I love when Star Trek presents an ethical dilemma and then doesn't even try to solve it. Should you use the Nazi-allegory doctor's knowledge to save innocent lives? At what scale is someone else's life (or millions of lives) worth your own safety? Is violence against an oppressive government acceptable when it targets civilians? Who the fuck knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No but genuinely this is what I love about sci-fi especially, and especially Star Trek.
It’s not telling you how to feel or think. It’s not telling you right or wrong.
It’s exploring a problem that has no right answer.
I know this is one that gets brought up constantly, but I often think of TNG’s Measure of a Man. The writing was heavy handed and insecure (imo) but the premise and actual content was incredibly powerful and has, years later, left me coming up with new questions. It’s a cheesy line but when the admiral says “Does Data have a soul? I don’t know if he does. I don’t know if I do.” god DAMN that hits and will never not hit.
We need more stories that provide very few answers— they just give you enough information to ask questions.
(Not to go off too much but) So much fiction nowadays is opium for the masses. It’s comforting, it spoon feeds you validation and stability, and confirms your notions. It can definitely be deep and powerful. Opium can feel very very good.
But we need to feel some pain and lack of conclusion more often in our fiction. I never want to stop wondering.
