I, too, was nervous upon learning this course would be focusing primarily on science fiction for the semester. I'm not terribly familiar with the genre (for example, I watched the original Star Wars trilogy for the first time about three weeks ago).
Originally, I would have said that science fiction is a story that deals with space or robots. After our discussion last week, I know this is not always the case. I read an article that suggested it is the "literature of ideas." This is intriguing because it represents a theme I feel is common throughout sci-fi: innovation vs. mankind (though mankind may also be alien-kind or robot-kind in some cases). A lot of stories deal with the after effects of a great innovation, usually technological, and how society or people have changed because of it. Though the technology may not always be the focus, the stories take place in an altered world, where the differences between our society and that of the characters are explained via scientific or rational reasoning. This allows stories of the human condition to be told through a more fantastic lens, often giving greater scope to the conflict while still keeping it grounded in a context the audience can relate to.
I know this definition may still not apply to every work in the genre, as stories can be as varied as people themselves. Hopefully it's a definition I can more deliberately relate as the semester continues. Typically when I think of the science fiction, I think of Firefly, The X-Files, Dollhouse, Fahrenheit 451, Star Trek, Pacific Rim, The War of the Worlds, and The Hunger Games.
I really like the "literature of ideas" approach. Especially taking the Chiang readings into account, where (as of the halfway point) relatively few of the stories contain the classic elements of androids and aliens and laser pistols.
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by The Hunger Games as an example, though it does make more sense in the later books, since I remember some mention of genetically modified animals and whatnot.
I was actually hesitant to include The Hunger Games as an example, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The technology is not necessarily the main focus of the story, but it definitely plays a huge part in telling it (the fact that the Games take place in self-contained ecosystems and are videotaped and broadcast with seemingly invisible technology, etc). The story definitely takes place in a future or alternate universe of the United States. I think it fits in with the lit of ideas concept because the main focus of the books are about the revolution. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the series but the Games were created to quell uprisings among the people, but when the protagonist wins the Games she inadvertently sparks a revolution. The story really examines what people are capable of in extreme oppression, and how society has changed over the years to the detriment of the country.
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