So, provided we ever reach the technological level of "Trek" and "Wars" ...

[wyldwolf]

... what subjects will sci-fi cover?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. they will concoct a horrific, imaginary world in which

a group of functionally illiterate, ignorant, old, white, strongly religious, unwashed, idiots with no understanding of government, taxes, economic issues, social rights, or the purpose of societal orgnaizations takes virtual control over a democratic form of government.

Despite their idiotic ideas and ideals, they will succeed in derailing real progress and honest governing, and eventually cause the destruction of society from within. Even worse, they will ignorantly try to name themselves after a semi-important event in history, but only succeed in referring to themselves as a relatively obscure sexual act.

They will promote grifters and functional idiots from outlying states as potential national candidates, who promote themselves with ghost-written books, absolutely ignorant ideas, while claiming the advantage of having no experience or knowledge even though they proclaim the right to speak on particular subjects with an air of expertise.

[SheilaT]

2. Science fiction has never had a problem

looking beyond whatever the current technology is.

But in my own attempt to speculate, it may be that the fantasy side will get even stronger than it is. Personally, I'm not a fantasy fan, I vastly prefer actual science fiction. So on that side, we may simply see a lot more alternate history and time travel, which are my personal favorites.

Also, until such time as we actually contact or are contacted by an alien civilization, that part of s-f will remain strong, I'm sure.

[Posteritatis]

3. It'd definitely look more like fantasy from our perspective, if not theirs

A lot of contemporary science fiction would certainly have thrown the original generation of writers back in the turn of the 20th century for a loop. Hell, some of the stuff that Stephen Baxter or Alastair Reynolds spend time on would probably sprain some paradigms for the golden age writers.

Given that the pace of technological change seems to be accelerating, I imagine SF writers a century or so down the road will be able to extrapolate in what seems to us some incredibly weird directions.

[softhearted]

4. We'll never know.

It will be written in binary.