>[!abstract] >Critical utopia, a term developed by literary scholar [[Moylan, 2021|Tom Moylan]], describe a strand of utopian science fiction that emerged in the 1970s. Unlike [[Classical utopia|classical utopias]] that depict flawless ideal societies, critical utopias present alternative worlds that are aspirational yet imperfect, acknowledging contradictions, conflicts, and unfinished struggles. They resist totalizing visions by allowing space for dissent and diversity, treating utopia as a process rather than a static endpoint. This form of narrative both critiques existing social structures and explores the challenges of building better futures, blending hope with self-reflexive realism. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Utopian studies]] >- **West** (similar): [[Classical utopia]] >- **East** (different): [[Critical dystopia]] >- **South** (downstream): —