Perhaps 'futuristic' is the wrong word to use. Conventional' is a convenient way to provide a bridging link to the readers of the day. It allows meaning from unrecognisable scenarios by often metaphoring to similar real situations. An alien task would be totally meaningless unless it could be put in human terms. It's either none, all or a mixture.
Science Fiction can have it all ways.
Defining Science Fiction is bogged down with everybody's different interpretations with no answer acceptable to all. Good question, even if it's asked in a rhetorical sense. Maybe it's because I'm less interested in looks and how SF should be more broadly defined. All these items are the trappings or trademarks that differentiate SF from Thrillers or Romance stories. If they crop up, then the book is neatly slotted into the SF shelves.