Sicence Fiction

November 11, 2009

Science Fiction

I. Introduction

A. Definition

B. Personal opinion

II. Characteristic

A. Science fiction in different times

B. What a science fiction story may include

C. Subgenres

III. Most important authors

A. H.G Wells

B. Kevin J. Anderson

C. Neal Asher

IV. Conclusion

A. Influence on a new type of literature

B. Conclusion

Science Fiction is a genre of fiction, some kind of fantasy, and with the context of the story it is possible with some scientifically postulated laws of nature. Looking at those consequences, the traditional propose of science fiction is to make a “literature of idea” This type of writing is based on writing rationally about alternative possibilities.

For me Science Fiction is really innovative and an interesting type of literature. It marks the new type of literature, new type of ideas, and new perspective of the world. Science Fiction is like writing the dream you had last night. For me it is to write what will never happen, or just what you imagine that will happen to the world or whatever you talk about.

Science Fiction has not only been in our times. Science Fiction had been in our life science long time ago. Science fiction is divided in time in this way:

-Prehistory: Prehistory begins from the beginnings of the literature to the scientific method, near the year 1600.

-Pioneers and kissing cousins: between 1814 and 1890. This time is dominated by the gothic generation of the Romantic.

-The Age of Wells and Burroughs: between 1890 and 1930. Dominated by scientific romances of H.G. Wells and help of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

-Early Modern Science Fiction: Between 1930 and 1938. It was not in large period, but it was significant. It was dominated by Hugo Gernsback and the first pulp magazines.

-The Golden Age: Between 1938 and 1946 this period of time in literature was dominated by the editor John W. Campbell.

-The Post-War Era: Between 1946 and 1965. The Science Fiction at this time take more influences of the war and like all those type of new technologies, like nuclear arms.

-The Modern Era: From 1965 to present. Science Fiction now represent all of the space age and beyond from that.

The settings and characteristics that a Science Fiction story may include are the following:

-The setting always in different times as our time. It can be in the future or an historical past that has nothing to do with the real facts.

-The settings can be in outer space, like involving aliens and all type of weird creatures.

-Stories that involve technology or scientific principles, but it has to contradict the laws of nature.

-Stories that involve application of new scientific principles, time, travel, or psionics (the study of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena), new technology, robots, etc.

Here are some of the most important subgenres of the Science Fiction.

-Apocalyptic, holocaust, and post-apocalyptic: Stories based on the end of the world, or the life after the end of the world. For example the following movies: The Day After Tomorrow and 2012.

-Cyberpunk: This is in mechanistic and futuristic life of computers and machines. The humans like computerized. For example the movie The Matrix and the book Brave New World, that are stories that talk about how the world is and how humans create.

-Hard Science fiction: This is like more specifying on the technology and science. The plot is the technology, not the humans.

These are three of the most important subgenres that exist.

There are so many important authors of the Science Fiction genre. Here are three of them that I like the most. The first one is H.G Wells. Herbert George Wells

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