So much of literary sci-fi is about creating worlds that are rich and detailed and make sense at a social level. We'll create a world for people and then later present a narrative in that world.
“I was very close to my mother, and her death, which left a gaping hole in my life, has been very difficult for me and my father in a lot of ways.”
“Yes, sometimes I think that all my writing is nothing more than the compensatory work of a frustrated painter.”