Science Fiction Literature:

Tales of Possibilities

English 10 Honors

Definition

• Science fiction is a literary or cinematic genre that focuses on imaginative scientific discoveries or developments, consequences of environmental or societal changes, space travel, or finding life on other planets.

• Every author seems to have his / her own definition of this elusive term.

Mary Shelley:The Real Dr. Frankenstein?• Mary Shelly published

Frankenstein in 1818.• She had written the

novel in a competition with her friend’s to create the most horrific ghost story.

• Frankenstein had a great impact on the literature of the world.

H. G. Wells

• Known as the father of the science romance novel, Wells always incorporated social themes in his works.

• He was one of the first writers to postulate time travel, invisibility potions, alien invasions, and genetic manipulation.

Jules Verne

• Verne was much more interested in scientific accuracy. As a result, he predicted the invention of elevators, atomic submarines, and rocketships.

Other Nineteenth-Century Writers• Edgar Allan Poe dabbled in science

fiction with many of his short stories and his one, incomplete novel The Narrative of Gordon Pym.

• Nathaniel Hawthorne described genetic experiments and the quest for immortality in “Rappaccini's Daughter” and “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” respectively.

The Pulp Novels

• Many science fiction writers began their careers contributing stories to various pulp magazines.

• During the early twentieth century, there were many such magazines in publication.

http://www.weird-tales.com/history.html

Edgar Rice Burroughs

• Most famous for creating the character Tarzan, Burroughs had a penchant for creating strange, lost worlds on earth as well as other planets.

H. P. Lovecraft

• Lovecraft postulated the existence of gigantic, malevolent beings who once ruled the earth (and who intend to rule it once again once disposing of mankind).

Isaac Asimov

• Perhaps one of the most eclectic writers of the twentieth century, Asimov has published works on practically every subject.

• His most famous works include the Foundation and The Caves of Steel series.

• Asimov created the Three Laws of Robotics: 1) to serve mankind, 2) never to harm mankind, and 3) never to disobey mankind unless it would result in the breaking of either Rule 1 or 2.

Robert A. Heinlein

• Robert A. Heinlein’s most famous works include Starship Troopers.

• In A Stranger in a Strange Land, Heinlein introduced the world to the popular word “grok,” meaning complete understanding.

Frank Herbert

• Frank Herbert’s Dune is considered a classic work of literature, in general.

• Several sequels were written to make Herbert’s imaginary world one of the most extraordinary conceptions to be found in science fiction.

Arthur C. Clarke• Clarke is probably most

famous for writing the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey for Stanley Kubrick; he wrote the novel afterwards.

• Rendezvous with Rama deals with the exploration of a mysterious alien vessel that has entered our solar system.

• Like Verne before him, Clarke conceived of scientific achievements in his fiction that became reality, namely communication satellites that are in geostationary orbit.

Ray Bradbury

• Like Asimov, Bradbury is a very eclectic author.• In The Martian Chronicles, he describes man’s

attempt to establish colonies on other problems.• Fahrenheit 451 imagines a future in which all forms

of writing are forbidden.

Orson Scott Card

• Card is most famous for Ender’s Game and its first sequel, Speaker for the Dead.

• In 1986 and 1987, he won both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for both works. He is the first author to win such recognition in two consecutive years.

• Xenocide and Children of the Mind also belong in the series.

Legacy of These Authors

• The works of these writers have inspired the creation of many television shows and movies.