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.
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.
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.
Both texts are science fiction and show a deep concern with the effects of a technological revolution on human society.
Imagine a society where owning books is illegal, and the penalty for their possession—to watch them combust into ashes. Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, illustrates just such a society. Bradbury wrote his science fiction in 1951 depicting a society of modern age with technology abundant in this day and age—even though such technology was unheard of in his day. Electronics such as headphones, wall-sized television sets, and automatic doors were all a significant part of Bradbury’s description of humanity. Human life styles were also predicted; the book described incredibly fast transportation, people spending countless hours watching television and listening to music, and the minimal interaction people had with one another. Comparing those traits with today’s world, many similarities emerge. Due to handheld devices, communication has transitioned to texting instead of face-to-face conversations. As customary of countless dystopian novels, Fahrenheit 451 conveys numerous correlations between society today and the fictional society within the book.
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.
Herbert George Wells (or H.G. Wells for short) was born on September 21,1866 to a lady’s maid, and a gardener. HG Wells and his parents Sarah and Joseph, lived in Brombley, England. When HG Wells was seven years old, he had broken his leg. With all of the free time he had, he read and read. Wells had read so much, that he had a fascinating imagination, so filled with thoughts and ideas that he began writing his own little books by the age of ten.
“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,
Millions of people around the world have been questioning the statement, “Which is better, the individual or the society?” Many people debate this question today and even well known authors who have written novels and short stories about this topic. Many of these authors have proven their beliefs by warning their readers what the world could become if society is not controlled properly. In other words, if people rely on technology and equality too much in the future, then society will face multiple consequences that will affect many people’s lives. Another question that frequently appears is, “Why is fear of government pressure control such a huge problem with many sci-fi societies in books, movies and short stories?” The authors Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, and Kurt Wimmer all portray societies where original ideas and freedoms are suppressed because they believed that society could eventually take control of individuals’ freedom and rights to life through technology and equality.
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...
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.
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.
When hearing the term “science fiction” one would imagine a film filled with unrealistic gadgets, humans with super powers and even technology of the future. However, science fiction is much more than that. Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with whimsical concepts such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space and time travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. Over time, this genre has changed and thrived due to an increase in available technology and science which led to an increase in special effects and filming techniques. Viewers are transported into more believable worlds of Utopias run by shiny machines or cities being overrun by a giant, violent monsters. The films Metropolis
The social sciences have and will continue to be in the future will play an important role in studying and solving problems for both society and its individuals. The disciplines that it encompass vary widely but often need to come together to solve issues and study certain facets of humanity. For my personal use social science is a tool to better understand others, be more sensitive to issues that people may face and to anticipate the way people and society may act in certain situations. A social science lens can be productive in that it helps people be more indiscriminate though understanding people and their behavior. I hope to use the socials sciences to impact other people’s lives in a positive manner. The social sciences to me when used in a well-intended manner are able to not only explain phenomena but also be a solution and or make a situation better. The intent of this essay is to better understand and define the social sciences, touch on the many disciplines of the science in addition to its relationships with other scientific areas.
It makes the learning process easier, less time consuming, and often more interesting. Although people in academia fear that integrating science fiction in course curriculum might degrade students’ learning habit, it is also true that science fiction fascinates students and encourages them to research more about the topic. This eventually broadens the students’ horizon of knowledge, which is the sole purpose of learning. While it is true that usage of science fiction may not always be the best choice for teachers as it requires time to find relevant materials, but, if made the right selection, students would very likely understand complex scientific theories in short time with little explanation. Therefore, science fiction narratives should be included in the course curriculum as it is beneficial to both teachers and students in the learning-teaching