Science fiction, often called “sci-fi,” is a genre of fiction literature whose content is imaginative, but based in science. It relies heavily on scientific facts, theories, and principles as support for its settings, characters, themes, and plot-lines, which makes it different from fantasy.
Example of Science Fiction
Set in the future, when humans no longer live on Earth
- Takes place on a spacecraft that is orbiting Jupiter
- Features real scientific information
- Europa and Callipso are two of Jupiter’s moons, and as Jupiter is a planet made of gas, it would not be possible for humans to live there
Example 2: George Orwell’s 1984
Set in what is now the United Kingdom, and shows society under tyrannical rule of a government that has their population under constant surveillance and threat of imprisonment for having wrong thoughts
- Throughout the novel is the constant theme that “Big Brother” is watching
- At the beginning, Winston is a citizen who wants to fight the system, but by the end, he falls victim to the government’s control tactics
The Matrix
A sci-fi action film that thrilled audiences upon its release
- It tells the story of a world where human existence is completely controlled, and life on Earth is actually only a simulation occurring in our minds
- The protagonist, Neo, is presented with the information that his life is all an illusion, and it is almost more than his mind can handle
- Eventually, he is given the choice of whether to continue to live in the Matrix, or to try to save mankind
Space Opera
One of the most popular forms of science fiction where the whole story or majority of the story takes place in outer space.
Importance of Science Fiction
Many times, science fiction turns real scientific theories into full stories about what is possible and/or imaginable
- Historically, it has been a popular form for not only authors, but scientists as well
- It is a particularly fascinating and mind-bending genre for audiences because of its connection to reality
Conclusion
Science fiction is a genre of possibility, imagination, and innovation whose popularity rises in relation to advances in science and technology
Example 1: H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel The War of the Worlds
The narrator describes a time when mankind was naive. He is setting up for the story of when Earth was unexpectedly attacked by an alien race, and how they were completely unprepared and too proud to believe that any other force in the universe could threaten them
Example 1: Star Wars
Perhaps the most popular and well-known example of science fiction in popular culture-specifically “space opera” science fiction-are George Lucas’s legendary Star Wars films.
- Star Wars has perhaps one of the largest (if not the largest) fan-followings of all time; and its status in the science fiction world is absolutely epic.
Hard science fiction
Follows scientific principles and is focused on natural sciences
- Often written by real scientists
- Accurate and makes accurate predictions of future events
- Gravity, the story of an astronaut whose spacecraft is damaged while she repairs a satellite, is renowned for its scientific accuracy
Soft Science Fiction
Soft science fiction is characterized by a focus on social sciences, like anthropology, sociology, psychology, politics-in other words, sciences involving human behavior.
- Stories mainly address the possible scientific consequences of human behavior, but there are also subgenres such as time travel, apocalyptic, utopian, alternate history, space opera, and military science fiction.
Fantasy
Fantasy focuses on imaginary elements (the fantastic) and can mean magic, the supernatural, alternate worlds, superheroes, monsters, aliens, and so on.
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