Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Several of the irrational elements of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea seemed more outrageous in the 19th century they do now. However, the novel continues to encapsulate the fantasy and science fiction genres because of its willingness to expand the boundary of what is real. Interestingly, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea did not stretch those boundaries much further than hard science has.
On the other hand, novels such as the ones in the Twilight series are more squarely fantastical. Barring any major scientific discoveries, vampires and shape-shifters simply do not exist. Such elements of the absolutely impossible serve various literary functions. For instance, in New Moon Stephanie Meyer uses vampires and shape-shifters to develop the central character, a human being. As in Frankenstein, the impossible becomes the best means to explore human motivations, dreams, desires, and weaknesses.
Moreover, the fantasy elements are not inherently good or evil in New Moon. Whereas in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, creatures like the giant squid are one-dimensional, in New Moon, the vampires are complex and multi-faceted characters. The vampires are so close to being human that they enable a frank exploration of the human psyche without being restricted to the mundane issues that people face in their daily lives. Readers relate as much to the vampires as to the human characters.
In New Moon, the vampires have the potential to enlighten and harm Bella in ways that ordinary humans could not do. The vampires offer Bella a chance ot be special and unique -- a means to set Bella apart from the human race. Themes like belonging can be explored...
Ultimately Bella must choose what world she belongs to, and that personal journey is at the core of New Moon.
As someone who appreciates historical fiction and biographical material more than science fiction and fantasy, the otherworldly elements of fantasy sometimes seem superfluous to me. I do not think that elements of the impossible are needed to relay deep existential issues. I also believe that the real world presents enough problems and challenges that fantasy ones can even seem trivial in comparison. At the same time, I have come to understand the difference of using fantasy as a literary technique vs. capitalizing on what the real world has to offer. Fantasy enables the use of metaphor, and the metaphors used in fantasy and science fiction permit the themes of the novel to become universal. This is probably one of the reasons why fantasy and science fiction can inspire reluctant readers.
Reluctant readers might also discover a sense of wonder and enjoyment in fantasy and science fiction that is impossible to create using the imagery and settings of everyday life. If reading partly serves as an escape from reality, then it makes sense that science fiction and fantasy have become so popular. A reluctant reader who encounters a work of realistic fiction might wonder why they should spend their time reading about events that are boring or mundane. Fantasy, on the other hand, offers readers images like vampires and giant squids.
As Chadbourn points out, the more rational the world gets, the more we need fantasy to inspire us. It is possible that the human brain simply craves imagination. Realism can only take the mind so far in its exploration of literary themes. With fantasy, anything…
Science Fiction Film Comparison In the world of science fiction, anything and everything that is imagined is possible. Aliens can travel across the galaxies and come to the earth and be aggressive or friendly depending upon the story being told. As fantastic as these works are, within even the most bizarre scenarios there is a grain of realism. Some pieces of science fiction, whether written literature, television, or films, have inspired
Audiences and their equipment and expectations have changed, too. Many have DVRs, streaming video, portable television, and certainly hi-def or plasma sets. Therefore, not only do they expect higher quality programming and effects, but network scheduling is now a moot point. Audiences can also engage in repeat viewings, watching and analyzing more attentively, which leads producers to create "increasingly sophisticated narrative worlds that sustain and reward intensive fan involvement on
Science Fiction Films On September 11, 2001, many people reacted to the news reports as if these were advertisements for another Hollywood blockbuster like Independence Day. All of it seemed like a movie, including a scene with the WASP president addressing the nation in a moment of maximum danger. Not since December 7, 1941 had Americans felt so threatened on their own soil, although in general they had been spared the
SCIENCE FICTION & FEMINISM Sci-Fi & Feminism Origins & Evolution of Science Fiction As with most things including literature, science fiction has progressed and changed a lot over the years. Many works of science fiction were simply rough copies and following the altready-established patterns of prior authors. However, there has always been authors and creators that push the envelope and forge new questions and storylines that have not been realized or conceptualized before.
Science Fiction Novel: The Neuromancer, By William Gibson William Gibson's The Neuromancer is particularly important for the relationship it depicts between science and society. The novel, published in 1984, is prescient in the fact that it portrays a world in which the most powerful proponents of technology are not the governments, but rather corporate entities driven by conventional notions of greed and self-serving hegemony (which are the same impetuses for most
Science fiction novel: Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The most interesting facet of Philip Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, is its depiction of humanity and several crucial tenets that help to define it. Within the novel, humanity is akin to empathy, since one of the primary distinctions between the people and androids in it is that the former are capable of and the latter