Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, science fiction thrilled the people with tales of wondrous new futures and what dangers new technologies might pose. We settled Mars, led the Fremen against
House Harkonnen and rendezvoused with Rama.

But then something happened. We stopped reading science fiction. Fantasy became the dominant genre in the land of make believe. Gone were the advanced machines (and humans) on futuristic worlds. In their place came kick-ass heroines with werewolf lovers fighting mages and fae on a city’s dark streets.

And sci-fi fans wondered: “What happened?”

Some pointed to Harry Potter, saying the popular and accessible boy wizard turned parents and kids alike from science fiction to the world of magic and creatures. Young boys didn’t dream of being Andrew “Ender” Wiggin or Paul Atriedies, but the Boy Who Lived.

While one book can certainly have an influence in the growth of a genre (see The Hunt for Red October and the...