Rethinking the Future: Confronting Techno-Orientalism in Sci-Fi and Society
By [Annalee Newitz]
When we imagine the future through the lens of sci-fi, we often expect bold innovation, dystopian struggles, and worlds shaped by advanced tech. But beneath many of these futuristic visions lies a troubling pattern: the erasure and distortion of Asian cultures. This phenomenon has a name—techno-Orientalism—and it’s shaping both our stories and our real-world politics.
What Is Techno-Orientalism?
Techno-Orientalism is a term coined to describe the portrayal of a future heavily influenced by Asian aesthetics and technology, yet strangely lacking real Asian presence. You’ve likely seen examples without realizing it. In Blade Runner (1982), a smog-choked Los Angeles is filled with Japanese signs and influences—but actual Japanese characters are nearly nonexistent. In the TV series Firefly (2002), characters casually curse in Mandarin, but we never meet a Chinese person.
As critic Kelly Kanayama puts it, techno-Orientalism paints a picture of a “bad, Asian-influenced future with no Asians in it.” It’s a visual and narrative shorthand that reflects outdated, biased assumptions—namely that Asian cultures are emotionless, hyper-efficient, and in need of Western “humanization.”
Robots, Stereotypes, and the Real World
One of the most common expressions of this bias? The trope of the “sexy Asian lady robot.” Whether it’s literal androids or depictions of Asian people as robotic and subservient, this dehumanizing stereotype appears in media and seeps into how Asian individuals are perceived in society.
Critic Rho Chung notes a deeper fear at play: the anxiety that Asian people—and Asian nations—will outpace the West technologically. This fear isn’t just fictional. It’s influencing global policies, from the U.S. government’s crackdown on Chinese scientists and tech firms, to rising tariffs, restrictive immigration laws, and even real-world violence targeting Asian communities.
The Cost of Bad Futurism
At the core of techno-Orientalism is bad futurism—speculative storytelling rooted in prejudice rather than evidence or imagination. And the consequences are serious. When fear-driven narratives shape public opinion and political decisions, innovation slows, global cooperation stalls, and opportunities for progress are lost.
In the U.S., this has already led to strained scientific partnerships with China and the controversial arrests of researchers accused of espionage. Politically, it fuels the obsession with banning platforms like TikTok and stokes distrust of Asian-led innovation.
How We Move Forward
So, what’s the solution?
It starts with better storytelling. Authors like Eliza Chan and Aliette de Bodard are leading the way, creating worlds that thoughtfully include and celebrate Asian cultures. Chan’s Fathomfolk blends Chinese and British folklore in a rich, underwater society grappling with themes of migration and identity. De Bodard’s Universe of Xuya envisions a spacefaring future powered by Vietnamese and Chinese cultural foundations.
But fiction alone can’t solve the problem. Real change requires global policy shifts and renewed collaboration. The U.S. and China must recommit to joint scientific agreements like their long-standing Science and Technology Agreement, which has recently lapsed. The European Commission should also expand access to research funding for Asian partners through its Horizon programme. And perhaps most importantly, Western governments need to foster safer environments for Asian students, scientists, and workers.
The Future Should Be for Everyone
Techno-Orientalism isn’t just a storytelling issue—it’s a societal one. If we want a future shaped by innovation, cooperation, and diversity, we need to drop outdated tropes and start imagining a world that includes everyone. Let’s stop fearing the future—and start building it, together.