Science Fiction as a Lens into Future War

Fictional narratives of future war can, of course, provide entertainment and spectacle. They can warn us to prepare for specific threats. But beyond this, they can engage with the ethics of war in their own way. They can remind us of the gravity of our choices in how we prepare for war, go to war, and wage war, when there is much in contemporary society that can disengage us from the seriousness of what’s at stake. They can remind us not only of the grave cost of war but also the unpredictable ramifications of our choices. Stories of future war are not a substitute or a rival for formal ethical thinking, but in their own way they can nourish our thoughts as we engage with ethical questions about war and warfare.