Week 2

WHAT IS SCIENCE FICTION AND WHERE DID IT COME

FROM
 Learning
Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Define science fiction and identify works of

science fiction.
2. Discuss the history of Science Fiction.
3. Conduct an analysis of a work of Science Fiction
to discuss its deeper message or meaning.
Part 1: Defining
Science Fiction
Science Fiction is not easy to define specifically. Different people
have defined it different ways. Let's have a quick look at the
definitions we introduced last week.
Definition #1: The Grab-Bag Definition

The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines “science fiction” as:

fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological
advances, major social or environmental changes, etc.,
frequently portraying space or time travel, life on other
planets, etc."
It describes the collection of things people refer to when they
use the term. It leaves a lot to be covered by those two "et
ceteras," and it doesn't offer us any additional knowledge
about what makes these things Science Fiction.

Definition #2: The Cultural Definition

Editor Kathryn Cramer proposes a more cultural definition in

The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF, "SF is the
religious art of science" (Hartwell & Cramer, 1994).
We should think of science not as something involving test
tubes and people in lab coats, but as a whole way of
understanding the universe and everything in it, a general
worldview.
Other times and places have used other systems for making
sense of the world around them. Artists used to paint pictures
of religious figures to try to understand them. In this sense, we
can think of science as a kind of religion, and then, Science
Fiction might be thought of as art that uses science as its
model.

Definition #3: The Structural Definition

 Author and editor Adam Roberts proposes a structural
definition. For him, Science Fiction is: “a literature of ideas
predicated on some substantive difference or differences
between the world described and the world in which readers
actually live” (Roberts, 2000).
This definition is helpful, because it gets into the heart of what
SF does. We have the very important idea that the world in
the text is different from the world in which we live.
In Science Fiction, as opposed to most Fantasy fiction, that
difference is specified (this is the future, the past, another
planet, etc.). However, this definition doesn't address the
thematic concern with science and technology that we
frequently associate with SF.

Definition #4: Fabril

Tom Shippey, in our textbook, describes science fiction as

fabril literature (Shippey, 2003).
The term “fabril” comes from the word “Faber,” or Blacksmith.
Nowadays, “Faber” can refer to creators of things that are
“metallic, crystalline, genetic or even social.”
Therefore, Shippey states that Sci-Fi, as “fabril literature,” is
concerned with stories are “urban, disruptive, future-oriented,
eager for novelty.”
This definition helps us to understand Sci-Fi stories through
their orientation and thematic concerns.
Shippey defines Fabril Literature in opposition to Pastoral,
which, broadly defined, is concerned with the past, the rural,
and nostalgia.
 DO YOU AGREE WITH SHIPPEY?

Other Definitions

Others may disagree. In the author’s note to her novel, Left

Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin writes:

Science Fiction is not predictive; it is descriptive.

What might she mean by this?

Could she mean that Sci Fi isn’t about predicting the future at
all? Rather, Sci Fi describes the world we live in through a
representation of the future that really reflects the present
(the “thumbprint” of the present as Le Guin calls it).

Canadian author Margaret Atwood agrees with Le Guin when she

states that science fiction is:

“always about now. What else could it be about? There is no

future. There are many possibilities, but we do not know which
one we are going to have.” (Allardice,“Interview”).

Both Atwood and Le Guin, two very respected Science-Fiction

authors, stress that Science Fiction emerges not rom a desire to
understand the future, but to reflect on the present. The future
visions of Science Fiction help us to describe and understand the
present we live in.
There are many other definitions of Science Fiction. You are
encouraged to find others and use them, where appropriate, in
your upcoming assignments.

In Summary...

In summary, we might say that Science Fiction is fiction that

includes the following features:

Deals with a world that is not the real world, but

That world is connected to our own in some specified or
comprehensible way (e.g. a shift in time, or space), and
The fantastic things that happen are explicable through
science in the context of the fiction (as opposed to say,
magic), and
It is thematically concerned with science and technology in
some way.
Finally, offers a way of providing commentary on some aspect
of our contemporary lives.

Take a minute to think about the science fiction piece you

chose to read for this week.

Does it meet any, most, or all of the criteria mentioned? (you

will need to do this for the first activity…more on this later)
Part 2: Where Did
Science Fiction Come
From?
Late 19th and early 20th century: the 19th century was, in many
places, a time of unparalleled technological development.
Towards the late 19th century, writers began to explore the impact
of technology on society and imagine the future or life on other
planets.

There had occasionally been a few texts here and there

considering such questions before that. Around the turn of the
century there were suddenly a lot more of them, and we consider
this to be the dawn of science fiction as we know it.

Magazines that featured science fiction stories exclusively began

to appear around the 1920s, and these "pulp" magazines created
a community of readers and writers who shared a common
interest in aliens, space travel, time travel, robots, the future, and
other familiar science-fiction themes.
 A cover from one of the early Sci-Fi magazines, Amazing Stories.

Some Leading Voices

Science Fiction Literature: As the community of science fiction

readers and writers grew, major figures began to emerge to lead
it.

John W. Campbell edited the magazine Astounding Science

Fiction (now known as Analog), from 1937 to 1971. Campbell
challenged the writers for his magazine to think deeply about
science and technology, and to write stories that were more than
just heroic quest adventures in space.
Under Campbell, and the general optimism about the possibilities
of progress in the 1930s and early '40s, science fiction entered
what is often called the "Golden Age."

Science Fiction Film: Science fiction films appeared very early in

the silent film era. The initial attempts were short films of typically 1
to 2 minutes in duration, shot in black and white, but sometimes
with colour tinting.

These usually had a technological theme, and were often

intended to be humorous.

Le Voyage dans la Lune, created by Georges Méliès in 1902 is

often considered to be the first science fiction film. It drew upon
Jules Verne and H. G. Wells in its depiction of a spacecraft being
launched to the moon in a large cannon (Méliès, 1902).

Science fiction literature would continue to influence early films.

Science Fiction and Society

Science fiction is fundamentally concerned with change. It asks

how do the social and technological changes around us affect our
lives? Will things be better in the future or worse? How do
technological shifts change our society and our conception of
morality and ethics?

At different times and under different circumstances, writers

favour different answers to these questions.
Pessimistic science fiction often plays a cautionary role, imagining
the ways in which something might go wrong in order that we
might avoid making those mistakes in reality (think The Terminator
series).

Optimistic science fiction, on the other hand, seeks to imagine

ways in which the future (or another world) might be better than
the here and now, to give us a vision to work towards (think Star
Trek).

It is interesting to note that both of these approaches have in

common a profound belief that things do change, and that
humanity does have at least a limited power to steer the direction
of that change.

During the 20th century, science-fiction literature and film

continued to grow and explore ideas related to our shifting
technological and scientific reality.

Often, science fiction is a way for writers and societies to explore

anxieties related to novel developments in these fields. For
example, the development of the atomic bomb during WW2 led to
many stories being written about atomic bombs and the aftermath
of such an event.

Watch this short video on the history of Science Fiction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4j5tGNms14

Science Fiction is full of examples of fiction reflecting real life. For

instance, we could interpret the original Star Wars trilogy as a
reflection of fears of an actual space war resulting from the space
race between the Soviets and Americans in the 1960s and ‘70s.
We could interpret Blade Runner as a reflection of people’s fears
of the dehumanizing effects of biotechnology and Artificial
Intelligence. We could interpret The Matrix as a reflection of
people’s anxieties and distrust regarding digital technology in the
early days of the internet age. And so on…..

Sci Fi, broadly, is concerned with the changes brought about by

technological change. These changes could be ethical/moral,
political, social, and material.

Can you think of other examples of sci fi based on any of the

events listed below?

DNA and genetic research in the 1990s

 Quantum physics discoveries in the 2000s
Recent “Smart” technology – Smart TVs, Smart houses or
Smart phones

For example, the dominance of digital technology is explored by

the show Black Mirror. Fans know that the show focuses largely
on the terrifying, dehumanizing possibilities of our digital age. But
it also, rarely, explores some of the ways these technologies can
enhance our lives for the better. Check out the lovely episode
“San Junipero” from season three, which I discuss in more detail
in this week’s discussion board.

A Summary So
Far.....
By now, you should be able to define science
fiction and identify works of science fiction.
Go back and review if you need to before you
attempt the Weekly Activity.
For more information on how to conduct an
Analysis, please see the additional information
below.
Thematic Analysis
How To Develop One

To analyze means to look closely at something, to examine its

details.
The purpose of any literary, film, or artistic analysis is to attempt to
generate a deeper understanding of the work by looking at it
more closely.

This deeper understanding should try to push beyond the plot,

the storyline, to examine the meaning or message of the work
itself. For instance, the plot of Blade Runner focuses on a
detective hunting down rogue artificial life forms. On a deeper
level, though, it’s about the ethical dilemmas of creating self-
aware life.

A Perspective or Point of View

All thematic analyses require the analyzer to form a

perspective on the work, and that perspective should try to
articulate the deeper meaning of the work.
The analyzer then needs to gather evidence from the work to
support that particular perspective.
In gathering evidence, the analyzer will refer to various
elements in this analysis. Plot may be one aspect, but other
elements can include:

1. Setting (where the story takes place)

2. Character (who is involved in the story)
3. Narrator (who is telling the story, and how they are telling it)
4. Theme (what is the deeper meaning or message of the story,
and how do the other elements contribute to it)
Analysis Example

If Blade Runner is really about the ethical dilemmas of creating

artificial life, how can I support that position or perspective? I
might make reference to Setting and Character, and, specifically,
how these two elements support the Theme/Message.

Setting: a near-future Los Angeles that is polluted, decayed,

and dark, a setting that reflects a corrupting influence on
society.
Characters: Rick Deckard is a detective hired to kill escaped
“Replicants” or artificial humans. The portrayal of the
Replicants reveals that they, like humans, have hopes,
dreams, and fears. As Deckard carries out his grim task, he
begins to have doubts about its morality: these Replicants are
self-aware and want to live, to have control over their own
lives, a perspective articulated by Roy Batty, their leader.

Using Character and Setting to Understand Theme

Setting and Theme: human technological development has given

us incredible powers. However, when greed determines how we
use those powers, we can over look the moral implications of how
we apply this power. To support this, I would point out that the
setting is a cityscape that has devolved into a garish, harsh
nightmare dominated by corporations. They’ve been given free
reign to shape our urban landscape, a suggestion that their power
is unchecked by governments or regulators.
Character and Theme: Replicants’ desire for freedom and
agency over their own lives reveals the brutality of Deckard’s task,
as he essentially assassinates them with no further appeal to law
or the legal system. Deckard’s task is to enforce a morally
questionable industry, one that abandons responsibility and care
for its own technological creations. Deckard comes to resent his
role in all of this, and, ultimately, he renounces this role after an
encounter with Batty during which Batty expresses his own
thoughts, hopes, and, essentially, humanity.

In the previous example, I’ve offered a perspective on the

movie. To support that perspective, I’ve referred to specific
features of setting and character.

An analysis is not simply a summary of the plot. However,

details from that plot can be used to assist your perspective on
the larger or overall meaning of the work.

Discussion Board #2

In the Week 2 discussion board, I’ve provided a Professor

Example that discusses the Black Mirror episode, “San Junipero.”

I have attempted to examine the theme of the episode, which, I

argue, offers a redemptive representation of the promise of digital
technology.

In developing this perspective, I’ve referred to details of setting,

character, and the characters’ experiences within the two different
settings of the show (the physical world vs. the digital world).

In your discussion board entry for Week 2, please offer your

perspective on the message of the work of science fiction you are
analyzing and support that perspective by referring to details from
the work.

Good luck and may the odds ever be in your favour!

References

1. Hartwell, D. G., & Cramer, K. (Eds.). (1994). The

Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF. Tor.
2. Méliès, G. (Director). (1902). Le Voyage dans la
Lune [Motion Picture].
3. Palmer, R. A. (Ed.). (1938, December). Amazing
Stories. Ziff-Davis Publishing Company.
4. Roberts, A. (2000). Science Fiction. London:
Routledge.
5. Scott, R. (Director). (1982). Blade Runner. [Motion
Picture]
6. Shippey, T. (Ed.). (2003). The Oxford Book of
Science Fiction Stories. Oxford: Oxford University
 Press.
7. The Concise Canadian Oxford Dictionary. (2003).
Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Credits:
Created with images by Aaron Alien - "Rising star glow from deep space planet. Science
fiction. Elements of this image furnished by NASA" • darkfoxelixir - "Saturn near earth on
night sky over the country road" • veneratio - "Cross processed sci-fi futuristic fantasy image
of upside down city landscape" • Iren Moroz - "Books stack texture and background"