In terms of stories I would buy for a science fiction magazine, if they take place in the future, that might do it.
Frederik PohlA good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.
Frederik PohlThey were two lovely choices. One of them meant giving up every chance of a decent life forever...and the other one scared me out of my mind.
Frederik PohlWhat were we doing here? Traveling hundreds or thousands of light-years, to break our hearts?
Frederik PohlThe future depicted in a good SF story ought to be in fact possible, or at least plausible. That means that the writer should be able to convince the reader (and himself) that the wonders he is describing really can come true... and that gets tricky when you take a good, hard look at the world around you.
Frederik Pohl