That's one purpose. My own suggestion elsewhere in this thread, Rainbows End, fits into this category. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas nev

That's one purpose. My own suggestion elsewhere in this thread, Rainbows End, fits into this category. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that George Lucas never meant to tell us that we'd be playing with light sabers. Frequently, the futuristic technology of sci-fi is nothing more than a literary device allowing the author to contrive a situation or theme that wouldn't be possible with more mundane environments.