A BANKER AND SCIENCE FICTION

Abstract

Michel Pébereau, a major French business leader, has been since many years a passionate
reader of science fiction and has reviewed new SF books in several periodicals. Interviewed
by Roger Nougaret, he explains the origins of his interest for this literary genre and lists the
works which impressed him most as a top manager. In an erudite survey of science fiction in
various countries, from the most classical to the most contemporary, from the most optimistic
to the most pessimistic, he emphasizes the number of SF heroes who behave like business
leaders. According to him, the main input of science fiction is its capacity to free the imagination. As it demands to understand an imaginary elsewhere, as it calls for logic, as it is able
to stimulate the imaginary, SF – particularly uchronies – provides a useful, even challenging
resource for decision makers.