Visually Impaired Science Fiction Characters

I love science fiction. Its a place where anything is possible; full of wonder, adventure, excitement, danger and so much more. I’ve been watching and reading science fiction since 2005, hooked on the stuff by Doctor Who. I have enjoyed many science fiction books from The Time Machine to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and have loved many science fiction movies such as Back to the Future, The Matrix, Star Wars, the X-Men series, and Marvel. I have adored science fiction shows, like Doctor Who, and also with Star Trek and Red Dwarf. I love all things science fiction, and can’t get enough of them. They fill me with a joy, a thrill like no other, and always take me on amazing adventures. And perhaps I cannot see the stars from Earth, with my failing retinas, but science fiction holds me close, and takes me there. It inspires me, and casts its spell on me, and fuels my own stories.

But in all of these stories, there is one thing missing. Blind and partially sighted people. Its something you don’t see very often in science fiction. Its not that I’m looking for it. Its just a nice touch, when they turn up, that blind and partially sighted people can be included in these narratives, be heroes, go on adventures, defeat monsters, explore space. There are a few characters, but not as many as there could be, and is one of the reasons that I am writing one in my current science fiction novel. And I don’t see why its so few. In a universe where police boxes can travel in space or a Delorean can travel in time, surely blind and partially sighted people can be characters too.

Its why I love Star Trek The Next Generation. Well its one of the reasons. A friend at university recommended it, when the visual impairment first rumbled into my life like thunder. And I found Geordi. A blind man, in space, as the chief engineer. And I loved it. It proved that anything was possible, in my career and also within science fiction. I had another person to look up to, asides Odin, who looked like me. And yes, I know he’s not played by a blind actor. But its one case where I don’t mind, as he does it really well.

So its why I got excited, this morning, at a latest article. Its from Star Trek, about their new show. They’re including a visually impaired character, played by a visually impaired actor, and it sounds wonderful. I will definitely be watching it, when it comes to the UK, even if I have to pay for a new streaming service. I know it will be brilliant. And hopefully, it might inspire other franchises to follow suit. Perhaps even into a companion on Doctor Who. Anything is possible.

Read more in this article

By Sarah

A visually impaired science fiction and fantasy writer who loves music, mythology, and plays the clarinet. Had one short story and eleven flashes published both in print and online. A work in progress, improving my mental health one story at a time.

34 comments

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