Indeed. Most fiction is ultimately about social relationships, someone's inner life, or personal growth. There are many stories, however, where those concerns

Indeed. Most fiction is ultimately about social relationships, someone's inner life, or personal growth. There are many stories, however, where those concerns are not the primary motivation for writing or reading the story, and SF has a disproportionate share of those. A fair number of "hard SF" stories are basically travelogues.