This essay examines how science fiction (SF) can contribute to discussions of emerging science and technology, based on the author’s experience as a Journalist-in-Residence in Japan’s “Molecular Cybernetics” project. Through a serialized work combining nonfiction and short SF stories, the author explored how imaginative narratives can communicate complex research and stimulate dialogue on ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI). While nonfiction articles attracted wider public interest, the SF stories encouraged researchers to envision unconventional futures and engage more freely in creative discussion. Reflecting on the concept of “SF prototyping,” the essay argues that SF writers are best positioned not as predictors of the future, but as catalysts who inspire imaginative collaboration between science and society.