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Ever since Frankenstein
created his Monster, science fiction has been characterized as consisting
of stories of mad scientists hunched over laboratory benches.
Certainly it is true
that science fiction is distinguished from other literature of the fantastic
by its use (and some would say abuse) of science.
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| Definition |
Sam Moskowitz, a fan
and early chronicler of science fiction, defines science fiction as:
a branch of fantasy
identifiable by the fact that it eases the "willing suspension
of disbelief" on the part of its readers by utilizing an atmosphere
of scientific credibility for its imaginative speculations in physical
science, space, time, social science, and philosophy (11).
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Gregory Benford notes
that it is a common science fiction convention, one that is ignored by
writers of pure fantasy, that the author should not contradict known scientific
fact, though he may do what he wishes with commonly-accepted scientific
theory (33).
Thus, a writer of
science fiction would not ordinarily change the boiling point of water
at sea level on Earth, but he would feel free to invent a warp drive that
would enable a spaceship to overcome theoretical barriers to moving matter
faster than the speed of light.
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| Extrapolation |
As David
Samuelson points out, science fiction, especially hard science fiction,
employs extrapolation, the process of imagining relatively-probable worlds of the future by utilizing logical and sometimes chronological extensions
of scientific and culture curves and trends of change and development (49). |
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| Critical
Slant |
In discussing the
analysis of fiction, James Joyce refers to the epiphany of a story,
i.e., the flash of recognition that shows the situation of the story in
a new light.
In science fiction,
this epiphany is usually a revelation not of character--as it is in mainstream
fiction--but of one of several types of relationships:
- the relationship
of man to his environment, whether man-made or natural
- the relationship
of man to other men or to creatures
- the relationship
of man to aliens
- the relationship
of man to his own creations
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