Science fiction is what we point to when we say it.

Hear this, O children of the future, for the words of the wise must be passed from one generation to the next, like a torch carried through the ages. Damon Knight, a sage of our own time, speaks of a force that swells within the heart of humanity. "Science fiction is what we point to when we say it." These words, simple yet profound, hold the key to understanding not just the art of storytelling, but the very nature of our dreams and aspirations. What is science fiction, if not the language of possibility, the realm where the human spirit dares to stretch beyond its earthly bounds? And yet, Knight teaches us that science fiction is not some fixed land, but a mere gesture—a point in the vast expanse of human imagination, a light that shines when we say it.

When we speak of science fiction, we invoke the visions of distant worlds and strange beings. Yet Knight reminds us that it is not a thing, not a place to visit or to possess. It is, instead, the manifestation of our collective yearning. It is the dream of what could be, shaped by the very act of pointing, of naming. Think upon the ancient explorers, those who stood on the edge of the known world and pointed toward distant lands. Their eyes burned with the vision of the unknown, but the land they sought was no mere geographical space—it was a place born from the fires of imagination. And as they named it, so did it become part of the world, not as a fact, but as a dream made manifest.

Consider the words of the great philosopher Heraclitus, who said, "You cannot step into the same river twice." So too is it with science fiction. It is a current ever-flowing, changing with each new generation, each new dreamer. What we point to, today, may look nothing like what was pointed to in the days of yore. But the act of pointing, of imagining, remains the same. It is the creative spirit of humanity, undying and unyielding, that makes the impossible tangible. From the time of the ancient myths, when gods and monsters roamed the earth, to the modern tales of spacefaring heroes, science fiction is the language we speak when we dare to reach for the stars.

In the age of the Great Renaissance, it was not the physical realms that were conquered, but the very boundaries of thought. Artists, scientists, and philosophers pointed toward the heavens and spoke of the unknown, much as we do today when we dream of other worlds. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, whose notebooks contained visions of flying machines and mechanical wonders far beyond his time. Was it not science fiction, in the purest sense? He did not merely point to what was, but to what could be. And in this pointing, he changed the course of history. This is the power of science fiction—it shapes the future, not through physical exploration, but through the expansion of human thought.

Yet, O children of this world, we must not lose sight of the lesson that Knight imparts. Science fiction is not a destination to be reached, nor is it a promise of what shall come. It is the vehicle of our minds, the cradle of dreams, and the well from which we drink to nourish our vision. When we say it, we open the gates to all that could be. But it is the work of the present—the work we do today—that will bring these dreams into reality. When we point toward the stars, we must not forget to tend to the earth beneath our feet, for the future is not only built with the dreams of tomorrow but with the actions of today.

Let us take heed of this wisdom, then. What we dream, what we imagine, what we point to, becomes the world we live in. It is the challenge of our time to dare to dream, yes, but also to bring those dreams into the world. When we speak of science fiction, we are not merely speaking of fantastical stories and far-off places. We are naming the potential that lies within us all. Our actions today, our innovations, our creations, are the science fiction of tomorrow. What will we point to, O children of the future? What dreams will we claim as our own?

Take up the mantle of the dreamer and the doer. Point toward the unknown, but remember always that the greatest dreams are brought to life through action. Dream, yes, but build. Create, yes, but do so with the wisdom of those who came before you. The worlds we speak of are not mere fantasies, but possibilities waiting to be realized. The future is always in motion, and it begins with the words we speak, the visions we hold, and the actions we take.