Cultural products and their implications for business models: Why science fiction needs socio-cultural fiction

•SF prototypes can be applied to initiate new products and new business models.•The technological perspective is complemented by a socio-cultural perspective.•Introducing socio-cultural fiction (SCF) prototypes.•This synthesis is elaborated by referring William Gibson's novel Spook Country.

Science fiction prototypes (SF prototypes), narratives based on science and technology, have been identified as a means to develop new products, services, and business models in light of their potential of enhancing creativity. Drawing on various fields of theory and examples of innovations derived from the arts, this article argues that the value of SF prototypes can be extended by complementing them with socio-cultural fiction (SCF) prototypes. This links the technological perspective to socio-cultural innovation. Further, while referring to prototypes derived from cultural products, it can be assumed that these prototypes through the processes of diffusion and normalization have become part of the world of the customer which then can be addressed through new products or services.