Features of a science fiction
By basing the plot and other story elements on actual scientific facts, principles and technology, science fiction creates an illusion of reality. However, the stories also often involve plausible laws or theories that are partly fictitious or speculative.
The stories are usually set in the future, in space, on a different planet, in a different universe, in an alternate dimension, or in an alternate history.
The novels depict situations that are different from the present or from the known past or the conceivable future.
Science fiction narratives may involve elements such as dystopia, advanced technology, time travel, space travel, and extraterrestrial life.
Science fiction novels often depict the effect of new scientific discoveries and advances in technology upon human beings.
Novelists often use science fiction to comment on social and cultural issues such as class inequality, greed, war, political authoritarianism, the misuse of technology, the dangers of environmental exploitation, the ill effects of acquiring knowledge irrespective of consequences, and so on.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) is one of the earliest novels to belong to this genre. The French writer Jules Verne and the English author H.G. Wells made this form very popular.
Verne authored Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1869), while Wells's famous novels are The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). These are regarded as the classic works of science fiction. Other prominent writers of science fiction are Isaac Asimov (Foundation, 1951), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, 1953), Robert A. Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961), Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, 1968) and Arthur C. Clarke (Rendezvous with Rama, 1973).
New Wave science fiction
This term, applied to certain works of science fiction written in the 1960s and 1970s, was borrowed from the French film movement known as the 'nouvelle vague'. The New Wave was a reaction to traditional science fiction, which was regarded as pulp fiction (action based). The writers of the New Wave deliberately broke away from the traditions of popular science fiction. Importance was given to a high degree of stylistic experimentation and artistic merit, while scientific accuracy took a backseat. The writers' focus on literary experimentation with regard to both form and content was intended to 'elevate' science fiction as a serious literary form. Much of New Wave science fiction appeared in the English magazine New Worlds, edited by Michael Moorcock.
J.G. Ballard (The Drowned World, 1962), Philip José Farmer ('World of Tiers' series, 1965-93), and John Brunner (Stand on Zanzibar, 1968) are some of the prominent writers who belong to this genre. The New Wave also witnessed the emergence of several female writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin (The Left Hand of Darkness, 1969) and Joanna Russ (The Female Man, 1975).
Hard Science Fiction
Hard science fiction or hard SF is a subgenre of science fiction characterized by its emphasis on scientific accuracy, technical detail, and realism. The term "hard" refers to the rigid adherence to known scientific principles based on current scientific understanding. In hard SF, the technology, scientific theories, and phenomena depicted are central to the plot and are explored in a highly realistic and plausible manner.
Key Characteristics of Hard Science Fiction:
Hard SF is deeply rooted in real science or credible scientific theory. Authors of hard SF often take great care to ensure that the scientific principles they use are accurate, or at least plausible based on current knowledge.
The focus can be on fields like physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, or engineering.
Advanced technologies are often featured but explained in a way that makes them seem feasible in the near or distant future.
The narrative usually avoids "magic-like" technology, and if future technology is speculative, the explanation behind it must be scientifically grounded.
Hard SF often features complex and meticulously detailed world-building, where the science and technology are integral to how the fictional world operates. The environments, whether they are set in space, on other planets, or in futuristic societies, are crafted with precision and attention to scientific detail.
Often, the plot revolves around characters trying to solve scientific or technical problems, such as survival in hostile environments, space exploration, or overcoming the limitations of technology. The resolution of these challenges usually depends on the realistic application of scientific principles.
Hard SF tends to explore complex themes, such as the nature of consciousness, the ethics of scientific exploration, or the implications of technological advancement on society. There is often a philosophical undertone, questioning humanity's role in the universe, the limits of human knowledge, or the moral implications of scientific progress.
Themes in Hard Science Fiction:
Many hard SF stories involve interstellar or interplanetary exploration, where the challenges of space travel—such as the vast distances, life support, and energy consumption—are realistically addressed.
The implications of developing AI and robots are explored scientifically, often focusing on the boundaries between human intelligence and machine intelligence, as well as the ethics involved.
Some hard SF delves into genetic engineering or human evolution, addressing how humans might adapt to new environments or biological limitations.
The stories often explore how humans might survive in places like Mars, deep space, or alien planets, using realistic methods of colonization, life support, and resource management.
Hard SF also explores how future technologies will impact social structures, economics, politics, and culture, but always grounded in plausible scientific developments.
Notable Examples of Hard Science Fiction:
The Martian by Andy Weir (2011), 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (1968), Ringworld by Larry Niven (1970), The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (2008), Contact by Carl Sagan (1985) etc.
The New Wave was a movement in science fiction that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. It is characterized by its rejection of traditional science fiction tropes, experimentation with style, and a focus on more sophisticated themes, often drawing on literary techniques and concerns from outside of science fiction. The New Wave movement sought to elevate the genre, making it more avant-garde, introspective, and artistically ambitious.
Characteristics of New Wave Science Fiction:
New Wave writers often employed unconventional narrative structures, fragmented storytelling, and poetic or symbolic language.
The movement drew inspiration from modernist and postmodernist literature, incorporating techniques such as stream of consciousness, unreliable narrators, and non-linear timelines.
There was an increased focus on style, with authors deliberately breaking away from the straightforward, plot-driven approach typical of earlier "Golden Age" science fiction.
New Wave stories frequently explored complex psychological, social, and philosophical themes, often delving into the human psyche and focusing on inner worlds as much as outer space.
Themes of alienation, identity, and dystopia were common, with an emphasis on how technology, future societies, or alien worlds affected the human condition.
New Wave writers deliberately moved away from the space opera, interplanetary travel, and gadget-centric stories of earlier eras. They sought to create more sophisticated and introspective works.
The movement also rejected the utopian or optimistic view of the future that characterized much of early science fiction, instead embracing ambiguity, dystopian worlds, and existential questions.
New Wave stories often featured more explicit depictions of sex, drug use, and altered states of consciousness, reflecting the countercultural movements of the 1960s. Writers used these elements not just for shock value, but to explore deeper questions about identity, morality, and the nature of reality.
Prominent New Wave Authors and Works:
J.G. Ballard - Key works: The Drowned World (1962), Crash (1973), The Atrocity Exhibition (1970).
Harlan Ellison - Key works: Dangerous Visions (1967, edited by Ellison), I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967).
Samuel R. Delany : Key works : Dhalgren (1975), Babel-17 (1966), The Einstein Intersection (1967).
Cyberpunk
The 1980s recorded a new dimension in the field of science fiction which emerged from the sterility of its earlier subject-matter and old styles. This was the emergence of the form of ‘Cyberpunk,’ a term coined by Bruce Bethke and represented most famously in William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984). In the words of John Clute, “cyberpunk did not domesticate the future. It treated the future as a god.”
Cyberpunk is deeply concerned with issues like artificial intelligence, hacking, virtual realities, and the blurring lines between human and machine. The genre is also rooted in critiques of capitalism, authority, and the commodification of life in the face of overwhelming technological advancement.
Key Characteristics of Cyberpunk:
Most cyberpunk stories are set in sprawling, neon-lit megacities dominated by towering skyscrapers, where pollution, overpopulation, and inequality are rampant. The setting often features decaying urban environments juxtaposed with cutting-edge technology.
Advanced technologies such as cybernetic implants, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and hacking are central to the genre. Despite the technological advancements, most people in cyberpunk worlds live in poverty or under the control of massive corporations or oppressive governments. The genre frequently explores the darker side of technology, particularly how it can be used to exploit and control individuals.
Cyberpunk often features anti-heroes—rebellious, morally ambiguous characters who operate outside the law. They are often hackers, cybernetically enhanced individuals, or mercenaries (greedy). These characters usually reject the established order and are either forced to navigate or challenge the corrupt systems of power, making them outcasts or loners.
Hackers, data thieves, and cybercriminals are common protagonists, using their skills to fight against or survive in a world controlled by technology. Virtual reality or "cyberspace" often plays a key role in these stories, where characters enter digital worlds to manipulate data or hack into corporate or government systems.
Key Works of Cyberpunk:
Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (1968), Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992), The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (1995).
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