Great minds! I absolutely agree with you. I mean, I’m enjoying Alien: Earth. That franchise went from “the future” to “an alternative historical future.” Projecting a future that’s fifty to a hundred years off is a staple of the genre, for better or worse.
I have this gut feeling that the tides are shifting to new visions. I also think being a slave to hard science has been a problem. I’m a new wave guy; I don’t need the intense focus on “realistic science.” SF is about humanity, not science. I think pushback is happening, if you choose to see it.
Yesssss