Whether you are a fan or not, Science Fiction and Fantasy is, or has been, present in your life at some point. The genre has helped progress society in many ways. Sci-fi and Fantasy are for the creative. One cannot embrace the wild and imaginative plot lines without the ability to think creatively. Sometimes the fantastical ideas presented in the books and shows are absorbed by these creative and inventive minds and applied to the real world. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek once said, “For me science fiction is a way of thinking, a way of logic that bypasses a lot of nonsense. It allows people to look directly at important subjects.” These genres are a way of looking at the world in a whole new light, exploring endless ideas of humanity and our society (and in some cases using otherworldly or mythical species to reflect on our own), ideas of what our future may be like, or what the past may have been. It could be a bright idea of humanity overcoming their selfishness and living in harmony in the future, on the other hand, it could also be a warning of sorts. Some books and films take place in a dark future where mankind has almost completely destroyed itself. Either way can inspire the reader or viewer.
Many ancient and medieval poetry and writings have elements of sci-fi/fantasy in them such as trips to the stars or under the ocean. Mythology, even, can be seen as a form of fantasy. Many ancient beliefs from different cultures featured fantastic creatures and places and people with incredible magical powers. Gulliver’s Travels, written in 1726 by Jonathan Swift is considered one of the first true Science Fantasy novels. It is a tale about a man encountering all sorts of strange and seemingly otherworld...
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...ogressing in the direction of a material that will hopefully one day be as strong as the Captain’s shield. Science has even created Batman’s grappler gun! The Grappler is made for use by the military and can be extremely useful in rescue missions. It can even operate under water!
With our world progressing so quickly in science and technology it is fascinating to look back at the literature that was the inspiration for these advances. It is strange that this genre, filled with such outlandish plot lines and characters, could influence the real world. In a way it’s beautiful. When these brilliant minds of mankind are able to grab an idea from the fictional world and work together to make it a reality. For hundreds of years, people have dreamed of what they thought to be impossible but to quote Star Trek, “Things are only impossible until their not.”
In literature there are over 20 different genres of reading, and each of them contains many similarities and differences. Science fiction, arguably one of the most popular genre’s, is also one of the hardest to understand, however there are certain elements/characteristics that can easily determine if a book is or is not science fiction. The characteristics that make up science fiction are, advancements in technology and the application of advanced technology. In books such as The Veldt and Fahrenheit 451 both technological advancements and there application play a crucial role on determining that these books fall into the science fiction genre.
Both texts are science fiction and show a deep concern with the effects of a technological revolution on human society.
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...
Westerns and science fiction are two genres employed by popular culture that are, in that order, chronologically consecutive in history in terms of their popularity. When analyzed, they show themselves to be also extremely similar to one another, both thematically and structurally. Yet the shift in desirability from the dominant trend of western works to those of science fiction did occur, and I would argue is still occurring today. The reason for that shift in spite of the many similarities of the two genres, along with the factor of the added differences over time, may therefore be a convenient tool in revealing where exactly the ideologies of these respective generations diverge.
Kornbluth, C. M. "The Failure of the Science Fiction Novel As Social Criticism." The Science Fiction Novel: Imagination and Social Criticism. (1969): 64-101.
Science fiction is a genre that has evolved significantly over time, but has still kept its identity and essence of advanced technology and applied sciences alive. Over the years, a genre being read only by a minority is now the choice of billions. Visualizing and correlating various science fiction tales, such as “The Man Who Evolved” and “An Express of the Future”, brings out innumerable resemblances and variances between publications of this genre between the years. Published in different centuries, these tales, when compared, enable us to observe the change that has gone through in this genre, along with the constants that have remained with the genus since its start. Even though these stories have orientations of technology and themes that are poles apart in concept, the central theme that conceptualizes these narratives is that the future in store for mankind is common for both these stories, along with some similar literary elements.
“Science fiction is the branch of literature that deals with the effects of change on people in the real world as it can be projected into the past, the future, or to distant places. It often concerns itself with scientific or technological change, and it usually involves matters whose importance is greater than the individual or the community; often civilization or the race itself is in danger"(James E. Gunn). James E. Gunn’s definition from Anders’ list is strongest because it incorporates time travel, slavery, and change, as seen in the novel, Kindred, by Octavia E. Butler. It accentuates the significance of the issues that happened in the past in view of race, it ties into the things that most creators consider to be excessively unthinkable,
For many people nowadays science fiction or Sci-Fi as the media miscall it means movies. It means Star Wars and E.T. For others it signifies television shows or radio series, constantly broadcast in people’s homes perpetuating this common misconception. What many do not realize however is that science fiction as a genre of literature is an ancient art, one which is in mass q...
Have you ever thought of the motives behind writing the greatest Sci-Fi stories in history? Behind those who wrote the stories of “The Matrix” and the “Harrison Bergeron”. They are stories written which were inspired by the predictions of what will it be like with speculative thinking; typically, dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science, futuristic technology, parallel universes and extra-terrestrial life. The two stories have many different ways of presenting themes that can relate to Joseph Campbell’s theory; which is the “Hero’s Journey”. Choice, Control and Freedom are some of the main debatable topics when it comes to Sci-Fi stories in General. Moreover, this is due to the owing fact that it makes the audience to think otherwise if they have different interpretations of the three themes.
Technological advancements have always played a big role in the literary progression of mankind. As knowledge is gained, technology has improved, and as technology improved so has the literature. Starting from the Anglo Saxon era, and continuing through the postmodern era. From oral to written stories, to the printing press, to the Industrial Revolution, man’s literature has changed progressively throughout each phase, taking on a different point of view and attaining more understanding. Stanley Kubrick, the director of 2001: A Space Odyssey, understand the concept of technological advances on mankind. And his movie can be considered as a parallel to this concept of advancements.
Imagine a world without elucidation. It may be uninteresting just bland. That is what the world would be without speculative fiction. Speculative fiction is seeing things with the mind to make possibilities endless. Also, speculative fiction asks the question what-if? There are two main types of speculative fiction: Science fiction and Fantasy fiction. Science fiction extrapolates or pushes the mind into the future, predicting things like flying cars and robot takeovers. Fantasy fiction encompasses magical and mythical beings. Speculative fiction can connect with emotions and imagination. Often the above-mentioned genres teach life lessons yet force reader to become aware of the relevance of that
The question is whether it is possible to distinguish between fantasy and true science fiction. I am reminded of the analogy, attributable I believe, to Theodore Sturgeon, of the elf ascending vertically the side of a brick wall. In a science fiction story the knees of the elf would be bent, his center of gravity thrown forward, his stocking cap hanging down his neck, with his feet quite possibly equipped with some form of suction cups. In a fantasy, on the other hand, the elf would simply stride up the wall in a normal walking posture, with his stocking cap standing straight out from his brow. What is the difference between these scenarios? The typical answer is that the science fiction story must play by the implicit rules of the universe; in this instance, gravitation. Fantasy, however, need not "tip its hat" to the Law of Universal Gravitation the story can bend the rules in which gives it the fantasy genre.
Jules Gabriel Verne (1828 - 1905) was a novelist, poet and playwright, renowned as one of the pioneers of science fiction as a genre. As a person who was born, brought up and lived most of his life in France, it should come to no one’s surprise that his primary language was French. As a science fiction fan myself, I thought that one of the first writers to take this genre seriously would be the perfect subject for this essay. Undeniably Jules Verne has had a huge impact on literature as well as many disciplines of science and even geography. In addition to that, I had read some of his novels earlier and found them to be enjoyable reads with a strong scientific foundation. What I found most intriguing about his works was the thorough description of how his hypothetical machines and gadgets worked and how grounded in reality that they were. So, without further ado, let’s find out about his life.
...t be literature that is reality based but contains at least one fantastic element that is unexplained but accepted. Now that I understand what it is, I am beginning to find more examples of it all around me. I am looking forward to reading examples of this unusual and interesting genre.
In today’s world, technology is transforming conventional methods of every facet of human life; from the way that we grow our crops, to the way that we communicate with one another. Technology has opened our minds to new ideas and even to new places, such as space exploration. Simply put, technology means applying science toward an objective and the outcome is advancement in modes of construction.