Economics and Economic History in Science Fiction

Ari J. Officer and Lawrence H. Officer ()
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Ari J. Officer: University of Illinois at Chicago
Lawrence H. Officer: University of Illinois at Chicago

Chapter Chapter 24 in Essays in Economic History, 2022, pp 479-523 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract With the study of thought experiments and counterfactual analysis already established in economic history, science fiction provides additional material to enhance our understanding of the past and present. Science fiction is especially useful to challenge assumptions and expose flaws in economic policy. The chapter reviews science-fiction literature and film, analyzing their historical context and drawing parallels to economic history. While science fiction is known to predict what could be, it can serve policymakers in warning what might go wrong.

Keywords: Science fiction; Literature; Films; Thought experiments; Counterfactual analysis; Speculative fiction; Alternate history; Technology; Labor; Assets; Capital; Trade; Government; Travel; Psychohistory; Risk-reward; Communication; Medical advances; Robotics; Transportation; Internet; Population growth; Gender dysphoria; Specialization; Prices; Resources; Productivity; Currency; Price level; Principal-agent problem; Intellectual property; Central planning; Nineteen Eighty-Four; Property rights; Capitalism; Socialism; Communism; War; Parallel worlds; History repeated (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-030-95925-8_24

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-95925-8_24

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