Question

A utopia is a perfect or ideal society. In contrast, a dystopia is a society that is in some way undesirable or even frightening. Dystopias in science fiction are often based on some quality or problem in the real, present-day world. Why do you think that the themes of utopia and dystopia are common in science fiction?

Answer 1

I believe they are common because people believe that is where we could be headed. Will we run society into the ground, or will we prosper? Will the society be a "Divergent" or "Giver" society or will it exist as it does today? Since we have no way of knowing, we pretend we do.

Answer 2

Science fiction delves not only into the possibilities of science but also its effects on civilization as a whole, which can be either positive or negative. Utopias and dystopias are the hypothetical extremes that result when we try to imagine the consequences of human choices or changes in society. When the choices or changes depend on science, the imagined consequences fall within the genre of science fiction.

Many fictional utopias require science-driven advances—for example, the elimination of disease. In fact, some thinkers once held the view that the well-being of humankind could be achieved through advances in technology alone. Technology tends to play a major role in fictional dystopias as well.  Undesirable technologies, such as easily available weapons of mass destruction, are also based on science. (PLATO)