THE RISE OF INDIGENOUS SCIENCE FICTION: EXPLORING ALTERNATE FUTURES

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE

Article Published on: 19TH JUNE 2025 | www.demodemagazine.com

Indigenous science fiction is experiencing a powerful and long-overdue rise, offering new perspectives on technology, identity, and the future. Often rooted in traditional knowledge, oral histories, and cultural worldviews, Indigenous sci-fi reclaims the narrative by imagining futures where Indigenous peoples not only survive but thrive in worlds shaped by their own values.

Unlike conventional science fiction, which often centers Western ideals of progress and conquest, Indigenous science fiction explores themes like interconnectedness, environmental stewardship, ancestral memory, and decolonization. These stories challenge colonial assumptions and offer alternative visions of humanity’s relationship with land, technology, and time. They don’t just speculate—they remember, reimagine, and resist.

Writers like Rebecca Roanhorse, Darcie Little Badger, and Cherie Dimaline are at the forefront of this movement, blending Indigenous cosmologies with futuristic storytelling. Their work spans dystopian survival tales, interstellar journeys, and cybernetic rebellions, all grounded in the richness of Indigenous traditions and languages.

This genre also opens the door for Indigenous youth to see themselves as the heroes of tomorrow—not just surviving colonization, but shaping advanced civilizations and navigating space with wisdom inherited from their ancestors. It’s both radical and restorative.

The rise of Indigenous sci-fi also signals a cultural shift in the publishing and entertainment industries, which are slowly becoming more inclusive and aware of the power of diverse storytelling. Films, graphic novels, and speculative anthologies are bringing these stories to wider audiences hungry for fresh, authentic voices.

In embracing Indigenous science fiction, we are invited to expand our imaginations beyond the dominant narratives of the future. These stories don’t just ask, “What if?”—they declare, “We are still here, and we have always been part of what comes next.” It’s a genre that redefines both science fiction and the future itself.