Scifi is much more satisfying when it sets up a fantastical world/premises and then keeps an internal consistency as the narrative develops.
It’s far less satisfying to force the use of fantastical elements as a crutch for a weak narrative.
Exactly. Introducing new things out of nowhere that just happen to be exactly what the characters need right then is poor writing IMHO. It breaks my suspension of disbelief, pulls me out of the story, and makes it much harder to enjoy.