| The Shift
to the Modern |
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The character of science fiction changed around 1960. The field saw an
increase in:
- the number of writers and readers
- the breadth of subject matter
- the depth of treatment
- the sophistication of language and technique
- the political and literary consciousness of the writing.
The know-how of engineers who applied a techno-fix to a problem became
a much rarer plot device.
Unlike the science fiction written under the guidance of John W. Campbell,
modern science fiction increasingly explores failures, limits, ends, and
final things.
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Modern science fiction dates roughly from the publication of Frank Herbert's
Dune in 1963-4. This dense, complex, and detailed work of fiction features
political intrigue in a future galaxy, strange and mystical religious
beliefs, and the eco-system of the desert planet Arrakis.
The other acknowledged giants who have dominated the field since before
World War II are Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke.
Of these four men, only Clarke is still alive.
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| Arthur
C. Clarke |
Clarke, a telecommunications and satellite expert, lives in Sri Lanka.
Author of lyrical science fiction with a philosophical and religious
bent, he is best known as the author of 2001:
a Space Odyssey (1968), a novel based on a screenplay by
Clarke and Stanley M. Kubrick which was itself inspired by Clarke's short
story "The Sentinel."
Clarke wrote three sequels: 2010: Odyssey
Two (1982, also filmed),2061:
Odyssey Three (1989), and 3001:
The Final Odyssey (1998)
Other key works include:
- Rendezvous With Rama (1973),
winner of the Hugo and the Nebula
- Imperial Earth (1976)
- The Fountains of Paradise
(1978), winner of Hugo and Nebula
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| Hard
vs. Soft Science Fiction |
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Up to this point in time the field was dominated by what is commonly
characterized as "hard" science fiction.
The term is both descriptive and evaluative.
Hard science fiction generally uses high-tech iconology with a strong
scientific component which is solidly thought-out, well-researched, and
tough-minded.
Its values are often male-centered, often politically rightwing or militaristic.
Hard science fiction is that variety of science fiction which highly
prizes faithfulness to the physical facts of the universe while building
upon them to realize new fictional worlds. In other words, hard science
fiction values accurate extrapolation of known science.
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"Soft" science fiction is an implied counterpoint to hard science
fiction.
It is often characterized as fiction of the "left," without
gender bias.
Generally soft science fiction does not present violence as either an
ethical standard or a necessity of plot.
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| Changes
in the Media |
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Another aspect of the increasing prominence of science fiction during
the latter quarter of the 20th century is a high incidence of crossovers
between science fiction and other modes, including the literary mainstream.
- Ray Bradbury and Kurt
Vonnegut managed to change categories or avoid labels altogether.
- Doris Lessing, Anthony
Burgess (A Clockwork Orange)
Margaret Atwood (The
Handmaid's Tale) and P.D. James
(The Children of Men) are
among the mainstream authors who now write science fiction.
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English translations of the works of foreign writers begin to appear.
- Stanilas Lem (Solaris
1960; trans. 1970), from Poland
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Original science fiction films begin to appear:
- 2001: A Space
Odyssey (1968)
- THX 1138 (1969)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977)
Syndication revitalizes the cancelled television series Star
Trek.
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The influence of fantasy on the genre resulted in what is now called
science fantasy.
Contributions of these works to the literature of the fantastic include
an awareness of irrationality and the inexplicable, the transformative
force of language, and the power of myth to organize experience.
Star Wars (1977) is the most
powerful example of this trend.
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