Science fiction is another popular type of literature in the current era. Many literary scholars name the term science fiction “literature of ideas.” Sci-fi movies and novels always carry futuristic concepts and motivation. These novels and movies are mostly based upon technological innovation, space technologies, time-space, and aliens, etc.
The importance of science fiction can not be undermined in literature. Sci-fi movies have always had huge popularity around the world. People see themselves in the future while being in the present. In fact, Sci-fi teaches us how to prepare ourselves for the future and new technological innovations.
What is science fiction?
Science fiction is a literary genre that uses the human imagination to depict a future time and place. They often deal with science, technology, space travel, or other futuristic themes. Science fiction does not always have to be futuristic. There are historical science fiction novels that are set many centuries in the past. It is also possible to write science fiction with fantasy elements. But fantasy is usually included to make the reader feel that they are reading a “real world.” Some science fiction novels take place in distant future worlds that have never before been visited by humans. Other science fiction novels (like The Lord of the Rings) use the magical world of fantasy to explore the timeless struggles of good and evil.
The importance of science fiction
It’s true that science fiction can feel a bit ridiculous to some readers. Although, in fact, it’s absurd in its own way. In our actual reality, we don’t live on a planet orbited by aliens. It’s a work of fiction, and it’s incredibly fun to imagine ourselves in other worlds. Most importantly, science fiction makes us think. Science fiction shows us our own ways of conceiving problems and solutions—and ultimately, it teaches us how to become better humans.
Many great writers of science fiction took the ideas and resources from the scientific community and used them to create great, meaningful science fiction. This does not make one science fiction author better than the other. The ideas are from all the great writers.
Where does science fiction come from?
The short answer is, from technology. The long answer is that it comes from lots of places. But this is a simple topic and one you could spend a lifetime studying. The Wikipedia page is a good place to start. Check it out for what some of the most important science fiction writers have to say. As you will learn, some of the best writers have been pushing the limits of technology for a long time. It was after all the most famous, “The First Comic Book.”
To make it easier for this article, we’ll go over the most famous science fiction stories, and focus on them for their relevance to the modern-day. Dune by Frank Herbert was released in 1965, Dune was revolutionary science fiction. The series was about the power struggle between noble houses in the fictional world of Arrakis.
Why is science fiction important?
Science fiction deals with such diverse topics, so there’s almost no limit to what can be found in a good science fiction novel. Science fiction novels deal with questions like, how does technology relate to human nature? How do we come to an understanding of the human body and how does the human brain function? How will nanotechnology affect the future? What would we be able to achieve with that kind of technology? How will our species survive if we ever encounter aliens? How do we connect with other human beings and make the world a better place? These are just a few examples of a good science fiction novel.
Popular works of science fiction and literature
For the purpose of this, we’ve taken the greatest Works of Science Fiction and Literature. And divided them into the following three categories: Contemporary, Science Fiction, and Everything Else. To find more about these books and authors, click on their names in the list.
Everything You Want Me to Be by Melanie Benjamin
Melanie Benjamin is a New York Times best-selling author of bestselling novels A Short History of Seven Killings, Where the Red Fern Grows, and Uglies, as well as a contributing editor of Outside Magazine and New York magazine, and a three-time winner of the “Editors Pick” award from The Best American Short Stories.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
In this most humorous of books, which is, as the name indicates, a guide to life, space, and everything, Adams’s protagonist, Arthur Dent is expected to be shipwrecked, then stranded on a deserted planet, because of a weather variation. But this is where he discovers other fantastic characters and plots, such as the Minds, the Tarot, and the Galaxy, in which everything seems possible, as long as you have a good sense of humor. This humorous tale is a favorite, and when you begin to read, you can easily see what the author means by the term “widely enjoyed,” because it keeps you guessing and continually adding to your sense of wonder. Adams also created a race of genetically altered/programmed dogs, which are “the future of mankind’s hunting” in the story.
1984 by George Orwell
This novel is based on a dystopian society. Orwell’s nightmare is captured in this eerie story about Big Brother, Oceania, and the 1984 television series. However, the moral lessons of this book still resonate today. One of the main principles of the book is that people will do anything to uphold the status quo. Even if it takes controlling others through “The Newspeak Program.” This book is still thought-provoking today. It has been adapted into several movies. One of my favorite adaptations is 1984.
Iron Man by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber
It’s interesting to see how do they portray superheroes in movies. The villain is usually the over-aggressive government agent or police officer. However, Lee and Lieber thought a drug cartel would make a great villain in Iron Man.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
When you know why someone is driven to create something, it makes you a better judge of the value of a work. While there are many authors who do not deserve the praise that they received for their work, there are those who created works of great merit. From a teenager’s tragic tragic life, Orson Scott Card created Ender’s Game, which is a book that is still relevant today. The novel is about the Battle School for gifted children and their training to become intergalactic pilots. Orson Scott Card, best known for Ender’s Game, was inspired by George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
If you’ve ever read Ender’s Game, you know that it’s a superb piece of hard science fiction with lots of technical jargon and predictions of the future.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Created by the author and winner of the 1953 Hugo Award for best novel of the year, Fahrenheit 451 is about a future fireman named Montag, whose job is to burn books instead of putting them out. During his duties, Montag has some sort of connection with the beautiful Clarisse, who’s an older woman named flame herself, and whose words seem to burn Montag even though they are actually a book of knowledge about the future. Each book that Montag burns come to life and takes a seat in the flame. Most of the characters in the novel use a form of communication that can kill you by dehydration or heat—a service most cell phones can do. In addition, the machinery of firemen used to fight fires in the book has a military purpose and is used for acts of terror and other violent acts.
Conclusion
Science fiction as a whole has made an incredible impact on society through the invention of many modern technologies. In fact, many technological advances in our modern society are the result of science fiction. In the words of Leo Babauta, “Science Fiction is not just for kids and kids alone. It’s a philosophy for life.” That’s why the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America created the Award for the best science fiction or fantasy novel of the year. The authors who published the 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of 2011 included authors from several countries as well as the United States, including Canada, Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
