I like sci-fi (and write it a bit) and nowadays authors are too concerned with avoiding criticism from audience and sounding realistic.

If there is a definitive genre for provoking thought and testing the limits of imagination it is sci-fi.

Who cares if something is not realistic and sounds completely impossible? I like the classical "there was once the certainty that it was impossible to reach the moon". It was never about being a problem but a challenge and we solved it.

The concept of the space elevator was developed by a physicist inspired by something in a sci-fi novel.

What tends to be overlooked as well is that sci-fi vies to warn about possible consequences of ill considered decisions and technological developments which are usually the first to be coveted by whoever enjoys the work.

Sci-fi should never feel the need to apologize.