J. Kirby Johnson

June 27, 2002

Science Fiction:  A Glimpse Into the Future

Definitions of Science Fiction:

• Fiction in which imaginative scientific possibilities are used in the plot.

      Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary

·         The fictional treatment in books, magazines, motion pictures, television, compact discs, and other media of the effects of science or future events on human beings. Science fiction deals with events that did not happen, or have not yet happened. It considers these events rationally and is concerned with the impact of change on people. Common subjects for science include the future, travel through space or time, life on other planets, and crises created by technology or by alien creatures and environments. http://www.encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761563.23

      Dr. White’s web page; Taryn Richmond ‘00

• "The amount of real science in science-fiction ranges from moderate to none at all." said noted SF historian Ev. Bleiler in 1990. Generally speaking, there is not adequate definition of "Science Fiction". Perhaps take some science and mix in some imagination and tell a story = "sf".  I like to begin with Mary Shelly's FRANKENSTEIN (1817) since it fits the definition of taking some hard science (medicine/human physiology), and telling an imaginative story, which she certainly did."

      http://www.stationlink.com/pulpdom/pulphist.html

• Ray Bradbury:"Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together."

 http://www.panix.com/~gokce/sf_defn.html

Example:  The Terminator (1984).  A James Cameron film

Representational Genre:  Narrator (single voice) and drama

Narrative Genre: 

• Romance:  a journey through time; Sarah is threatened and rescued
• Tragedy:  Hero (Kyle Reese) dies to serve justice

Subject Genre/Audience Appeal:  action movie, Arnold Schwartznegger movie

Highlights of Sci-fi in Example:  Kyle and the terminator travel back in time; one to protect Sarah Conner, the other to kill her.  The terminator is an indestructible robot.

Alternate Names/Related Genre:  books, magazines, poems

Other Examples:  Terminator II; Fifth Element; 1984 by George Orwell; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; poems/short stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Questions:

(1.)    Do you believe that through out history, science fiction has predestined the future?  Why or why not?

(2.)     Is life as portrayed in sci-fi really plausible?  Why or why not?  

Discussion:

            Throughout the discussion the class played with the idea of sci-fi predicting the future.  Dr. White stated that no sci-fi ever predicted personal computers, while Janet pointed out that lasers had been predicted.  Burney brought up  "Minority Report" with Tom Cruise and pointed out how well such sci-fi movies as this portray future realities.  Brenda acknowledged such authors as Orwell and she reminded us that Orwell had predicted many things that are now a reality.  Kelly believes that sci-fi gives people something to shoot for, an imagination.  She also feels that scientists are able to draw from sci-fi.  Dr. White agreed and said that it's what makes people create the world.  The class began talking of how far the world has come, as far as technology is concerned.  My conclusion is that as the technologic world progresses, so does the world of science fiction.  Science fiction may not predestined the real world, but its not way off with its predictions.