Högskolan i Skövde

This article extends the exploration of potential futures as envisioned in science fiction (SF) literature by analyzing how emerging trends are portrayed through a structured analytical framework. Specifically, it examines award-winning SF novels, focusing on political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) dimensions as imagined by prominent authors within the genre. Thus, the purpose of the article is to provide an overview of emerging trends and tendencies within imagined futures as depicted in acclaimed SF literature, framed through the lens of PESTLE analysis. To this end, four future scenarios were extrapolated from a selection of 42 novels that have either won or been nominated for major SF awards—the Nebula and the Hugo. These scenarios are: Solar System Expansion, Cyber High-Tech Future, Post-Contraction Society, and Dystopian Future. Each scenario is assessed according to its political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental characteristics.