Fiction—the use of narrative prototypes to suspend disbelief about change—and Science Fiction Prototyping have emerged to systematically harness this creative potential within R&D and strategic planning. These practices are informed by a deeper theoretical framework which posits that science fiction serves as a primary expression of the « technological unconscious, » revealing latent cultural archetypes of technology, or « technotypes, » that guide long-term innovation trajectories.

The influence of science fiction extends to the formation of « technoscientific microideologies, » such as Marsism, which galvanizes actors like Elon Musk and the Mars Society around the goal of planetary colonization. However, a significant tension exists between using science fiction to explore a wide range of possible futures and the tendency to instrumentalize it to reinforce a singular, engineer-centric, problem-solving worldview. While the genre’s capacity to generate novel and positive technological and organizational scenarios is vast, academic and corporate analysis indicates this potential remains significantly under-mobilized.

The Dual Function of Science Fiction in Innovation

Science fiction’s role in the innovation ecosystem is twofold, functioning simultaneously as a source of forward-looking inspiration and a medium for critical reflection and societal warning.

A Source of Inspiration and Foresight

Innovators and entrepreneurs are increasingly analyzing science fiction for its perceived anticipatory and prophetic qualities, seeking to understand the future of their industries through its narratives. This has led to two distinct approaches:

• Analysis of Existing Works: Organizations study the history of science fiction to develop strategic discourse and innovation policies. The European Space Agency’s report, Innovative Technologies From Science Fiction, exemplifies this by cataloging contributions from fiction that could be useful for space exploration.

• Creation of Institutional Fiction: A growing number of economic actors are choosing to create their own « institutional science fiction. » This practice aims to promote utopian technologies imagined internally rather than realizing the visions of external authors.

The genre is particularly influential in highly innovative territories like the United States and Japan, where it helps create an « imaginary pact » that unifies the visions of an international community of engineers and scientists behind transformative innovations.

A Tool for Critical Reflection and Warning

In contrast to its utopian function, science fiction frequently explores the catastrophic consequences of technological progress. The post-apocalyptic and climate fiction genres are especially prominent in this regard, revealing societal fears about the future.

• Critique of Progress: These narratives challenge the ideal of unlimited growth by depicting the collapse of civilization due to machine domination, pollution, pandemics, or climate change. Films like WALL-E and series such as Real Humans explore themes of unsustainable consumption, waste accumulation, and the societal dangers of mass commercializing humanoid robots.

• A « Fire Alarm » for Society: Post-apocalyptic fiction acts as what Walter Benjamin termed a « fire alarm, » underlining the fragility of a technological civilization that views itself as all-powerful. By representing the risks inherent in current development models, these stories serve as powerful critiques of the impact of technosciences on ecosystems and human societies.

• Inspiration for the Common Good: As author Nadine Boudou notes, this critical function can have a positive impact. She states, “The end-of-the-world hypothesis on which these scenarios are based can be useful to innovators and inspire them in their research so that they can be put to work for the common good.” These fictions can foster public vigilance and help cultivate a « global consciousness » about planetary limits.

Methodologies for Harnessing Science Fiction

Over several decades, a range of formal and informal methodologies has been developed to systematically integrate science fiction’s imaginative potential into education, research, and corporate innovation.

Design Fiction and Science Fiction Prototyping

These practices use fiction as a deliberate tool for innovation and strategic thinking.

• Design Fiction: Coined by author Bruce Sterling, design fiction is defined as « the deliberate use of diegetic prototypes to suspend disbelief about change. » It is considered a form of design, not a literary genre, that uses narrative objects and services to explore potential futures.

• Science Fiction Prototyping (SFP): Developed by futurist Brian David Johnson while at Intel, SFP is a method that uses fictional stories to prototype the future and explore the human impact of new technologies before they are built. Johnson states, « Science fiction is the playground of the intellect… there is no better medium to use as a platform for fictional prototyping. »

• Diegetic Prototypes: A concept central to both practices, diegetic prototypes are fictional technologies that exist as fully functioning objects within a story’s world (the diegesis). They demonstrate a technology’s need, viability, and cultural implications to a broad audience.

Systematic Analysis of Imaginary Worlds

Beyond creating new fictions, a rigorous analysis of existing science fiction provides a rich dataset for innovation.

• Corpus Analysis: Researchers Nicolas Minvielle, Remy Hemez, and Olivier Wathelet created a database of nearly 300 science fiction works to map representations of the « foot soldier. » This approach identified recurring themes in technological augmentation (strength, flight) and vulnerabilities (hacking, power dependence), creating a « laboratory for projecting credible and relevant visions of the future. »

• Early Precedents: This modern approach was preceded by the work of Genrich Altshuller, creator of the TRIZ method for invention. In the 1960s, Altshuller created a « Registry of Contemporary Science Fiction Ideas » to systematically analyze and categorize utopian technologies, recognizing that « fiction becomes one of the main sources for an emerging new area of knowledge. »

Application in Engineering Education

Science fiction has been a tool in technical education for over 70 years, aiming to expand the engineering mindset beyond pure rationality.

• Pioneering Work: In the 1950s, Stanford and MIT Professor John Arnold developed the « Arcturus IV » case study. He tasked engineering students with designing technologies for a fictional planet with extreme conditions (methane atmosphere, 10x gravity) to break down psychological barriers and stimulate creativity.

• Developing a Holistic Technical Culture: Today, science fiction is used in engineering schools to foster a « technical culture » that integrates social, ethical, and political dimensions with scientific knowledge. Analyzing films like Ex Machina and Gattaca helps students reflect on the societal implications of their work and construct ethical frameworks.

Core Themes and Concepts

The interplay between science fiction and innovation has given rise to several key theoretical concepts that help explain the phenomenon.

Technotypes and the Technological Unconscious

This theory, inspired by the psychoanalytic work of Carl Jung, provides a framework for understanding the origins of technological ideas.

• Definition: A « technotype » is a technological archetype—a fundamental, latent idea of a technology that resides in a « technological collective unconscious. » Examples include the extraterrestrial base, the humanoid robot, and immersive virtual reality.

• Process of Manifestation: The theory posits a multi-stage process:

    1. Latent technotypes exist in the collective unconscious.

    2. They are activated and given form as « utopian technologies » within the technical imagination, most notably in science fiction.

    3. These fictions create shared « collective representations » of the future.

    4. These representations, in turn, guide and inspire the concrete R&D processes that lead to real-world innovations.

Technoscientific Microideologies

When a specific science fiction imaginary becomes influential enough within a scientific or economic community, it can evolve into a « technoscientific microideology » that guides funding, research, and policy.

• Marsism: This microideology is built around the Martian imaginary world. Propelled by science fiction and championed by figures like Robert Zubrin (The Mars Society) and Elon Musk, it has focused significant capital and engineering talent on the goal of colonizing Mars. It contrasts with the more cautious « French realism » of established space agencies.

• Communicism: Emerging from the cyberpunk movement of the 1980s (Neuromancer), this microideology accompanied the development of the internet and continues to shape the vision for a future immersive global simulation (or « metaverse »).

• Nasaism: This refers to the institutional microideology produced by agencies like NASA and ESA. They use futuristic narratives and science fiction aesthetics in their public communications to stimulate imagination, build popular support, and regulate the public’s understanding of space exploration.

The Engineer Versus The Designer

A recurring theme is the professional and cultural tension between engineers and designers.

• The Dichotomy: Engineering is traditionally seen as an applied science focused on function, with engineers often remaining invisible « behind » their products. Design is viewed as an applied art focused on aesthetics and user experience, with designers gaining public visibility as « stars » (e.g., Philippe Starck).

• The Engineer’s Response: In response, a trend has emerged for making technology itself more visible and aesthetically appealing. Engineers like James Dyson have championed this through approaches that reveal the inner workings of products. This « transparency of technology » is achieved through design strategies such as:

    ◦ Transparent Objects: Using clear casings to show the mechanism (Dyson vacuums).

    ◦ Deconstructed Objects: Employing « exploded view » aesthetics in marketing.

    ◦ Skeleton Objects: Exposing the internal structure of devices like watches.

    ◦ Impossible Objects: Creating products that defy conventional mechanics, like the Segway.

Critiques and Tensions in the Use of Science Fiction

Despite its utility, the application of science fiction in innovation is not without its own set of problems and critical tensions.

The Instrumentalization of Imagination

There is a significant risk that the engineering and corporate worlds co-opt science fiction not to open up new possibilities but to reinforce existing paradigms.

• Truncated Interdisciplinarity: Chapter 6 critiques the concept of the « expansive disintegration » of engineering, arguing that institutional discourses, such as the National Academy of Engineering’s The Engineer of 2020 report, instrumentalize the social. The report uses the language of strategic foresight (« the art of the long view ») but closes down on a single, predetermined, engineer-centric future, rather than remaining open to multiple scenarios.

• Utilitarianism: In this model, other disciplines like art and the social sciences are invited into the innovation process but are confined to a utilitarian role within the pre-existing « problem-form » of engineering, truncating their potential for radical critique.

Techno-Utopia vs. Social and Political Utopia

A dominant trend, particularly in corporate-driven fiction, is the promotion of « techno-utopia, » where social change is reduced to a technical achievement. This often overshadows more critical forms of science fiction.

• Feminist Science Fiction as Counter-Narrative: Genres like feminist science fiction (Herland, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Handmaid’s Tale) are highlighted as powerful counter-examples. They offer profound political and social reflections on gender, power, and societal structure, demonstrating the genre’s capacity to imagine change beyond technological determinism.

Academic Scrutiny and Dystopian Visions

A Systematic Literature Review of 105 academic papers on the topic reveals how the field is currently understood and where its potential is underutilized.

Classification	Theories	Behaviors	Organizations	Tech/Products/Services	Total
Describing	14	4	23	27	68
Transforming	7	2	7	21	37
Total	21	6	30	48	105

• Key Findings:

    ◦ The literature predominantly analyzes science fiction as a tool for describing virtual or potential realities rather than as an agent for transforming them.

    ◦ The most common themes are critiques of technology and organizations. Technology in science fiction is often depicted as autonomous, uncontrollable, and dangerous, leading to dystopian outcomes. Organizations are frequently portrayed through a process of « monumentalization » as vast, powerful, and operating beyond ethical constraints.

• Conclusion: The generative power of science fiction to create new, positive, and actionable scenarios for technology and organizations remains a significantly under-mobilized field for both academic research and practical application.

Contents

1. Technological Innovations in the Post-Apocalyptic World: Lessons Learned from Science Fiction Movies, Nadine Boudou.
2. Using Science Fiction in Engineering Education: Technological Imagination as an Element of Technical Culture, Marianne Chouteau end Céline Nguyen.
3. Engineers Versus Designers: Transposition of the Technical Imaginary World into the Visual, Florin Alexa-Morcov.
4. Imaginary Worlds to Be Projected or to Be Criticized? Methodological Considerations, Nicolas Minvielle, Remy Hemez and Olivier Wathelet.
5. Marsism, from Science Fiction to Ideology, Thomas Michaud.
6. Quo Vadis Engineering? Science Fiction as a Means to Expand the Epistemic Boundaries of Technoscientific Innovation, Marie-Luc Arpin, Corinne Gendron, Nicolas Merveille and Jean-Pierre Revéret.
7. Design Fiction, Technotypes and Innovation, Thomas Michaud.
8. Science Fiction, Innovation and Organization: Where Do We Stand?, Sonia Adam-Ledunois, Claire Auplat and Sébastien Damart.