While Danish isn't entirely lacking in tense distinction, there are only 4 "formal" conjugated tenses - present, past, future and one which is a combination of past and present perfect tense. (It's the same for "I have eaten it and I'd have eaten it".) Everything else is indicated by the modal and the infinitive. I can't speak for the usefulness in science fiction writing, because I've only just begun to struggle through Politiken.
merely a data point
I can't speak for the usefulness in science fiction writing, because I've only just begun to struggle through Politiken.