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To see when science fiction first appeared on the scene, we have to look at those subjects SF cannot do without - science and technology. Therefore it is no wonder that SF, although it plays a largely speculative role, is based on the contemporary science of the time in which it was written. In this section we travel through the last two centuries, and discover trends in science fiction unlocked by the continued development of science. twisted time - apocalypse - space travel - another world - cyber reality (Steam and Cogs)[start of the industrial age]The first elements of science fiction arose at the time, shortly after the Industrial Revolution when machines started to play a larger role in everyday life. The exponential growth science and technology experienced in the early 19th century started to change the world in both positive and negative ways. To calculate with what specific work science fiction found its roots is not really an easy task, and is wide open to controversy. This is not a black/white scenario. So called proto-SF, for example Gulliver's Travels, where fantastical elements were merged with reality, slowly progressed into a state where the budding technologies' influence played a larger role. The steam machines influenced our ancestors' lives dramatically, and for the first time this change awakened the line of thought that there may be more change to come. Railways crossed countries and made transport magnitudes faster, and machines started to take over human work. This potential change, together with exciting new scientific discoveries were the factors that gave rise to works science fiction. Key work: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley Being the classic tale of a scientist meddling with matters that should rather have been left untouched, Frankenstein can be seen as the cornerstone of SF. This Gothic tale describes Victor Frankenstein playing a god-like role by giving life to his creature of assembled body parts, with the use of the mysterious capabilities of electricity (Mysterious, at that time at least. This story is loosely based on Alexander Volta's experiments of "animal electricity"). It was written at a time that science had an almost omnipotent reputation, and many people thought that it could accomplish almost anything, and that any experiment could be successful. The consequences, the moral dilemma and the impact of the "monster" on society are the hallmarks of a true work of SF. back to top... (Evolution)[Darwin's voyage]After Charles Darwin published his famous Origin of Species, the theory of evolution gave answers to the scientific community where there was none before. Evolution describes how all species on earth are descended from a primary proto life form. If the process of evolution caused humans to be the way they are, one could ask whether we would change later, and also whether we can control this ourselves. The discovery of the gene and the cloning brought the possibility of morphing humans right closer to reality. What would you change of yourself if you could ? Difficult question. Key work: The Island of Doctor Moreau, HG Wells HG Wells was fascinated with evolution, and this can be seen in his book, The Island of Doctor Moreau, a Darwinistic version of the Frankenstein story. Dr Moreau takes evolutionary shortcuts to create monsters, and again the consequences of meddling with nature prove to be a wrong course of action. This book is a plausible vision of genetic engineering to come, and it raises a number of interesting questions. back to top... (Mechanical Men)[robot/android/cyborg]Human beings need fuel, and so do machines. Human beings need to dispose of waste, and so do machines. In fact, as machines became more prominent and did work more efficiently than humans, it seemed that humans are just simply machines made of blood and flesh. Except for one thing (and this is where we keep our sense of superiority over our household appliances) which is our ability to think. We can reason, feel and decide, while machines do what we tell them to. But what if the scarecrow from Oz can get a brain? Artificial intelligence is something that we just might encounter in future. Humans being not human beings is confusing and gives rise to yet more Frankenstein complexes. When can we say that our creations are human ? This issue is investigated in Isaac Asimov's I, Robot and in Phillip K 's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the short story the film Bladerunner was based on), and we must not forget the neverending quest of Star Trek's Data to become human. Key works: Rossum's Universal Robots, Karel Capek Metropolis, Fritz Lang Terminology: Robot: machine that performs tasks and has a certain amount of autonomity Android: robot in human form Cyborg: a merging of human and machine, cybernetic organism back to top... (Utopia/Dystopia)[world wars, ideologies surfacing]Human society is based on a social contract between individuals and the government. In today's world government systems are mostly capatilistic/socialistic democracies, and they seem to function well, yet one can wonder whether there is not perhaps a better way of living. Some of the major wars, violent and Cold, were the result of the clash between ideologies like fascism, capitalism and communism. It is interesting to wonder whether an alternative type of government could craft an utopia, where happiness is abundant and there is prosperity for everyone (something not really achieved by our system today). The opposite is of course also possible, where a dystopia can emerge that basically benefits none. The human fascination with the negative is reflected in the abundance of dystopia elements in this genre. Key works: 1984, George Orwell (dystopia) Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (dystopia) Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry (utopia) back to top... (Apocalypse)[invention of the nuclear bomb]For the first time science's influence reached catastrophic proportions. For the first time men were able to engage in a nuclear warfare, and this made the annihilation of the species a very viable option. Nuclear weapons are and example of one factor that could lead to apocalyptic events, but science fiction can imagine tons more. Dinosaurs met them together with their fate. These visitors from above are of the greater risks facing our species today, and we are not really prepared to face them if they come. Asteroids have collided with our planet in the past, and only recently a series of asteroids that crashed into Jupiter causing explosions larger than the earth self, there is nothing stopping it from happening again. back to top... (Space travel)[space race]Although previous works speculated on the possibility of space travel, notably Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, the real accomplishment of these feats (e.g. the moon landing, space shuttles) opened the floor. Humanity has always been preoccupied with discovering the unknown, and space reinvented the culture of sailors sailing to terra incognita through stormy seas. As one hear so often in Star Trek: "Space, the final frontier" The Space Race raised the possibility that we could perhaps find our destiny in the stars, and that it is perhaps one solution to our current rate of population growth. Perhaps we will some day terraform another planet, meaning that we will change so that it is habitable to humans. One thing is certain, if we want our species to survive we would have to find another habitat, but only in a few billion years (since that is when our sun will explode). Space will then be our future. back to top... (From Another World)[other planets investigated - accustomed to idea of space]Hand in hand with space flight, the fictional astronauts often encounter life on another planets. After all, why not? Life developed on earth, so it could seem likely that it also developed on other planets. The concept of life different than ourselves is fascinating indeed, and science fiction writers seems to have covered every possible organic, non-organic, energy, multi-dimensional organism that could exist. Even with all the crazy ideas, we can still not be sure we have an idea how the continuous chemical reaction we call life could manifest throughout the universe. Perhaps these life forms will be like us, and perhaps they will be so different that co-existence will be impossible. There is also nowadays the plethora of UFO sightings and alien invasion stories that seem to warn against the little grey men. It would be interesting if we are currently specimens under the magnifying glass of an advanced species, but realistically the alien craze seems more likely to be a modern version of medieval demons and monsters. Yet we cannot say that life like us does not exist in the universe, and this is also why an organisation like SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) continue to search for contact. Key work: The War of the World, HG Wells This is the first science fiction realistically portraying aliens, and here the martians show similar colonization strategy as Wells native Britain did for most of the 19th century. When this book was broadcasted on the radio, it was done in the style of news broadcasts which were so realistically done that they actually caused mass hysteria. back to top... (Cyber reality)[invention of the computer]The computer and Internet are possibly among the greatest tools ever invented, and have greatly affected our society. Science fiction describing the effect of computers and computer derivatives on alternative culture is known as cyberpunk. Mostly set in the near future, this sub genre explores where computers will take us, and is usually filled with dark streets, criminal gangs and with a bleak outlook on things to come. Artificial intelligence is shoved onto a next level in cyberpunk, causing that they often play a large role as one of the characters. Computer implants are also items commonly available in your average cyberpunk novel. These computer systems interfacing directly with the human brain are the next level of computer development, something we will perhaps encounter soon in bio/computer stores. A trend recently getting some momentum is the nature of reality. Computers can be seen as miniature pockets of human made reality, and especially with the introduction of concepts like virtual reality where a computer can interface with your senses, our reality is not clearly defined anymore. Recent SF featuring reality paradoxes: The Matrix, eXistenZ. Key work: Neuromancer, William Gibson back to top... (Alternative history)[relative future]What would have happened if Hitler won the War ? This question is a classic from a different type of science fiction discovering alternate histories. It does not really seem to fall under the SF definition because it often dwells in the past, yet the future is not always a requirement for science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey will soon no longer be set in the future). Another semi-branch of alternate histories is the existence of other dimensions, universes with earths where everything is possible. In some way this could be true, as it apparently fits in with theoretical physics, but it would still be very strange if there exists an Earth where people serve the grand rulers of ice cream. The series Sliders is an example of excellent SF discovering these alternate realities (although it has perhaps degenerated in later seasons) So what would it be like to live in a Nazi world today? What if the sun today still never set over the British Empire ? Alternate histories are all about asking "what if" questions. Key work: Man in the High Castle, Philip K back to top... (Twisted time)
Key work: The Time Machine, HG Wells. back to top... |