PART I"Social science fiction?"Science fiction is a term familiar to many people. This is especially true due to the tremendous influence of television. But the term "social science fiction," although not heard too often, is a term is descriptive of most of today's science fiction literature."But what does it mean?"Social science fiction is the term given to literature "which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings."(1) It is to be set apart from the adventure or "gadget" science fiction which is characterized by simplistic plots and flat characters. Social science fiction is concerned with the problems presented to humanity by technology and science.This theme can be seen readily throughout many of Isaac Asimov's science fiction works. But, Mr.
Asimov was not too concerned with the problems of atomic power or overpopulation when he was three years old.Asimov was born in Russia in the year 1920. He and his parents emigrated to the United States when Isaac was three years old. Upon arriving, young Asimov wasted little time in beginning his writing career. He had taught himself to read and by the age of seven, he had his own library card.(2) But, of the two books he was allowed to take out, only one of them could be fiction. Thus, Isaac took a liking to many science and history books, and his amazingly retentive memory allowed him to recall many of the things he read.Because of his excellent reading habits and his superb memory, Asimov was considered brilliant when he entered school.
A grade of 95 from a person capable of 100 was considered a poor grade by Isaac's father. Although he was an excellent student, Asimov was frequently bored by school. In order to escape boredom, he would create stories in class for himself and others. Although he did this verbally at first, he began writing down his stories at the age of eleven. Yet these in-class activities did not distract him from his schoolwork. He graduated the Boys' High School in Brooklyn when he was fifteen.
From there, he went on to receive a B.S. from Colombia University in 1939, a Masters in 1941, and then a Ph.D. in 1948.(3) Asimov says he would have continued his studies had it not been for World War II.Asimov's first exposure to science fiction occurred one day while he was working in his father's candy store.
Science Fiction is a genre that has the ability to reveal the truth of the society and the dystopian elements that capture today's world. The real problems are shown as well as what important pieces are missing. Fahrenheit 451 forms the idea that our world today focuses on the unimportant and ignorant things in life causing people from this book lack some basic human rights. Additionally, in Harrison Bergeron, the public is forced to wear handicaps that hides their gifts they were born with. This world is forced to be equal and anyone who speaks out against it will be executed. Through the pages of Fahrenheit 451 and the Harrison Bergeron, the real flaws in today's society leading many people to have their freedoms diminished, or taken away are shown.
Literature and film have always held a strange relationship with the idea of technological progress. On one hand, with the advent of the printing press and the refinements of motion picture technology that are continuing to this day, both literature and film owe a great deal of their success to the technological advancements that bring them to widespread audiences. Yet certain films and works of literature have also never shied away from portraying the dangers that a lust for such progress can bring with it. The modern output of science-fiction novels and films found its genesis in speculative ponderings on the effect such progress could hold for the every day population, and just as often as not those speculations were damning. Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis are two such works that hold great importance in the overall canon of science-fiction in that they are both seen as the first of their kind. It is often said that Mary Shelley, with her authorship of Frankenstein, gave birth to the science-fiction novel, breathing it into life as Frankenstein does his monster, and Lang's Metropolis is certainly a candidate for the first genuine science-fiction film (though a case can be made for Georges Méliès' 1902 film Le Voyage Dans la Lune, his film was barely fifteen minutes long whereas Lang's film, with its near three-hour original length and its blending of both ideas and stunning visuals, is much closer to what we now consider a modern science-fiction film). Yet though both works are separated by the medium with which they're presented, not to mention a period of over two-hundred years between their respective releases, they present a shared warning about the dangers that man's need fo...
Why do we fear the unknown? In the process of answering this question, science-fiction genre films successfully capture the history of American society at distinct points in time. The genre is so closely linked to social and historical contexts that its development relies solely on this connection. Sci-fi myths and conventions have remained static for decades, and the only measurable change in the genre lies in the films’ themes (Gehring 229-230). For example, Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) argues that fear of the unknown is a flaw in human nature and criticizes the social paranoia of post-war, 1940s America. Conversely, Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) views the human existence through more positive outlook, wherein society can overcome such fear; this optimism reflects the escapist beliefs of the 70s. When juxtaposed, the films’ themes demonstrate the evolution of the sci-fi genre by expressing different social attitudes towards conventions such as foreign beings, unfamiliar technology, and unusual scientists. The films also represent the genre during two major aesthetic periods in cinema—the post-classical and the late modernist eras, respectively—but nonetheless serve a greater purpose in measuring America’s social progress.
In his novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley illustrates ways in which government and advanced science control society. Through actual visualization of this Utopian society, the reader is able to see how this state affects Huxley’s characters. Throughout the book, the author deals with many different aspects of control. Whether it is of his subjects’ feelings and emotions or of the society’s restraint of population growth, Huxley depicts government’s and science’s role in the brave new world of tomorrow.
Many people believe that being very technologically advanced is the best thing for society, but not many people know that technology can also be the worst thing for society. In the novel A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, technology is shown as a harmful thing. Having too much technology is potentially harmful as shown through the use Soma, the reproduction process in the world state, and the World State's method of determining social class. The first way technology in society can be harmful is through the citizens use of Soma.
William Golding was born on the 19 of September in Cornwall, England, and he decided to be a writer when he was only 7 years old. From the very beginning he studied natural science, but he became wearied of that so he began to study English literature and Physics, which he also got degree in. 1935 he made his debut with a poetry collection, but he didn't like to be a poet. His real debut was in 1954 with this book "Lord of the Flies". He continued writing and after several short stories, histories, dramas and articles he was selected to receive the Nobel's Prize of literature in 1983. William has also written The Inheritors, Free Fall, the Spire, Darkness Visible and many more.
It is a genre created by authors that were looking to take their writing abilities to new levels and providing their readers with great stories to explore. Like any other writer the main intent to take your reader to places well beyond their normal imaginations. Science fiction is ever-changing and will continue to do so for many years to come. That is a great thing, as new ideas will continue to surface and us as readers will continue to search for new ways to be challenged than we were before. From the earlier writings of Shelly to Wells, new futuristic ideas will continue to appear. Who knows what the future will hold for science fiction, as it continues to shape its own course. But fear not the unknown as it gives you something to strive
Isaac Newton had a tragic and unfortunate life ever since he was born. Three months prior to Newton’s birth, his father died. Then, when Newton was three years old, his mother left him with her parents in order to remarry to a wealthy rector, named Barnabas Smith. A few years later, his mother returned with three more children, and brought Newton back home to live with her and their new family. Newton went to school for next next couple years, until age fourteen, when he was told to drop out of school to assist his mother around the house and on the farm. It turned out Newton was not of any help around the house nor farm, because he was constantly busy reading. His mother then advised him to return to school (“Isaac Newton;” Gleick). After said events, his mother's second husband, Barnabas Smith dies as well. His mother then fled again, completely neglecting Newton's parental needs. Combination of all these events caused Newton to be on a constant emotional and physical edge, often crying and engaging in disputes and fights in school (“Sir Isaac Newton;” Hatch).
Science fiction is a genre, which depicts what life would be like in a world with major scientific and technological developments. When it comes to science fiction, the exploration of future technology is a major element. Many stories and films focus on space, robots, aliens, a mad scientist, and/or artificial intelligence. “The universal themes found in science fiction—themes of freedom and responsibility, power, love, individuality and community, good versus evil, technology run amok, and more—present ample opportunity to explore complex issues and compelling controversies at length and in depth in ways that not only engage the intellect, but involve the emotions and expand the imagination.” The story “Flowers for Algernon,” by Daniel Keyes, is an example of science fiction that examines the impact of artificial intelligence. “The End of the Whole Mess,” by Steven King, is an example of science fiction that focuses on the fall of a mad scientist. The film “Gravity” is an example of a science fiction movie that explores the use of major technological advancement within space. In this paper I will assess the major themes portrayed in “Flowers for Algernon,“ “The End of the Whole Mess,” and the film, “Gravity.” Additionally, I will examine how these models of science fiction teach a major lesson about the imperfections of future scientific and technological advancements on society.
Throughout time many innovators come and go. For some of these great men we remember not only their accomplishments but them as a person. Many of our modern technologies were developed or founded by one man, but do we know their names? Isaac Asimov must be considered one of the few innovators whom have not only shaped a new idea into reality but have also kept their legacy along with it.
Einstein’s education was unconventional for a person who was to become a success. Early on, he was failing a large number of his courses; and he transferred from a German school at age fifteen to a Swiss school, so that he could avoid compulsive military service in the German armed forces. By the age of sixteen, he officially became a school dropout. His grade school principle made the statement to his parents, “it didn’t matter what profession the boy prepared for because he wo...
In the early 1980's, cyberpunk was used as a label to describe a new form of science fiction written by a group of five writers, which challenged the traditional genres associated with science fiction (Shiner, 7). SF used highly imaginative ideas to project scientific phenomenas, resulting in dreamy, stylized stories of space colonies and flying space crafts. This new science fiction was different, because it incorporated present global, social and technological situations to help induce the future of the world. It generated new outcomes for the future's high technological, society and global environment that would help categorize it into a specific form of writing known as cyberpunk.
Throughout time, genres have had their era of popularity. One genre that has stayed strong is science fiction. Jules Verne has entertained multiple generations with his fantasizing vision of the future and technology. Jules Verne should be studied because modern influence and creation of science fiction.
The genre of what is called science fiction has been around since The Epic of Gilgamesh (earliest Sumerian text versions BCE ca. 2150-2000). The last 4000 years has evolved science fiction and combined it with all categories of genres comprising action, comedy, horror, drama, and adventure in many different ways. From chest bursting aliens, to robot assassins sent back in time science fiction has successfully captured the imagination of nearly everyone that has been introduced to it. The movies Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Independence Day are both examples of films created with the idea of advanced life existing outside the boarders of our own world. The foundation for each film in view of how extraterrestrial life will affect human affairs, however are very different.
The life of Albert Einstein began at Ulm, in Wuttemberg, Germany on March 14, 1879. He was born to his father Hermann Einstein, a salesman and engineer and to his mother Pauline Einstein. However, Einstein was one of two children, the 2nd being named Maja, born two years after him. As a toddler, he wasn’t capable of talking until the age of three. Education always remained a big part of Einstein’s lifetime. He went to elementary school at the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich while receiving a Prussian education but had problems with it. Indeed, Albert experienced a speech difficulty, a slow modulation in his speaking where he’d pause to contemplate what he’d say next. In 1899, the Einstein family greeted a poor Polish medical student, Max Tulmud to come over for Thursday evening meals. Max introduced Einstein to higher levels of math and science. From Euclid, Albert began to apprehend deductive reasoning and by the age of twelve, he learned Euclidean geometry from a school booklet. From there his studies of calculus skyrocketed.