Tuesday, January 5, 2016

What Is Your Definition Of Science Fiction?

Robert A. Heinlein, author and critic:

Science fiction is "realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method" (quoted by Knight in Bishop, Nebula Awards 25, 3).

Theodore Sturgeon, author:

"'A good science-fiction story is a story about human beings, with a human problem, and a human solution, which would not have happened at all without its science content'" (as quoted in Atheling, More Issues, 12).

George Hay:

"Science fiction is what you find on the shelves in the library marked science fiction."
(Aforementioned quotes were borrowed from Dr. Agatha Taormina's web page): http://www.nvcc.edu/home/ataormina/beyond/


Which of these quotations aligns with your definition of Science Fiction? Please respond thoughtfully using references to class discussion, prior knowledge, science fiction literature, science fiction films, etc... Type using complete sentences. This blog response is due by 2:30p.m. on Monday, January 11th, 2016.

28 comments:

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  2. Science fiction is a genre that predicts future technology, science, or events based on the past and present.

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  3. Science Fiction is the creation of an alternate society, in which sociocultural veiw points have been shifted to match the shift that world is beginning to follow. Sc-fi focuses on what we want but dont know how to acheieve, usually demonstrating a struggle in which the flaws of society are exposed and the world moves to cprect its mistakes.

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  4. My definition of science fiction is any story where the ‘normal’ technology is more advanced than what we have in our age. The technology can be something that we are close to having or more distant. It should add a dimension to the characters that we don't see in our world and toy with the idea of what it means to be human.

    -K

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  5. Science Fiction is a story where technology, social interaction and day to day actives have been changed in someway. So that we can then take these futuristic ideas and try to make them into a reality.

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  6. Science fiction is a genre including imaginative stories about technology, future, space, etc. that are all theoretically possible and that give ideas for change to make a new and more advanced reality.

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  8. Science Fiction is fake imaginative stories that can be portrayed in books or movies. It is usually connected with futuristic technology, aliens, robots, time travel, etc.

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  9. I feel like my definition of science fiction is that it is like a fantasy fiction world where science is always involved and can turn out to be good or bad, which in most cases are bad. An example of where badness can be involved is like when Frankenstein is in a movie or book. Another example would be the use of time travel and that too much use of it could ruin time itself.

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  11. As imaginative storytelling involving phenomena that is considered “not yet possible” or not yet accomplished/proven at this point in time, such as time travel, contact with lifeforms or planets outside of our own, advanced or “alien” technology, expanding the human race beyond our planet and/or solar system, etc.

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  12. My definition of science fiction is predicting scientific advancements through creativity. For example the Frank Reade stories talked about boats that could go under the water and explore the depth of the sea years before it was even possible. Another example would be Mary Shelley’s story of the frankenstein monster. She wrote about a scientist who put a bunch of dead bodies together and made his creation come alive many years before it was even attempted to put two creatures together as one.

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  13. I define science fiction as the wonderment of authors through their work about technology of the future. The line between science fiction and fantasy can be blurry and unclear in the technical aspects of the story, but the spirit and feeling of science fiction is always maintained.

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  14. My definition of science fiction would be the underlying ideas or thoughts about society as it moves forward. It includes advances in technology not yet seen or heard of, as well as explorations of places known but not understood and places completely unknown. It's a way to think about the possibilities of our future or what our past could have been like.

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  15. My deffinition of Science Fiction would be the ideas that humans have and what thoughts they have regarding the society they live in. Also, a big part of Science Fiction is the inventions of newer technology in a distant setting. They think of a way to make there life a little bit more bearable to live and what things would help them into living longer.

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  16. Science fiction is thinking in a way that makes things that seem impossible, possible. Through extrapolation or not, all science fiction novels really make the reader thing that what we think is impossible can actually be done.

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  17. Science fiction is storytelling with a focus on characters dealing with advances in technology, science, the future, and space. I believe that this quotation aligns most with my idea of science fiction, because I believe that people are the ones who inspire, create, and make science fiction. "A good science-fiction story is a story about human beings, with a human problem, and a human solution, which would not have happened at all without its science content'" (as quoted in Atheling, More Issues, 12) Science fiction can change over time, because generations and people change over time as well. Humans' perspective on the future have developed over time, and that is noticeable within many science fiction films and books over time.

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  18. Science fiction is writing with thematic elements revolving around humans and their interaction with their own creations. My definition best aligns with Theodore Sturgeons quote. One example that demonstrates my definition well is the Frank Reade dime novels that we learned about in class. The Frank Reade stories tell the tales of its main characters interacting with their futuristic inventions, and going on adventures.

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  19. To me, Science Fiction is a type of writing that not only scares the human mind but also makes one think of the future and what it holds. I am reading 1984 in English right now and it makes me think of how different things would be if America had not won some of the battles we fought in the past. We may not be free today had it not been the things in the past. So, to me, science fiction is the part of our mind that holds the "what if's" and the "have beens" of the past.

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  21. Science fiction are stories that usually relate to themes and settings about the future, science, time/space/light speed travel/communication, parallel universes and aliens(not just the ones that come from space). These stories usually explores the problems of scientific and other innovations. But to be honest I don’t think there is a real definition for science fiction other than a story that relates to science and technology.

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  22. Science fiction to me is a story or genre that is like fiction in nature, but some points are still grounded in reality. For example, in one reading we had for class, there was something about a man made out of tin, who was operating on steam power. While the idea of a human like creature made out of tin is way out of reach, the idea of being powered by steam is one grounded in reality. Science fiction also employs thoughts of "what if's", like if somebody thought, "what if there were aliens that were at the bottom of the ocean since the beginning of the earth, and we've had no idea for billions of years"? Science fiction is grounded in reality somewhat, while also letting the imagination to run free.

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  23. Science Fiction is a genre that contains the elements of technological advancements and environmental changes, like a utopia and a dis-utopia that usually has some major affect on how life is spent and how people communicate with each other. It is also usually set in a different time and has some type of space travel element in it to portray the possibility of how life is spent on different worlds.

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  24. To me, science fiction is a writing that fantasizes or predicts, scientifically, and a bit realistically, the future or is set in a world beyond our capabilities. The works of science fiction makes you think and dream about a different reality.

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  25. Science fiction is a genre that explores all that is scientifically known and unknown to man. It is capable of exploring every possibility of science and technology. It is mans literary exploration into the unknown of science and technology.

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  26. Science fiction is a genre that is set into the future and imagining what technology will look like in the future and how it impacts the world.

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  27. Science fiction is a genre of writing that is used to explore an imaginative side of of science that uses modern day technologies to inspire different ideas.

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  28. My personal definition of Science Fiction is any type of technology or medical science thats purpose or function is out of this world, yet it is still quite plausible. For example Star Trek technology is so wildly superior to todays technology, but based on the path humanity is on we will eventually reach technology of that caliber.

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