Cognitive Estrangement

Critic Darko Suvin's term for what makes science fiction work: it pulls us out of the familiar world with a new idea, then follows that idea with consistent logic so we can see our own world more clearly.

• Ep 1 — Why Does SciFi Matter? (03:38–04:35, 08:28): Caitlin introduces the idea as what differentiates sci-fi from other genres, then uses Parable of the Sower as an example: different enough from today, but with a logic you can follow from the 1990s to now.
• Ep 3 — Science Fiction isn’t about the future (11:44–12:45): Caitlin revisits the idea: sci-fi takes a step back from day-to-day reality to "remove us from what we're too close to see," showing us the forest instead of the trees. Rob adds that it gives just enough distance to see the big picture without losing sight of how we'd get there.